Before travelling southwest out of London we walked around Southwark south of the river Thames to parts of London that both Shakespeare and Dickens would have known. There are lots of hidden gems to find, all with their own story to tell. Like Southwark Cathedral where Shakespeare’s brother is buried. The ruins of the Bishops of Winchester’s Palace great hall is where Henry VIII met with his council to decide what to do with Catherine Howard after her downfall. Crossbones graveyard where 12,000 paupers and prostitutes have been buried since the middle ages up until 1846. Nancy’s steps, (Oliver Twist)and the site of London Bridge where they would have set traitors heads on pikes.
We went aboard the replica of Sir Frances Drake’s Golden Hinde, mariners weren’t very tall people in those days. The ship is undergoing some major works to get it ready to take part in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee river pageant in June where over 1000 boats will take part in the biggest Thames Pageant for over 350 years.
The Vyne deep in rural Hampshire, home to Lord Sandys one of Henry VIII's courtiers and has the most magnificent oak panelled long gallery. There are many carved references to Henry and Catherine of Aragon. The Chapel holds stained glass windows to Catherine and Henry praying to their patron saints. The windows survived the attentions of Oliver Cromwell troops as there were hidden in a pond during the Civil War. It was beautiful to just stroll around the ornamental gardens and the lake was superb. We discovered though that the swans don’t like ginger biscuits a male and female just spat out Walkers ginger biscuits, the ungrateful pair!
Back in London we went on an early evening walk from Green park to the back entrance to St James Palace, Guardsmen were on ceremonial duty but we didn’t see anyone famous going in or out. We ended up in the oldest pub in London dating from 1514 before walking back to the Mad Hatters Hotel south of the river.
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