Thorney Tales (7) - Storey's Gate

 
 
The brick-and-stone building at the corner of Birdcage Walk and Horse Guards Road is often passed by without being much noticed. This may be because in recent years it has been the police station for St James's Park and the few members of the public who have been inside may have had good reason not to want to brag about it. But now that the police are vacating it, because of the government's public spending cuts, we will be seeing more of it, probably as a snack bar or something similar.  This seems appropriate because there was once a coffee house at Storey's Gate before it was demolished in the early 20th century to make way for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The Garden Bridge Controversy

UPDATE - February 2016

We have followed with interest the unfolding story of the Garden Bridge. The proposed location for the bridge, between Temple and the Southbank, is some way outside our geographical area of interest, and consequently the Society is not taking a position on the issue. However, we are aware that many of our members feel strongly on this subject, and also that this high-profile project bears many of the hallmarks of a planning system which is too often susceptible to vested interests. 

 

Objection to proposed cycle stands in Queen Anne's Gate

We have written a formal objection to the siting of cycle stands in front of some of the best preserved and attractive early eighteenth centry houses in London. 

Please see our letter in full on our Planning page.  FM Conway Ltd is the service provider carrying out the consultation on behalf of Westminster City Council.

 

 

Thorney Tales (6) - St Margaret's Church, the amazing history of a window

Window

 Courtesy of The British Museum

The beautiful stained glass window which dominates the east side of St Margaret's Church can best be described as ill-timed.  It was created in Holland around 1526 to celebrate the marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon. But by the time it had been finished Henry had become besotted with Anne Boleyn. Henry is depicted in saintly contemplation in the panel at the bottom left of the window while on the right hand side of the window Catherine, against an almost identical background, is also deep in prayer. Both appear to be looking at the Crucifixion which occupies the whole of the central panel of the window.

Annual Review 2014-15

             

Our AGM was held on Wednesday 18th November 2015 at the Grange Rochester Hotel.

After the official business of the meeting, Dr Caroline Shenton,
an archivist, historian and writer, gave a fascinating and
humerous talk about her book The Day Parliament Burned Down.

Please go to the About Us page to view the Minutes of our AGM and our Annual and Financial Reports.

 

A visit to the hidden archives of Westminster Abbey, 4th November 2015

The Thorney Island Society came into being as a result of saving London's first public library in Great Smith Street in 1985. So it was with a double reverence that we made our much anticipated visit to a far older library only a few hundred yards away in Westminster Abbey. Our objective was the Muniments Room where ancient documents, particularly about Abbey transactions, are stored. But to get to it you have to go through a library that Time has told to stand still. Matthew Payne, Keeper of the Muniments, had us enthralled as he explained the history all around us dominated by the overpowering hammerbeam oak roof dating back to 1450. Only three books survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1540s - probably because they were about coronations and not associated with the old religion - but the library has since acquired a book of 1477 and has a fragment of the History of Troy printed by William Caxton (c 1422 - 1491) at his press mere yards away from where we were standing.

 A wooden spiral staircase took us up to the Muniments room itself where we enjoyed a spectacular view of the inside of the Abbey - at least when we could take our eyes off the ancient memories around us including a long oak chest dating back to 1159, million believed to be the oldest in the country. Among other treasures shown to us were the beautiful prayer book of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry V11, who died in 1509 and what seemed to be a document of Offa - yes, he of Offa's Dyke - dating back to 693 though it turned out to be a 12th century reproduction.  However, the Abbey does have an authentic document that can be traced back to 959, which is long enough ago for most of us.

 With that we bid our farewells to a remarkable part of the Abbey beyond the reach of most visitors. Our thanks to Matthew Payne for showing us around and to Pippa Parsons for organising the trip.

Paddington Tower

UPDATE - FEBRUARY 2016
The developers of the 'Paddington Pole' have withdrawn their application. This is from the press release: 'Whilst GWD’s proposal has secured the support of many key stakeholders including Network Rail, Transport for London, St Mary’s Hospital, NHS (London) and the GLA there were concerns amongst local people around the height and impact of the tower element of the scheme on the local area.'  This is very good news and demonstrates that it is worth expressing our opinion. It is also a triumph for the Skyline Campaign, which has worked hard against this scheme. However this is not of course the end of the story - there is another large tower proposed near the junction of the Westway and the Edgware Road and this Paddington tower development may reappear in modified form.
 
ORIGINAL ARTICLE - JANUARY 2016
 
There is a threat to the Paddington area of a number of tall towers. Although this is well outside our area these towers are going to be visible from many parts of London including Hyde Park. We have objected to the scheme that is currently under consideration - see our comments on the planning page. If you want to sign a petition, or object personally, please use the links below:
You can read more and sign the petition here:
 
Up to 27 January, you can also write directly to the council to OPPOSE the scheme by clicking on:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thorney Tales (5) - Westminster Hall Roof

 
Westminster Hall is celebrated for many things not least because it is still there at all.  It is the largest survivor of the original Palace of Westminster of which hardly anything remains - at least above ground - apart from the Jewel Tower. Although it has been modified since it was built in the late 1090s by King William II, known as "Rufus", its architectural grandeur remains intact and nowhere more so than in its hammer-beam roof.
 
It was started in 1393 and remains the largest hammer-beam roof in the world, having survived two world wars and the 1834 fire which destroyed nearly all of the rest of the parliamentary buildings. It is difficult to believe that William is said to have wanted it to be twice the size. Is it possible that his nickname "Rufus", supposedly because of his ruddy face, could actually have been a phonetic mistake for "Roofus"?

Visit to new Parliamentary Education Centre, 28th October 2015

Discovering Parliament through virtual reality   

                                                                                                                        
Construction of the new Education Centre for Parliament has proved controversial for some Thorney Island members. This was partly because it encroached on rare green space in Victoria Tower Gardens and partly because it was difficult to believe that a new building costing £7 million was going to be "temporary" for just 10 years as claimed.



At the end of October we visited it and were very impressed with the facilities provided to enlighten school children of primary and secondary age about the history of our parliamentary democracy. A series of rooms mimicing the look of the House of Commons and Lords utilise augmented reality techniques to explain over a thousand years of history at rapid speed to 100,000 of today's techno savvy kids every year.

 

Thorney Tales (4) - The tomb behind one of Britain's biggest fortunes

St Margaret's churchyard is not short of famous dead bodies, being the resting place of
William Caxton, Sir Walter Raleigh, Wenceslaus Hollar, the brilliant engraver of London,
and the largest number of regicides you'll find anywhere.  But there is only one tomb
above ground.

Close to the road between St Margaret's church and Parliament Square, it is regularly ignored by passers by but is the source of one of the wealthiest families the country has ever known.