Month: November 2010

The curator of Kelmscott House in London would like us to visit. The December issue of South East Walker has a plea from the curator inviting walkers to drop in to William Morris’s house at Hammersmith on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday afternoon 2-5pm. There is no admission charge. Kelmscott House was William Morris’s London […]

Jubilee Greenway markers are appearing in the ground on the first twenty miles of the Thames Path. Indeed they start a little downstream of the Thames Barrier at Woolwich Ferry. People were talking about them at Southwark Cathedral last weekend having seen one outside. The Jubilee Greenway is inspired by the Silver Jubilee Walkway so […]

Sunday night’s Countryfile on BBC1 had some film of Matt Baker canoeing on the river at Pangbourne. It included some brief of upstream Child Beale Wildlife Park which walkers miss as the Thames Path makes a rare detour up a hill and through Hartslock Wood. The programme always breaks up its reports so we had […]

It’s interesting to learn that Kate Middleton’s parents Carole and Michael were married at Dorney Church. The reception was at Dorney Court which since has doubled for Syon in the film Lady Jane. Prince William’s great, great grandparents were married in 1881 at tiny Petersham Church near Richmond. This would be perfect for Kate and […]

Kate Middleton is in the headlines as she becomes engaged to Prince William but news that she went to school in Pangbourne is not what it seems. St Andrew’s School is some way south-west of the Thames-side village. However, besides the royal story in tonight’s Evening Standard is the announcement that a Roman village has […]

Today is the bicentenary of painter Johann Zoffany’s death. He lived and died at Strand-on-the-Green where the riverside house is marked with a blue plaque. He is buried on the south side of St Anne’s Church on nearby Kew Green across the river. See pages 54 and 55.

News about Greenwich below comes from the World Travel Market -the travel industry fair in London’s Docklands this week. Another announcement made at the WTM is that Windsor Castle’s Round Tower will be open to visitors during August and September next year. There are 189 steps to the battlements. This is the highest point of […]

The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich is about to receive its millionth visitor since the grounds were opened to the public with free admission. The Royal Navy left in 1997 and now the grounds are open free daily 8am to 6pm. The chapel and Painted Hall are usually open free as well. Next summer […]