LONDON on the Ground

When Ellen ‘Nelly’ Ternan first met Charles Dickens, she lived in Islington. What was his interest in her? Dickens’ 13 year relationship...

Scraping a living in the early 19th century: contemporary drawings. John Thomas Smith's artistic eye recorded buildings, streets and a...

Her legacy in Islington, the City of London and Hertfordshire has lasted more than four centuries and includes one of the country’s...

10 songs suggested by London On The Ground blog readers. Three years ago I posted my personal top 10 songs with 'London' in the title ....

William FitzStephen wrote the world’s earliest description of ice skating in around 1174. Londoners and visitors enjoying outdoor ice...

The Parliament architect honed his Gothic Revival design skills on four Islington churches. Architect Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860) is...

An 850 year old document describes a livestock market for swine, cows, oxen and woolly flocks at Smithfield. Smithfield meat market, the...

Islington's Business Design Centre has a history of festive family fairs in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Business Design...

The site’s 800 year history includes housing Jews converted to Christianity, and legal and national records. During London Open House...

The Square Mile has a wealth of unusual, colourful and deceptive street names. Many of London's most curious and unlikely street names...

The 19th century entrepreneur and real-life Phileas Fogg who ran for US President. London’s first tram services were set up in 1861 by an...

Excellent new exhibition of vanished parks, squares and gardens at the museum in Lambeth. Curated by landscape architect and historian Dr...

The sculpture on the Monument to the Great Fire of London is rich with symbolism . It illustrates the catastrophe that destroyed...

Simple brick arches support one of Victorian London's most elaborate monuments. I recently joined the first ever public tour of the...

The Old Queen's Head, Victorian on the outside and Tudor inside. The popular North London watering hole on Essex Road appears to be like...

Thames Estuary defences likened to War of the Worlds and Star Wars. The Maunsell Forts were off-shore anti-aircraft defences constructed...

Ancient London buildings depicted in the 18th century and today. In June, I posted some of John Thomas Smith's engravings of London,...

From ruined royal residence to magnificent modern mansion. A 15th century gothic great hall, a stunning 20th century Art Deco...

The City of London office block, Richard Rogers and Sir Christopher Wren. Officially 122 Leadenhall Street, or the Leadenhall Building,...

See paintings by William Hogarth and climb the scaffolding to admire the Great Hall's stucco ceiling. The 18th century North Wing of St...