St James's Park
Stretching down from the St James' district which is separated by the Mall, this attractive park was designed in «picturesque» style. With its various species, the lake and the attractive views over the London monuments, it provides one of the most agreeable and busiest walks in the capital. From the bridge there are views in the direction of the Palace on one side and of the buildings in Whitehall on the other which plunge the spectator into the heart of what was the British Empire.
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London Canal Museum
The museum occupies, on the bank of Regent's Canal, a former ice house where natural ice from Norway used to be stored; among other things, this ice was used to make ice cream in the Victorian era. The exhibition traces the construction of the English canal system, the ditching of Regent's Canal, different methods of hauling and propulsion, the system's decline in the 20C and its conversion to leisure barges. A film from 1924 shows the life of contemporary boatmen.
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Victoria Tower Gardens
The Victoria Tower Gardens stretch out alongside the Thames in front of the Palace of Westminster. The statuary in the gardens includes a bronze cast of the famous group by Rodin, The Burghers of Calais, and a statue of the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, who once chained herself to the railings of Westminster.
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St Mary-at-Hill
Designed by Wren, the layout is in the form of a Greek Cross divided by nine transverses and topped by a low central Dome with by four Corinthian columns. It was restored in 1843 but then damaged by fire in 1988. The Church is well known for its wood panelling (but not all have been restored) there are many interesting details in particular the throne decorated with garlands of fruit and flowers to which access is gained up the splendid curved staircase (19C) by William Gibbs Rogers.
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