Monday 28th March 2022

Long journey to reach the start of the 19 route today. I eventually got to Battersea Bridge and had a look around the area before the bus came. There were a couple of bronze statues nearby – In Town by John Ravera and Two Swans by Catherine Marr-Johnson.

So I got on the bus and went over the bridge to Chelsea – and got out at Chelsea Old Town Hall. It’s possible to go inside and I found that the public parts are mainly used as a reference library, with the private areas used for functions such as weddings. The entrance hall is magnificent and the doors in the various library rooms were big and impressive. Inside the rooms, there were pictures and statues and also a reference to The Queen Victoria Gallery.

Over the road from the Town Hall is Dovehouse Green, a small garden which had originally been given by Sir Hans Sloane in 1733 as a burial ground. In fact, there are still some graves and stones dotted around and a memorial plaque to those who died during WW2.

There are so many places that I could have stopped off at on this bus route but I realise I have to be selective and not be over-ambitious and it’s just too exhausting!

So I stayed on the bus to Pont Street where I walked to Cadogan Place. This has been home to several famous people, most notably Lord Alfred Douglas (lover of Oscar Wilde), Harold MacMillan, William Wilberforce and Dorothea Jordan (former mistress to Prince William, later William IV). Most of the houses in Cadogan Place are grade II listed. Not far from here is Lowndes Square where renowned former residents include Oswald Moseley, President Kenyatta and also Roman Abromavitch. The gardens in the centre of both these squares are private – understandable for the residents to have a quiet space but a shame not to be able to go inside.

I then got back on the bus and alighted at the Royal Academy but instead of going there, I went to the Royal Institution in Albermarle St. The collections here include the apparatus and experimental equipment of many scientists, who have researched, lectured and lived in the building, as well as an impressive array of art and sculpture. Downstairs is the Michael Faraday Museum which is well worth a visit. For me, it was fascinating to come here since the very first of my journeys on Route 1, took me to Elephant & Castle where there is a memorial to the man himself. It felt like full circle!

Next stop was to Sadler’s Wells and a trip around the corner to Myddelton Passage.  Scores of numbers , letters, and even dates, have been gouged into the brickwork of the wall that lines the left side of the passage. These initials and numbers are, in fact, a unique historical record, carved into the wall by bored, tired, and, possibly, slightly tipsy, 19th and 20th century police officers.

I did pop into Sadler’s Wells to pick up a leaflet to find out what’s on and coming up. Then, waiting for the bus again, I found some interesting information about Sadler’s wells – a history of how it came into being. Briefly, it sprang up (excuse the pun!) from Robert Sadler wanting to build a music house around the mineral spring that was discovered in 1683.

I next went to Highbury to see the Union Chapel – however it was closed for the day for Fire Training which was a shame as it looks really beautiful. I had a quick walk in Compton Terrace Gardens before heading over to Highbury Barn.

The bus stopped at the Clock Tower at Highbury Barn. In 1740 a tea and ale house opened at Highbury Barn, which had originally been the barn of Highbury manor farm; Oliver Goldsmith later wrote of the pleasant time he had spent here. I had specifically come to see the Clock Tower. Dating from 1897, the clock tower was donated by Alfred Hutchinson to the Islington Vestry in honour of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. It features an octagonal base of polished granite and low relief portraits of Queen Victoria. It is Grade II listed.

Nearly at the end of the route, I went back on the bus to see the Elephant Hedges in Finsbury Park. These are on the corner of Romilly and Ambler roads and are a great spectacle to see. It was definitely worth a detour and a good end to the pretty hectic day.

Every week I research and plan the stops I want to make on the journey. This week I realised that there were too many to do all so I had to select carefully. Even so, I stopped at Chelsea Old Town Hall which wasn’t on my original itinerary, as well as Sadler’s Wells. I have to be flexible – and not over-ambitious as it’s also very tiring getting on and off the bus so many times.

But it’s all worth it and each week, I’m getting more and more out of it.