Many of London`s original power stations have either been demolished, converted for other use, or stand derelict awaiting redevelopment that is seemingly always just out of reach. However, in their prime these mighty `cathedrals of power` played a vital role in London`s journey towards becoming the world`s most important city. Gasworks also played a key role, built in the Victorian era to manufacture gas for industry & the people, before later falling out of favour once natural gas was discovered in the North Sea. London`s Lost Power Stations & Gasworks looks at the history of these great places. Famous sites that are still standing today, such as those at Battersea & Bankside (now the Tate Modern gallery), are covered in detail, but so are the previously untold stories of long-demolished & forgotten sites. Appealing to anyone with even the slightest interest in London, derelict buildings or urban exploring, this book uses London`s power supply as the starting point for a fascinating hidden history of Britain`s capital, & of the more general development of cities from the era of industrialisation to the present day. ...

From the sources of the Fleet in Hampstead`s ponds to the mouth of the Effra in Vauxhall, via the meander of the Westbourne through ` Knight`s Bridge` & the Tyburn`s curve along Marylebone Lane, ” London`s Lost Rivers” unearths the hidden waterways that flow beneath the streets of the capital. Paul Talling investigates how these rivers shaped the city
- forming borough boundaries & transport networks, fashionable spas & stagnant slums
- & how they all eventually gave way to railways, roads & sewers. Armed with his camera, he traces their routes & reveals their often overlooked remains: riverside pubs on the Old Kent Road, healing wells in King`s Cross, `stink pipes` in Hammersmith & gurgling gutters on streets across the city. Packed with maps & over 100 colour photographs, ” London`s Lost Rivers” uncovers the watery history of the city`s most famous sights, bringing to life the very different London that lies beneath our feet.

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The Thames may dominate London, but it also has 21 tributaries within its tidal stretch in Greater London; over two thirds of them are now partially or wholly lost, buried under streets of houses, channelled in underground tunnels or diverted by the sewer system. This lovely guide traces the course of eight such tributaries, four north of the Thames (Westbourne, Tyber, Fleet & Walbrook) & four south of the river (Peck/ Earl’s Slice, Neckinger, Effra & Wandle). Each chapter provides directions for walkers as well as interesting & informative descriptions of the districts & the sights along the way, with historical notes, richly detailed anecdotes, etc. Accompanying maps tracing each walk along the streets & parks have the original course of the river marked on them, indicating visible & not visible sections. Witty & evocative, the guide invites Londoners & visitors alike to explore the city’s history through exploring its lost rivers. ...

London is a city of markets: markets in meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, money, insurance, shipping &, occasionally, in stolen goods. As both a major port & the nation`s capital, it was almost inevitable that commerce became the bedrock on which the city has risen to be one of the world`s greatest modern marketplaces. Many of today`s street names remind the observant pedestrian of the commercial centres that were to be found in them in times past: Bread Street, Milk Street & Ironmonger Lane; London`s market history is all around us. Stephen Halliday`s book is a comprehensive account of the long, lurid & often controversial history of London`s markets, from Roman Londinium to the London of Boris Johnson, as well as a guide to visiting them (and emerging with a bargain). He explores the historic markets still in existence, & the sites of those that no longer exist, & recounts the fascinating stories of the famous, not-so-famous & sometimes infamous Londoners who have populated them, both as buyers & sellers, through the ages. ...

Walking through most parts of London produces puzzles entire buildings or bits of street furniture, monuments or memorials that seem out of place, out of time or simply inexplicable. Sometimes they become so familiar we cease to notice their strangeness, sometimes we are intrigued enough to explore their stories. The findings are collected here as oddities though the word has many different nuances. Some things would be odd under any circumstances, some are the work of very odd people, some are odd by being relocated in new contexts, such as a Wren spire grounded in a 1960s housing estate or a South Seas whalebone in a suburban street. Some seem odd now because of the way the world has changed around them. So, take a seat next to Spike Milligan, discover the dead letter box used by spies in Brompton Cemetery, & dance on the grave of one of the world s greatest clowns. ...

London`s Parks & Countryside in the Pathfinder Guides series, produced in association with Ordnance Survey & published by Crimson; comprising a range of walking guides to popular British destinations. Each Pathfinder guide

Includes:: 28 varied walks ranging from easy strolls to exhilarating hikes & is accompanied by 1:25, 000 Ordnance Survey mapping with marked, colour-coded routes. Introductory sections profile the county or region covered, with recommendations on the best time to visit & a brief explanation of GPS. An ‘at-a-glance’ table gives an overview of the walks covered in the guide, with information on the starting point, National Grid reference, distance, time, highest point & general brief comments. Each walk described in the guide has a dedicated information box profiling the walk, with useful information such as the starting point, distance, approximate time, parking, refreshments & the relevant Ordnance Survey map for navigation. Clear & easy to follow directions are provided & are accompanied by practical information about the route, including the location of toilets, refreshment areas & picnic sites, as well as colour photography illustrating some of the highlights of the walk. A Further Information section contains information on walking safety & responsible walking, as well as a list of useful contacts.

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Applying the winning formula of London`s Best Pubs to focus on riverside watering holes, London`s Riverside Pubs shows the best that the capital has to offer along the Thames & the Grand Union Canal. Extending from Walton-on-Thames to Thamesmead, the book features 100 pubs, giving a variety of venues for the perfect afternoon by the river. Divided by area & accompanied by photography showcasing both exteriors & interiors, the pubs described here will appeal to a broad range of visitors, both tourists & London residents alike. Each entry features an overview of the cask ales on offer, together with informative historical & architectural snapshots & details on the character of each pub. This title is suitable for visitors to London who are looking for great riverside locations, as well as London residents who are looking for a break from their usual pub choices. ...

London`s royal parks are amongst its most beautiful & beloved spaces: just as much as the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace & Victoria Station, the mere mention of Hyde or Regent`s Park is enough to evoke the capital in all its glory for residents & tourists alike. They have a grand history
- some having been royally-owned as far back as the Norman conquest, & others having been acquired by Henry VIII during the Reformation
- & since being opened to the public during the eighteenth century have hosted some of London`s great events, including the Great Exhibition & innumerable jubilees & celebrations. This book tells the story of all nine of the parks from the point when they were acquired by the monarchy until the present day, including the major historic moments & events with which they are associated.

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The skyline of Victorian London was dominated by sinister mounds of rubbish, graphically described in Dickens`s novel Our Mutual Friend. Surprisingly these dust mounds were where hundreds of so called running or flying dustmen made a meager living. Working in the open air in all weathers, amid the dust & smell, they separated out the refuse, selling much of it on, in an early form of recycling. They turned a profit from mere rubbish
- the ` Alchemy of Dust`. In time the fear of cholera & other epidemic diseases resulted in public health legislation that banished the dust mounds, & 150 years later Londoners do their own recycling. In this pioneering book Peter Hounsell explores the changes in the management of London`s rubbish over the last two centuries.
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London`s wealth of world-class attractions are renowned & covered in numerous excellent general tourist guides. Not so well known are London`s numerous smaller attractions, most of which are neglected by the throngs who descend upon the tourist-clogged major sights. What London`s Secret Places does is seek out the city`s lesser-known, but no less worthy, `hidden` attractions. ...