London in June, The South Bank

Back in June I had a hospital appointment in London at 9.00 on a Monday morning! Although it would be do-able by train from where we live, my daughter and I decided to travel to London on the Sunday, and have a look round. 

We stayed the night in a Hotel very near the London Eye, so we started our walk there. I had never seen the Eye close up, such an amazing construction. However it is pretty expensive to go onto the Eye, so we decided to leave that on this visit.

It was a beautiful, really hot late afternoon, almost too hot for me, but there was a lovely breeze coming off the River :)

Looking towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

We found a lovely Bar under one of the bridges, where we had a cooling drink to keep us going :)

A pavement plaque.

Looking towards St Paul's Cathedral.

A base of one of the lights along the River.

Closer view of St. Paul's.

City skyscape :)

The Oxo Tower and Thames Beach in the foreground :)

St Paul's again, then we found a beautiful Carousel...

Absolutely gorgeous Carousel horses and dragons.

I was tempted to hop onto one of these beautiful animals, but decided to behave myself! Maybe next time :)

From here we found the Southbank book market, where my daughter bought a beautiful silk bound book at a very good price. By this time we were getting hungry so we went to a dumpling restaurant call Ping Pong Dim Sum where we had a beautiful meal, then wandered slowly back to our Hotel.

Monday after my appointment we made our way back to the Southbank, and headed towards Westminster Bridge. Above is one of the Lions on Westminster Bridge.

Looking across the River to the Houses of Parliament.

Westminster Bridge, before we walked across we had to visit the Covid Memorial wall.

So very sad to see the names of all that died due to Covid during the Pandemic. Such a lovely memorial.

Big Ben from across the River.

Watching the River traffic from Westminster Bridge.

Another view of the London Eye.

Crossing the Bridge, getting closer to the Houses of Parliament.

After this we made our way home. We had a great time, well worth spending the night in London. I might have another hospital appointment coming up soon, I wonder what we will get up to then?

Stoneacre, Otham Kent

Stoneacre, the back of the building, looking lovely in the March sunshine :)

The front of the house.

Back in March we visited the National Trust property of of Stoneacre in Otham near Maidstone in Kent. It is a fascinating building, especially as it has a lot of additions from various other buildings.

The building is a yeoman farmers house dating from the 15th Century. By the 1920's the building was a ruin and was bought by Aymer Vallance, who restored the building with the intention of turning it back to  a Tudor yeoman's dwelling.

The great hall had been altered many times throughout the buildings life, a ceiling was built across the hall to allow two extra bedrooms above. Aymer Vallance took out the two bedrooms and the ceiling to allow the hall to reach up to the roof.

The fireplace in the Great Hall, not the original. This fireplace was taken from The George Public House in Sittingbourne.

The  Crown post in the hall. 

The fireplace in the hall, rescued from The George Public House in Sittingbourne.

A beautiful copper plate, one of a number of plates, six of which are  ranged along the mantlepiece in the hall.

A gorgeous dragon carving in the fireplace.

Above and below are lovely hearth tiles.

One of the many stained glass windows in the building, many of them designed by Aymer Vallance.

The Parlour, a lovely room :)

This amazing spiral staircase was an addition by Aymer Vallance. Unless you knew it was a later addition you would think it had always been in this position. Like the fireplace in the drawing room the staircase and turret came from North Bore Place  and was added to the building when the North Wing was added in the 1920's.

The main bedroom of the house is in the Solar, situated over the Drawing Room below.

More beautiful stained glass windows in the bedroom.

A beautiful cupboard in the bedroom.

A lovely sampler on show at the top of the staircase.

Back in the Parlour, the fireplace, rescued from North Bore Place is a false one with no chimney attached to it.

The courtyard at the rear of the building.

The dining room

Lovely stained glass in this room too :)

Outside, the rear of the building, with the beautiful gardens beyond.

Gorgeous weathervane :)

The back of the building showing the octagonal tower which houses the spiral staircase.

The original Front Door, restored to its proper position by Aymer Vallance.

I had to finish with another photo of the house taken from the garden. Although the house is quite small it is lovely. I think I could easily move in there!