Glorious Green and Secret Spaces in the city.
Wisteria in Full Bloom leading to a secret story …
.Will I upon thy party wear this rose.
And here I prophesy, the brawl to-day
Grown to this faction, in the Temple Gardens,
Shall send, between the red rose and the white,
A thousand souls to death and deadly night.’ William Shakespeare - Henry IV Part one
The wisteria leads us down to the Embankment, to the Thames. The dirty, dark and swirling river - the silver thread of hope and prosperity - the watery place the secrets and loss - and the scene where Magwitch reveals himself as Pip’s protector and patron in ‘Great Expectations. Where Garden Court stands now.
Behind, a fountain and gnarly Mulberry trees, stooping low toward the water. Place of Shakespeare and the choice of the red rose, and white rose - the war between the houses of York and Lancaster.
We are in the heart of London’s legal domain, and some of the pretties gardens in the Square Mile.
Yellow sunshine Banksia, trailing the iron trellis.
The season may be fleeting, Spring that is, before it settles to summer. Rivers of daffodils curtsey and withdraw as the tulips make a grand entrance. There are many, many small and hidden spaces in the city that gentle care has turned into works of art, etched with signs of early civilisations and stories in the walls.
Churches once, sanctuaries now, hollowed yet draped with emerald ivy that turns to russet in the Fall. My eyes follow the oak where once a stoned aisle lay, before the fire, before the bombs.
Purple of Parrot tulips, to wisteria, to lilacs and alliums pop up amongst the youngest buds of roses, just waiting, just being patient for June. Cotoneasters of the deepest blue hang over white lace and button daisies, hiding in the crevices of Ancient Rome and Medieval England.
I have no garden of my own, yet I have a thousand gardens …
So inspired by the pretty and peaceful places in the city, we put together a walking tour of remarkable gardens, green and secret beauties that lie tucked away. Once walked by without knowledge of the tales spun in between the hedges, the pineapples, the altars and the brutalist architecture. Visiting tourists delighted to find the city had so much more on offer that the usual haunts in their guide books..
Hours of planning and research, walking and re-walking routes to perfect the tour. Learning dates, the significance of 1666 and the Guilds which still play an important role today. As the seasons change, the gardens change. Blossoms in the brightest pinks mature to leaves of shade, hues of ochre till the barest of branches remain. Where the sheer clashing of traditional seventeenth century architecture is overwhelmed by glass and steel giants, looming as if to push upon them, yet they keep their place on the street corner. Talking about everyday heroes who sacrificed their lives for ordinary folk, and surgeons who fought to stop barbers performing operations with their trusty blades. Kings and Queen and criminals hidden within the cracks - poignant places; children died there, parents prayed for their loved ones to return from the war unscathed. Marriages and rubble, hardship and glee. Benches to sit and reflect on it all, or just eat your sandwich and a quick cup of tea.
There is grass to lie on and just look at the clouds. There are alleyways and skyways to cross.
Renaissance and Roman baths.
From ashes and fire, clean and modern Salter’s garden.
With Coutours and the lovely Emma, the love affair with London continues.
Glorious Green and Secret Spaces is a walking tour in the heart of London, within the original Roman walls - and every time I come upon these special places, I feel like yet another treasure has been revealed. A beautiful gift.
To learn more about our walking tours throughout london, please contact me on karen.devilliers1110@gmail.com.
A beautiful walk. The Silver Travel Company. My Silver Street.