England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign TravelCook, Joel
History
England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel
Cook, Joel
England -- Description and travel
Let us now take a brief glance at some well-known London sights. The two
great heroes who are commemorated in modern London are Wellington and
Nelson. Trafalgar Square commemorates Nelson's death and greatest
victory, the Nelson Column standing in the centre, with Landseer's
colossal lions reposing at its base. Passing eastward along the Strand,
beyond Charing Cross and Somerset House, we come to Wellington Street,
which leads to Waterloo Bridge across the Thames. This admirable
structure, the masterpiece of John Rennie, cost $5,000,000, and was
opened on the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo in 1817. It is of
granite, and with the approaches nearly a half mile long, crossing the
river upon nine arches, each of one hundred and twenty feet span.
Passing westward from Trafalgar Square, we enter Pall Mall, perhaps the
most striking of the London streets in point of architecture. Here are
club-houses and theatres, statues and columns, and the street swarms
with historical associations. On the south side are the Reform and
Carlton Clubs, the headquarters respectively of the Liberal and
Conservative parties, and a little beyond, on the same side, the row of
buildings of all sizes and shapes making up the War Office. Among them
is a quaint old Queen-Anne mansion of brick, with a curious pediment and
having many windows. This is Schomberg House, shorn of one wing, but
still retained among so much that is grand around it. Also in Pall Mall
is Foley's celebrated statue of Sidney Herbert, one of the most
impressive in London--the head drooped sadly and reflectively,
indicating that it is the image of a conscientious war-minister, who,
overweighted with the responsibility of his office, was cut off
prematurely. Although not one of the greatest men of England, Herbert's
fame will be better preserved by his finer statue than that of many men
who have filled a much larger space in her history. Marlborough House
has an entrance on Pall Mall, and adjoining its gate is the curious and
elaborately decorated building of the Beaconsfield Club. Over the
doorway the semicircular cornice does duty for a balcony for the
drawing-room windows above. The doorway itself is an imposing archway
strangely cut into segments, one forming a window and the other the
door.
[Illustration: DOORWAY BEACONSFIELD CLUB.]
[Illustration: CAVENDISH SQUARE.]
[Illustration: THE "BELL" AT EDMONTON.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account