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!Michael StrachanA Royal Westminster Walk

Copyright © heritagewalks.london 2014 info@heritagewalks.london First published in the UK in 2016 Updated and republished in the UK in 2018 Text and images copyright © Michael Strachan Michael Strachan has asserted his rights to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. (The cover illustration shows Buckingham Palace).

!A Royal Westminster Walk Michael Strachan

INTRODUCTION The Royal Family has always played an important part in Lon-donʼs rich history and it comes to life in this area of Parliament, the Abbey and palaces. The walk includes Whitehall (govern-ment), Westminster Abbey (royal weddings and coronations), and Buckingham Palace (royal residence). For hundreds of years after the Norman Conquest of England (1066), the royal court was largely based at the Tower of Lon-don in the east of the city. During the Tudor period (1485 to 1603) and thereafter, it shifted to this western part of London. The starting point, Charing Cross – originally wood but now a Victorian stone monument – has long associations with the monarchy as it was originally the location of one of the Elean-or Crosses erected by Edward I in memory of his wife - Eleanor of Castille .Nearby Trafalgar Square is home to two national art galleries containing many royal portraits and royal battle scenes. The square is dominated by Nelson’s Column that honours one of England’s most famous military heroes. Whitehall is the major road!that links Trafalgar and Parliament Squares. It was once the site of a royal palace and is now the centre of Britain’s government.! Horse Guards Parade off Whitehall hosts one of the nation’s great annual pageants, Trooping The Colour, which commemorates the Queen’s offi-cial birthday. Winston Churchill's Second World War under-ground headquarters, now a museum, can also be found here. 1today.late 19th century... Buckingham Palace 1775...

The Palace of Westminster (Parliament) and Clock Tower with Big Ben are dramatic examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Nearby Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church have many royal, religious and diplomatic associations. Our walk takes you on from Parliament to Buckingham Palace, which has been the London residence of the monarch since Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837. From there you walk through Green Park, close to the royal residences of Clarence House, Lancaster House and St. James’s Palace, end-ing at Green Park station. To listen to this Introduction click the icon To find out more about ‘What3Words’ please click this information icon 2If you would like to donate an amount which will help us cover our costs and continue to work on new publications please scan or tap the QR link below:

Planning Your Walk If possible, walk with a friend. Tell s om eon e wh ere y ou a re go in g. Take c are w he n wa lki ng a t ni gh t. Wear sensible clothes and footwear. Always take a bottle of water to avoid de-hydration. Don't try to do too much in one visit. Check the opening times of all Museums and Galleries online. Take y ou r c am er a or c am era p ho ne w it h bat te ri es f ul ly ch arge d. Don’t forget to download your free Quiz and Plaque scoresheets by using the URL links on the next page… Start this walk from Charing Cross Underground station (Bakerloo & Northern lines) End this walk at Green Park Underground station (Piccadilly, Jubilee & Victoria lines) Use the Transport for London (TFL) planner to plan your journey. 35.15 km 3.2 miles 2+ hrsIf printing out,! do staple these! pages!together! for ease of use.

To make your walk more interesting… …we have created an on-line, interactive map which you can find by clicking the link below, or by scanning the green QR code opposite. This will only work if you are reading this guide on a smart device like an iPad: Plot-a-Route map We have also added some fun challenges - the first is a picture quiz. So you need to look out for interesting ob-jects such as ‘street furniture’, statues and architectural features shown in the I-Spy Challenge scoresheet. Click the link below, or scan the pink QR code opposite, to access a download for this scoresheet. It can then be printed or saved: I-Spy Challenge The second challenge is to ‘bag’ all the plaques along this walk. These are listed on a ‘Pastwalkers’ scoresheet along with their ‘what3words’ locations. (Click the information icon opposite for more about how ‘What3Words’ works). The plaque scores are based on age and quality rather than the importance of the person or event commemorated. Download by clicking on the link below, or by scanning the blue QR code opposite: Plaque Challenge 4Tick them off when you find them

Trafalgar Square to Westminster and Green Park Leave Charing Cross Station, heading for Trafalgar Square and the start of Whitehall… At the top of Whitehall, on a tiny traffic island in front of Trafalgar Square, is a statue of King Charles I on horse-back. This spot is recognised as the centre of London for the purpose of showing distances by road from other parts of the UK and is marked by the first plaque. The king’s fate is marked in several places along this walk. The name of this major road is taken from the Palace of Whitehall that once stood on the site. The palace was the main residence of the royal family from 1530 to 1698 when the building was largely destroyed by fire. Henry VIII, the most famous royal resident, married two of his wives - Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour - at the palace and also died here in 1547. In its ruins, large government buildings were built, some of which remain today. Carry on down Whitehall… You’ll see the second plaque of this walk which is entitled ‘Canterbury Province New Zealand’ set low into a wall. This refers to a meeting of the Canterbury Association to 5

plan the province’s settlement on the 16 of December 1850 by English settlers led by John Robert Godley. Walk a little further along the West (right-hand) side of Whitehall… The sprawling Admiralty buildings, shown in the original print opposite, date from 1726. Originally home to the Royal Navy’s administration, this was Britain’s first pur-pose-built office complex. In 1760 – 1761 the Admiralty Screen – a row of columns against a blank wall – was ad-ded by the architect Robert Adam to hide the buildings from the newly widened Whitehall. There are two plaques here tucked away inside this screen listed on the scoresheet. Across the road, on the corner of Craig’s Court, the Silver Cross pub used to be an Irish bank, set up in 1694 as part of the new Bank of England to help fund the monarchy and government. This tiny cul-de-sac is rumoured to house the British Gov-ernment's top secret telephone exchange - ‘Q Whitehall'. Cross the road and turn into Whitehall Place… This was the original location for Scotland Yard - the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. The site is marked by the next blue plaque 6

Continue along Whitehall Place until you see the Royal Tank Regiment memorial across the road on the corner of Whitehall Court… Turn into Whitehall Court and look across the road to view the next blue plaque at number 2… Sir Mansfield Cumming was the basis for the fictional head of the Secret Intelligence Service, named Control, in the! espionage novel,! The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, by John le Carré. In the movie version of le Carré's! Tinker Tailor Sol-dier Spy Control signs his name as 'C' using green ink, as Cumming did in real life. He was also the basis for the f i c t i o n a l h e a d o f SIS i n t h e original! James Bond! novels by! Ian Fleming. Fleming chose to name his chief 'M' from Cumming's first name, Mansfield. At the end of Whitehall Court turn right and walk back to Whitehall… Across the road you will see the impos-ing entrance to Horse Guards parade with at least two mounted troopers standing guard. Look upwards and note the clock marked in black with the time of the King Charles I’s execution. 7Sir Mansfield Cumming

The Horse Guards are the ceremonial unit of the Royal Household Cavalry. The building in which they are housed was built in the Palladian style between 1751 and 1753. It was once the headquarters of the British Army. You can divert here to cross the road and walk through into Horse Guards Parade… This large open space was once Henry VIII’s leisure complex linked to the Palace of Whitehall. It had a tiltyard – an enclosed area for jousting tourna-ments – a bowling green and tennis courts. It was then used as an army parade ground. Today it is the practice ground for the Horse Guards and the site of the Trooping the Colour. The buildings flank-ing the parade – the Admiralty to the north, the gardens of Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the south, and the Horse Guards building – are probably the finest large Georgian buildings in London. Note the trophy guns around the parade ground and the Admiralty Citadel in the northwest corner. For information about the Household Cavalry Museum and to book tickets just click here... To continue the plaque walk cross back over White-hall to the entrance to the Banqueting House… 8Horse `Guards Trooper at Waterloo

Here you will see a bust of the ‘martyred’ King and a plaque above the doorway. Begun in 1619 and designed by Inigo Jones in a style influenced by Andrea Palladio, it was completed in 1622 at a cost of £15,618. This is the only remnant of the Palace of Westmin-ster. For a time it was used by Charles 1 and his courtiers for drinking parties, but on 30 January 1649, it was the loc-ation of the king’s execution — on a scaffold outside one of the main win-dows close to where you are now standing. Turn left down Whitehall passing a group of three imposing statues on your left in front of the Ministry of Defence… Field Marshall William ‘Bill’ Slim was a man of humble origins who rose to the highest rank in the British Army. He served in the! First! world war and was wounded in action three times. During the Second World War, he led the!14th Army, the so-called "forgotten army” in the! Burma campaign. After the war, he became the first British officer who had served in the Indian Army to be appointed!Chief of the Imperial Gener-al Staff. From 1953 to 1959 he was Governor-General of Australia. 9King Charles IField Marshall William ‘Bill’ Slim

The second Statue is of Field Marshall, Sir Alan Brooke, (shown in his office opposite). Chief of the Imperial Gen-eral Staff! (CIGS), the professional head of the British Army, during the! Second World War he was the foremost military advisor to Prime Minister! Winston Churchill.! In his diary, Brooke wrote of Churchill “Without him England was lost for a certainty, with him England has been on the verge of disaster time and again...... Never have I admired and despised a man simultaneously to the same extent. Never have such oppos-ite extremes been combined in the same human being.” Alan Brooke played a pivotal role in directing Allied strategy, but after the war he was badly treated by Churchill and seldom receives the full recogni-tion he deserves. The third statue of this group is of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery known as ‘Monty’. Like Slim and Alan Brooke he served in the First World War where he was badly wounded. He served successfully under Brooke dur-ing the retreat to Dunkirk and was later promoted to command in the North African and Normandy cam-paigns. A controversial figure, he was not popular with the American Gener-als or the American press. 10Field Marshall Sir Alan BrookeField Marshall Bernard Montgomery

Continue down Whitehall to the entrance to Rich-mond Terrace for the next blue plaque… Sir Henry Morton Stanley, was the famous Welsh explorer who found the medical missionary David Livingstone who had gone missing for several years in Africa. Stanley was immensely famous in his day but his reputation has more recently been compromised by his association with slavery and the dreadful work-ing conditions in the Belgian colony of the Congo in the period from 1885 to 1908. At the time, this was a! colony! under the personal rule of!King Leopold II of Belgium. These atrocities were sometimes collectively referred to by European contemporar-ies as the!"Congo Horrors”. (Please note that access to this road is restricted and the blue plaque can only be viewed from a distance). Across Whitehall you will see the entrance to Downing Street where the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have their official residences and offices at Numbers 10 and 11. Security gates are in place so it’s sometimes difficult to see the buildings. Close to Downing Street, in the centre of White-hall… 11Sir Henry Morton Stanley

…stands the National Monument to the Women of the Second World War. 17 individual sets of clothing and uni-forms around the sides, symbolise the many different jobs women undertook in World War II. It was sculpted by John W. Mills, unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II and dedic-ated by Baroness Boothroyd, former Speaker of the House of Commons, in July 2005. She dedicated the memorial saying: "This monument is dedicated to all the women who served our country and to the cause of free-dom, in uniform and on the home front. I hope that future generations who pass this way will ask themselves: 'what sort of women were they?' and look at our history for the answer." The Foreign and Commonwealth Of-fice on the corner of Downing Street was designed in an Italianate style by G e o rg e G i l b e r t S c o t t , ( s h o w n opposite), and completed in 1868. Scott is better known for his work on St. Pancras Railway Station and the Al-bert Memorial in Hyde Park. He also completed many designs for ‘imperial’ buildings in what was then the British Empire. As you walk up to Downing Street you will pass the Cenotaph, Britain’s na-tional memorial to its war dead, erec-ted in 1919. It was conceived and de-signed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and replaced his original and i d e n t i c a l wood-and-12George Gilbert Scott

plaster cenotaph erected in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade. Intended to commemorate the victims of the First World War, it now commemorates the dead in all wars in which British ser-vicemen and women have fought. The design was used in the construction of many other war memorials throughout the British Empire and Commonwealth. The National Remembrance Day Ser-vice takes place here on November 11 attended by the Royal Family, Leaders of the British Political Parties, Veterans from the armed forces and their famil-ies. British and Commonwealth citizens join them to…‘…pay tribute to the men and women of the Second World War generation, and to those of today’s, who have served and sacrificed to defend our nation. We remember the collaboration of the Common-wealth and Allied nations who stood shoulder to shoulder then to secure our freedom and the communities coming together today to protect us all.’ Continue down Whitehall, until you reach the junc-tion with Bridge Street on your left… Turn very briefly into Bridge Street and look up at the facade of the corner building to see the next plaque… 13Sir Edward Lutyens

There is a green Westminster Council plaque here that celebrates an unsung hero John Peake Knight who in-vented the first form of traffic lights. In 1866, a year in which 1,102 people were killed and 1,334 injured on roads in London, Knight proposed a signalling system to regulate the horse-drawn traffic and reduce the number of road accidents. His invention was operated by a policeman and used a semaphore, system based on railway signalling, during the day and red and green gas-powered lamps at night - see illustration opposite. In Parliament Square Garden there are statues of a number of famous world statesmen including Jan Smuts, David Lloyd George, Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill. As of 2018 there is a statue of one courageous woman to remind everyone of the struggle for political rights waged by Millicent Fawcett and her comrades. Cross Parliament Square with the Houses of Parlia-ment, (the Palace of Westminster) on your left… The present Parliament buildings mark the site of Eng-land’s first royal palace, built in the 11th century. Until 1512, when a fire destroyed most of the palace, it was the Kings’ principal London residence. The remaining structures are Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower, both of which you can visit – (booking link opposite). 14click here to book a parliament-ary tour…

The hall and tower also survived an even greater fire of 1834 and bombing during the Second World War. Recon-struction of the palace started in 1840 and took 30 years to complete. It is built in a perpendicular Gothic style. There were major modifications and renovations in the 1950s. The Clock Tower is better known as Big Ben, after its main bell that rings every 15 minutes and on the hour. It has been featured as the backdrop in many films. Westminster Hall, dating from 1097, has a magnificent hammerbeam roof built during the reign of King Richard II (1377–1399). At various times the huge hall has housed the Royal Courts of Justice, coronations and accompanying banquets, and lyings-in-state of mon-archs and national heroes. The largest tower, Victoria Tower, was originally called King’s Tower for William IV, in whose reign it was built (1830–1837). The name was changed when a large statue of Queen Victoria was placed in the Sovereign’s Entrance, used by the monarch at the State Opening of Par-liament each winter. Outside the Houses of Parliament are statues of Oliver Cromwell from 1899 and of King Richard I, the Lionheart, dating from 1856. Cromwell created the New Model Army often referred to as Roundheads, because of their fashion for wearing 15Westminster Great Hall

close-cropped hair. The longer-haired followers of Charles I were called Cavaliers. From the Victoria Tower, cross Abingdon Street to Old Palace Yard and College Mews… In front of you is the Jewel Tower from 1365 –1366, built to house King Ed-ward III’s personal treasure. To the right is a fine Georgian house of 1756, best seen from the front. As you walk past St Margaret’s Church, built between 1482 and 1523, note the head of Charles I over the doorway — looking across the road at Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Parliamentarians against the monarchy, and a signatory to the Royal execution. Continue past the statue of King George V... Note the bronze dial plaque set into the pavement show-ing Greenwich Mean Time, followed by various dates, e.g. "21 June", on either side of a central line. It was placed here to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. Cross over Great College Street and turn into Little College Street until you turn right into Great Peter Street… 16The Jewel Tower

Turn left into Lord North Street… This short street has some fine examples of Georgian ter-raced houses and is named after the!2nd Earl of Guilford, who was known for most of his life under his courtesy title Lord North, and was! Prime Minister! from 1770 to 1782. As you walk down look to your left to see a relic from World War II - directions to an underground shelter painted on the wall! The end of this street opens out into Smith Square where stands St John’s Church... This! Grade I listed! church was designed by! Thomas Archer. Completed in 1728 it’s regarded as one of the finest works of! English Baroque! architecture. When Archer asked the Queen what she wanted it to look like she kicked over her footstool and said, 'Like that!', so it’s often r e f e r r e d t o a s ' Q u e e n Anne's! Footstool' - hence the building's four corner towers. Firebombed in World War II it was restored as a popular classical concert venue. As you turn right into Smith Square … …note the Westminster green plaque remembering W. T. Stead, a pioneering newspaper editor. Stead's "new journalism" paved the way for the modern tabloid in 17St John's, 18th century view

Great Britain. He showed how the press could be used to influence public opinion and government policy and advocated "Government by Journal-ism". He was known for his reportage on child welfare, social legislation and the reformation of England's criminal codes. He sadly died in the sinking of the Titanic. Continue around the square until you reach Dean Trench Street… At the end of Dean Trench Street turn right into Tufton Street… Here you will find several Westminster green plaques on each side of the road. Siegfried Sassoon lived on this street, but now only the site remains, marked by a Westminster green plaque. He was an!English!poet, writer, and soldier who had been decorated for bravery on the! Western Front. His poetry and autobiographical novels described the horrors of the First World War trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in his view, were respons-ible for a! jingoistic war. He became a focal point for dissent within the armed 18W T SteadSiegfried Sassoon

forces when he made a lone protest against the continu-ation of the war in his "Soldier's Declaration" of 1917, culminating in his admission to a military psychiatric hos-pital; this resulted in his forming a friendship with Wilfred Owen, who was greatly influenced by him. Sassoon later won acclaim for his prose work, notably his three-volume fictionalised autobiography, collectively known as the "Sherston trilogy". Sir Michael Balcon lived at number 57a and was an English! film producer, known for his leadership of! Ealing Stu-dios! from 1938 to 1955. Under his dir-ection, it became one of the most not-able British film studios whose output included the famous Ealing Comedies. Often considered to reflect the best of Britain's post-war spirit, the most celebrated films in the sequence include 19Sir Michael Balcon

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), Whisky Galore! (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955). Hue and Cry (1947) (see video above) is generally considered to be the earli-est of the cycle, and Barnacle Bill (1957) the last. At number 5 there is an English herit-age plaque that honours Eleanor Rathbone an independent British Member of Parliament (MP) and long-term campaigner for family allowance and for women's rights. She cam-paigned tirelessly for!women's rights. Continue along Tufton Street then turn right into Great Peter Street… Turn left into Cowley Street where you will see the next plaque… Sir John Guilgud was a famous British actor and stage director who lived here at number 16 for many years. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of a trio of actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. Although largely indifferent to awards, Gielgud won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony. Among his other honours, he was knighted in 1953 and the 20Eleonor RathboneJohn Guilgud

Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue was named after him. From 1977 to 1989, he was president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. around Cowley Street into Barton Street where there are two further blue plaques… T. E. Lawrence, popularly known as ’Lawrence of Arabia’, lived at number 14. Before the first World War he worked as a British archaeologist, and went on to became a military officer, dip-lomat, and writer. He was renowned for his role during the!Arab Revolt!against the!Ot-toman Empire. His ability to describe the excitement and passions of his wartime actions vividly described in in his autobio-graphy - ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ e a r n e d h i m i n t e r n a t i o n a l f a m e as! Lawrence of Arabia — a title used for! the 1962 film! based on his wartime activities. 21T. E. Lawrence

Continue on to number 6 Barton Street… Lord Reith, the first Director-General of the British Broadcasting Company, lived here. He established the public-service model of the BBC as a way of educating the masses - a concept which survives to this day. At the end of Barton Street turn left into Great College Street and at the corner turn right through the archway… You’re now in Deans Yard … It’s worth walking around because of the eclectic mix of buildings, including Westminster School, one of Britain’s leading public (fee-paying) schools. There are some fine Georgian houses with ori-ginal ironworks here. If you wish to tour the Abbey use the link opposite to plan your visit. The original abbey was built in the early Norman style by Saxon king Edward the Confessor between 1045 and 1050. It was constructed on the site of a ruined monas-tery from King Edgar’s time (944–975). The building was added to and modified at various times between 1245 and 1269 and again from 1375 to 1506 so that it is now a mix of Norman, Gothic and pre-Tudor and Renaissance styles. The western towers were added in 1734-1740. 22For information about visiting the Abbey please click here…Lord Reith

Westminster Abbey has been the location for the corona-tion of every English monarch since William the Con-queror – on Christmas Day, 1066 – except for Edward V and Edward VIII. It is also the wedding and burial place for many English and British kings and queens including the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. Many na-tional figures have been buried there including monarchs, politicians, generals, doctors and scientists. Poet’s Corner contains memorials to famous British literary and stage figures. The tomb of The Unknown Warrior holds an unidentified British soldier killed in Europe during the First World War. He was buried in the abbey on 11 November 1920, at the same time as an unknown French soldier was buried at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You will see an exit in the north-west corner - go through to find yourself on Victoria Street with the Abbey to your right… Cross Victoria Street and head north into Storey’s Gate… This street is named after Edward Storey, keeper of King Charles II’s birds in St James’s Park. On the corner is Westminster Central Hall, a huge Methodist meeting place built in 1905-1911. Opposite is Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre built in 1981-1986. Continue on to Old Queen Street, where you turn left… 23

Most of the fine buildings along this street date from the 1770’s, including number 9 - home of Richard Savage - Governor of the Tower of London who lived here from 1660 to 1712. Number 11 is a Grade II listed building from the period of William and Mary. A little further on to the right are the Cockpit Steps… These steps are a small passageway to St James’s Park and the location of the Royal Cockpit in the 17th-century. Here royalty and the upper classes watched and gambled on cock fights. Just round the corner is the Two Chairmen Pub where sedan chairs were once hired… Continue ito Queen Anne’s Gate… Note the beautiful doorways, balconies and ironwork on some of these early Georgian houses, restyled in the 1850s and 1860s. Many of the houses are listed buildings – designated architectural gems by English Heritage – and are inhabited by politicians, senior civil servants and the landed gentry. The street is named after Queen Anne 1 (1702-1714), daughter of James II and has one of the highest concen-trations of Blue Plaques in London. 24Richard Savage

Sir Edward Grey, also known as Vis-count Grey of Fallodon was British For-eign Secretary at the opening of the First World War and is remembered for his remark - "the lamps are going out" - made on the eve of war – 3 August 1914 – as diplomatic attempts to avert the war failed. He lived at number 3. He was also a lifelong fly fisherman, publishing a book, Fly Fishing, on his exploits in 1899, which remains one of the most popular books ever written on the subject. He continued to fish by touch after his deteriorating eye-sight meant he was no longer able to see the fly or even a rising fish. He loved nature and was an avid ornithologist. Number 14 was the home of Charles Townley, a wealthy English country gentleman, antiquary and col-lector. He travelled on three Grand Tours to Italy, buying antique sculpture, vases, coins, manuscripts and Old Master drawings and paintings. Many of the most im-portant pieces from his collection, especially the Townley Marbles are now in the British Museum. William Smith, a pioneer of religious liberty, member of the Clapham Sect of social reformers and supporter of the abolition of slavery, lived at number 16. 25Sir Edward Grey

This was also the home of Lord Fisher, OM., Admiral of the Fleet, (Capt. ‘Jack-ie’ Fisher), was a celebrated innovator, strategist and developer of the Royal Navy. During his more than sixty years in the Royal Navy, his efforts to reform and modernise the service ushered in an era which saw the replacement of wooden sailing ships armed with muzzle-loading cannon by steel-hulled battlecruisers, submarines and the first aircraft carriers. He served as First Sea Lord at the beginning of World War 1. NOTE: numbers 16 & 20 in this street share the same postcode and ‘what3-words’ location shown right… Number 20 was the home of a Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston who domin-ated British foreign policy during the period 1830 to 1865, when Britain stood at the height of its imperial power. He held office almost continu-ously from 1807 until his death in 1865. He began his parliamentary career as a Tory, defected to the Whigs in 1830, and became the first prime minister from the newly formed Liberal Party in 1859. He was always highly popu-lar with the British public. 26Lord PalmerstoneLord Fisher

Lord Haldane, who lived at number 28, was a statesman, lawyer and philosopher who implemented a wide-ranging set of reforms of the British Army, aimed at preparing it for an Imperial war but with the more likely (and secret) task of a European war. The main element of this was the British Expeditionary Force of six infantry divisions and one cavalry division. The Official Historian Brigadier James Edmonds later wrote that "in every respect the Expeditionary Force of 1914 was incomparably the best trained, best organised and best equipped British Army ever to leave these shores.” James Mill and John Stuart Mill were both eminent British philosophers and lived at number 40. The Latter was called "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century”. He thought that liberty justi-fied the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control. Mill was a proponent of ethical theory of utilitarianism, (see also below). Walk around the corner to the left into Dartmouth Street and view Jeremy Bentham’s green plaque… 27John Stuart MillViscount Haldane

Bentham was a great English! philosopher and! social re-former!regarded as the founder of modern!utilitarianism - based on the principle that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong". Throughout his life he supported! indi-vidual! and! economic freedoms, the! s e p a r a t i o n o f c h u rc h a n d state,! freedom of speech, equal rights for women, the right to divorce, and the decriminalising of homosexual acts. He called for the! abolition of slavery and the!death penalty, and the!physical punishment of children.! He has also become known as an early advocate of!animal rights. Walk to the bottom of Dartmouth Street then cross the road, veering to the right into Broadway… Pause briefly to look inside the St Jame’s Park un-derground station… This famous station was rebuilt again between 1927 and 1929 as part of the construction of!55 Broadway, (shown opposite),! the London Transport headquarters building designed by! Charles Holden! and featuring statues and carved stone panels by Sir! Jacob Epstein,! Eric Gill, and!Henry Moore. 28Jeremy Bentham

Continue along Broadway into Petit France until you reach the junction with Buckingham Gate… You will pass the rear entrance of Wellington Barracks. Note the stone military insignia set into the wall on your right. Behind this entrance is the Royal Military Chapel, known as the Guards Chapel, (see 19th century illustra-tion opposite). It is the religious home of the Household Divi-sion. Built in 1838, the chapel was bombed during the Blitz in 1940/1941 and in 1944 many were killed here by a V1 rocket. The chapel was rebuilt in a modern style in the 1960s. Turn right into Buckingham Gate and cross the road… Do have a look at Westminster Chapel as you cross, (see illustration opposite). Completed in 1865, it was designed by the architect William Ford Poulton in a! Lombard! Romanesque Revival! style, using stock brick! with some red brick and stone dressings. The façade facing you is gabled and has a recessed triple-arched central porch, with graduated arcading above, all having decorative shafting. There is a tower to the right, with coupled arched windows. 29

Cross over Castle Lane and enter Wilfred Street on your left… The buildings in this area are largely early 20th century but a handful of Georgian survivals can be found scattered throughout the streets. The detailing of this part of the conservation area ‘echoes that of Queen Anne’s Gate to the other side’. Walk to the end of Wilfred Street noting the unusual statue at the corner of Catherine Place… The Cask and Glass Public House at the corner with Palace Street, is another ‘simple building’ dating from the early 19th century. It’s said to. Be London’s smallest public house. Another famous pub nearby is ‘The Colon-ies’ Turn right into Palace Street until you reach Stafford Place… As you turn into Stafford Place past the pleasant red-brick and stone Victorian mansions, you’ll see a granite tablet set into the surface of! Stafford!Mansions on your right. This commemorates the use of the building as the!headquarters!of the!Free!French Naval!forces during the Second World War. As you walk past Stafford Mansions you come to a row of elegant Georgian houses. Number 16, was the home of Lord Hore-Belisha. As Minister of Transport he proved 30

highly successful in modernising the British road system in 1934–37 and in-troduced the amber "Belisha beacons" which have been installed at many pedestrian crossings. Just across the road you will see a short passageway - walk through it and turn right at the end into Buck-ingham Gate… Across the road you will see the en-trance to the Queen’s Gallery which houses the Royal Collection. ( Follow the Queen’s Gallery link above for details of special exhibitions and to books tickets). Continue around Buckingham Gate to number 15… This was the home of Wilfred Scawen Blunt, a famous diplomat, poet and traveller. He and his wife Lady Anne Blunt travelled in the Middle East and were instrumental in preserving the Ar-abian horse bloodlines through their farm, the Crabbet Arabian Stud. He was best known for his poetry, which appeared in a collected edition in 1914, and also wrote political essays and polemics. He was also known for his strongly anti-imperialist views – still uncommon in his time. 31Leslie Hore-BelishaWilfred Scawen Blunt

Return to the junction with Birdcage Walk and cross the road to enter it… On your right in Birdcage Walk you will find the Welling-ton Barracks – home to the Household Division – often just known as The Guards. This division has a long and proud history, mostly dating back to the time of the Eng-lish Civil Wars and the Restoration in the middle of the 17th Century. Since that time they have proudly carried out a dual role as the sovereign's personal guards and as operational soldiers for the nation. The barracks was named after the Duke of Wellington and is close to the Royal Palaces in case of an emergency. Look for an unusual plaque on the barracks railings… This dark, metallic plaque remembers Arthur P Sullivan - a famous Australian VC - awarded for gallantry in 1919 who died here in a tragic accident. He was in London for the coronation of King George VI as part of the Australian Coronation Contingent in 1937, when he died of head injuries received in a fall. His medal set is displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. In 1702 to 1705 John Sheffield, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, built a country house to the west of St. James’s Park. In 1761 it was sold to George III, who soon renamed it “Queen’s House” as 32Arthur P. Sullivan VC

his wife Queen Charlotte, lived here with their 15 chil-dren. George IV commissioned architect John Nash to make the house palatial, which he did between 1825 and 1828. In 1837, Queen Victoria became the first monarch to take up residence at the now renamed Buckingham Palace. She initiated modifications that involved moving the Marble Arch, (shown above in its original position), to its present location in Hyde Park. The Palace was the offi-cial residence of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and will be used by King Charles III as an office suite and to receive guests. The East facade of the Palace has a large open space which you can cross to get closer… otherwise you might like to walk down to the edge of the lake and around it and up to the Mall… 33East facade from early in Victoria’s reign - the Marble Arch can be seen lower left…

The East Façade is the part of the palace most recently altered – first in 1847 and again in 1913 after Queen Victoria’s memorial was placed outside. The facade is in the neo-Classical style and includes the balcony on which members of the Royal Family appear on major celebrations. The gates and railings in front date from 1911. From the palace railings walk down The Mall (unless you have walked down and around the lake)… The Mall runs from Buckingham Palace to Admiralty Arch. It was created in the 1910s as a ceremonial route and recently the road surface was made red to give a ‘red carpet’ approach to the palace. Green Park, on your left, was made a royal park by Henry VIII. For a time it was a duelling ground then, in 1668, Charles II made it a deer park. It was named for the king’s wishes to have just a few buildings, lakes or ornaments in the park, only mature trees and grassland. Here, in 1749, Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks was first played to a huge pyrotechnic display initiated by King George II to celebrate the end of the War of Austri-an Succession (1740 to 1748). Take Queen’s Walk on your left leading through Green Park to Piccadilly… This promenade runs alongside the gardens of two im-portant royal and aristocratic residences. The first, 34The Royal Fireworks

Lancaster House, dates from 1825 to 1840. It was built in a mix of Georgian and neo-Classical styles for a son of King George III but then be-came a private residence – for a time the most expens-ive in London. (See illustra-tion opposite). It is now a government building and rooms are sometimes used by TV and movie companies as a stand-in for those in Buckingham Palace. Look out on your right for Milkmaids Passage… This short passage to St James likely dates back to the 18th or 19th century. It would have provided the perfect access for maids to carry fresh milk from the park’s cows (see iIllustration on the next page) to the dairy of St James’s Palace and the other aristocratic homes of the dis-trict. A little further along is Spen-c e r H o u s e , b u i l t i n 1756-1766, for John, 1st Earl Spencer, ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales. It has a wonderful Palladian facade in front of a garden recently restored and replanted with shrubs in the style of the 1790s. (See opposite). 35Lancaster HouseSpencer House

The last plaque on this walk can be seen on one of the last houses over-looking this park - Henry Pelham, third Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1743 until his death in 1754. He was the younger brother of Thomas Pel-ham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, who served in Pelham's government and succeeded him as prime minister. Pelham is generally considered to have been Britain's third prime minister, after Robert Walpole and the Earl of Wilm-ington. At the end of Queen’s Walk, on Piccadilly, is the Ritz Hotel. Built in 1905 in a French Belle Epoque Parisienne style, the hotel’s guests and patrons have included King Edward VII, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and roy-alty and presidents from several European countries. 36Henry PelhamThe Royal Fireworks

If you are not staying at the Ritz – proceed towards Green Park Tube station and the end of your walk. 37 If you have enjoyed this digital guide...

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