Theater Walk

Trafalgar Square

This walk took us through the theatrical district of London, including Covenant Garden, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. I think the historical context of this area is very interesting. Especially it’s development into an entertainment district. In medieval times, this area was largely owned by the church. However, when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church he confiscated all the property of the church. In Stuart times is when it really began to develop into an entertainment center. During this era Leicester Square developed a reputation as a scandalous entertainment center.

Somerset House

We began our walk at the Temple tube stop and walked along the Thames. One of my favorite things I saw on the walk was the Somerset House. I loved the architecture of the building and thought its history was fascinating. Elizabeth I lived here during her childhood. This was also the place that Oliver Cromwell was crowned by proxy.

Our entrance to “Theaterland” was marked by our entrance onto Drury Lane (home of the well-known muffin man). According to the book, two of the first recorded cases of the plague of 1665 were introduced here by French sailors. The book also said that at the end of the 19^th century, Drury Lane was one of the worst slums in London. This is definitely a contrast to the area today.

Covent Gardens

Another one of my favorite parts of this walk was Covenant Garden. I really loved the atmosphere here. While we were there, a strings group was performing inside the covered market area. I was also excited to learn from the book that part of the beginning of the movie My Fair Lady was filmed here. We went into St. Paul’s church there and looked at the many plaques put up in honor of famous actors and actresses.

National Gallery in Trafalgar Square

Eventually we made our way to Trafalgar Square. Here we were able to see the National Gallery, the statue of Lord Nelson, and a view of Big Ben in the distance. It was fun to see the so many of the things that are so iconic in London.

The Country Walk

For our country walk, we took a train out to Kent and were lead on a walk by Bro Chiddick and two of his brothers. Kent is an area to the southeast of London, often referred to as “The Garden of England.” It received this title because of the many orchards and hop farms in the area.

Throughout our walk we used the many public footpaths found throughout England. These footpaths are available because legislation was passed that stated that if a farmer did not provide a footpath on his property, that people could just walk through his fields. On our walk we got to see a hop farm, part of what Kent is famous for. Hops are a small flowering plant that are used as a culinary stabilizer and flavoring. It is most often used in the brewing of beer. Bro Chiddick explained that during the summer holiday, many families would leave the city and spend the summer in the country. Often they would work on hop farms. This way they could make some money and they got housing for working on the farm.

The walk was really beautiful. Every time we leave London and go out into the country I am always amazed at how green and beautiful the country is. I love the rolling hills, the beautiful trees, and the old run down fences around the fields. When we went on the walk the colors were beginning to change to the beautiful reds and yellows of fall.

During our walk we saw an Anderson shelter. These were used during World War II during bombings. Rooms were dug into the ground and covered by a dome. People would retreat to these shelters during bombings. They didn’t actually protect from bombs, but they protected from shrapnel which was a huge danger. Bro. Chiddick told us a little bit about growing up during World War II.

During our walk it started to pour down rain. We got a taste of some real British weather! And we got to go on a little trail-blazing adventure. Bro. Chiddick took us a different way than they normally go and we ended up stomping through the woods in the rain. It was a lot of fun though and I know all the girls enjoyed it.

Seats of Power Walk

The Seats of Power walk took us through the administrative center for London government and royalty. This part of the city really began to be developed during the reign of Henry VIII.

We began our walk along Victoria Embankment by the Thames. The first thing I saw when coming off the tube was Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. And across the Thames I could see the London Eye. I learned that originally the London Eye was just built to celebrate the millennium, but it became so popular and iconic that they decided to keep it permanently.

As I walked along the Thames, I saw many war memorials that had been erected in memory of those who fought and died in World War II and other wars the British have been involved in. I particularly liked the memorial for the Battle of Britain. There were actually numerous war memorials throughout this entire walk. The British people obviously feel a great sense of honor and take pride in their military. I also think that London is especially sensitive to the effects of World War II because as a city it was so heavily targeted.

My two favorite parts of the walk were at the very end: St James Park and Buckingham Palace. When we came to St James Park we actually took a detour from the walk so that we could explore the park a little bit. I love that there are such nice parks in the city. It gives people a chance to escape the hustle and bustle that comes with living in one of the world’s major cities. We finally made it to Buckingham Palace. That was exciting because it is something so iconic. Buckingham Palace was built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was purchased by George III in 1702, but Victoria was the first monarch to live here on a permanent basis. Now, the palace is the official London residence of the Queen.

I really enjoyed this walk. I was able to see some of the major tourist sites of London, as well as the administrative center of the city. I was also able to learn a lot about the places and buildings I was seeing, which made them mean a lot more to me.