A couple of years ago whilst in Waterstones, I came across a great book entitled London’s Oddities. It is written by Vicky Wilson and published by Metro Publications.
We are always looking for new things to look at in London on our walks. Having done two Back Alley tours and a walk looking at the Hawksmoor Churches the book had many other things that we could see.
The book is divided into sections for different types of oddities and each has a map showing where they are. Using that I was able to come up with a route around the City of London. Mark & I had also had a social media feed telling us about the Hunterian Museum. This is full of medical oddities and seemed like a good place to end the walk.
It is a 4.63 mile walk and will take about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete depending on how fast you walk and how long you stop at places.
It starts at Amen Court just east of St Paul’s Cathedral and the underground station there or Blackfriars are probably the best way to get to that point.
The route runs east past the Cathedral and on to Aldgate, where it loops back through the Barbican and ending at the Hunterian Museum.
On the way it passes the following oddities which you can look up or buy the book I mentioned.
- Torch Snuffers in Amen Court
- Temple Bar
- Pineapple Monument
- Panyer Boy relief
- Bracken House Astronomical Clock
- Cannot Street Bollards
- Statue of James Henry Greathead
- Cornhill Water Pump
- Cornhill Devils
- Aldgate Water Pump
- St Helen’s Bishopsgate Church and Bollard
- Turkish Bath House
- Obelisk
- Roman Walls
- St Giles Cripplegate
- City Wall and Tower
- St Giles Cripplegate Tower
- Barber Surgeons Hall City Wall and Tower
- Roman Wall Bastion 13 & 14
- Roman Wall in underground car park
- Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice
- Drinking Fountain at St Sepulchre without Newgate
- K6 and K2 Phone Boxes
- Lampost ventilation shaft
- Holy Well of St Clements
- Hunterian Museum
Here is the complete route on Osmaps.
Just need to find some time to do it now!
Essex Man Does Walking 
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