Seven Dials London England

 

Seven Dials Monument, London, 2024
suttong.com

Seven Dials is a historic junction of seven roads marked by a central column, which has seven sundials a the top. The column is the 7th sundial.

Nearby are restaurants and shops. 

Houses that date to the 1600s are at 61 Monmouth St and 64 Neal St.

Seven Dials Market, 2024
suttong.com

The dials now (and their older names):

Earlham Street (Great Earl and Little Earl Streets)

Monmouth Street (Great and Little St Andrew's Streets)

Mercer Street (Great and Little White Lion Streets)

Shorts Gardens (Queen Street)

The current pillar dates to 1988-1989. It was officially unveiled by Beatrix of the Netherlands June 1989 recalling the local development during the period of William and Mary.

Location

Borough of Camden, close to Covent Garden

Notes

Some information comes from Wikipedia

The photos are mine and were taken in 2024.

Some of us got pizza, which is not like the hand-tossed varieties we are used to in the US.

The desserts on the main level were tasty and pricey.

A couple really enjoyed the Cheese bar on the ground floor.

Nearby, in Neal's Yard, we enjoyed doughnuts.

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Visit Other Markets and Places in London and the UK

London A to Z

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More London Markets

Borough Market

Canary Wharf

Covent Garden

Portobello Road

Borough Market Southwark London

 

On a sunny summer's day, we visited Borough Market in search of lunch. The variety of eateries and food vendors is amazing.

According to boroughmarket.org, their story began 1,000 years ago at London Bridge. The current market site dates to 1756.

You'll find more than 100 eateries, shops, and restaurants.

We finally decided on empanadas and soft drinks.

Others in our group enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries.

You could be spoilt for choice here.

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In 2024, the market was open everyday except Monday.

Location

8 Southwark St. London SE1 1TL

Near the London Bridge Underground station

Visit Other Markets and Places in London and the UK

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More London Markets

Canary Wharf

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Portobello Road

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Kensington Palace

 

Kensington Palace 2024
Geoffrey W. Sutton/suttong.com

Kensington Palace, located in the heart of Kensington Gardens in London, England, is a historic royal residence with over 300 years of history.

Queen Victoria was born and spent her childhood here.

Queen Victoria Monument at Kensington Palace
2024 Geoffrey W. Sutton /suttong.com

On 1 July 2021, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex commissioned a statue honouring the memory of their mother, Princess Diana who lived at the palace for 15 years and enjoyed the restful picturesque Sunken Garden.

Inside the Palace

We toured the palace as part of our Royal Palaces membership in 2024. Organised self-guided tours follow different sequences of rooms for the Kings and Queens apartments.

King's Apartment

Queen Victoria's Bedroom in the Queen's Apartment
2024 /Geoffrey W. Sutton/ suttong.com

Queen's Bedroom, Kensington Palace
2024 /Geoffrey W. Sutton/ suttong.com

More photos of the palace-

A grand musical clock commands attention in the centre of the Cupola Room. Princess Augusta purchased the work created by clockmaker Charles Clay in 1743. 

Musical Clock/ Cupola Room/Kensington Palace
2024 /Geoffrey W. Sutton/ suttong.com

Stunning ceilings

A place for children

Today, Kensington Palace serves as the official London residence for several members of the royal family:

Prince and Princess of Wales

Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Duke and Duchess of Kent

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank with their two sons.

The State Rooms are open to the public, managed by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces.

The offices and private areas remain under the Royal Household’s responsibility.

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Places Nearby

Kensington Gardens and the Princess Diana Fountain

Hyde Park

Indexes to Other Places

Places to see in London A to Z Index

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Places to see in the UK

Notes from 2024

Photos: All of the photos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton in 2024 and are free to use by citing the source:

 https://suttontravels.blogspot.com/2024/07/kensington-palace.html 

There is a café

There is an admission fee unless you are a member.

WIFI and an audio guide are available at no extra charge.

There are accessible toilets and baby changing facilities.

There is no storage for luggage.

Location

Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX

Learn more at :  https://www.hrp.org.uk

Google Map

Albert Bridge London England

 

The Albert Bridge is a road bridge spanning the River Thames in London.

It connects Chelsea (on the north bank) to Battersea (on the south bank).

Originally built in 1873 by Rowland Mason Ordish, it was an Ordish–Lefeuvre system modified cable-stayed bridge. Later, Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorporated elements of a suspension bridge, resulting in a unique hybrid design.

Facts

Total length: 710 feet (220 m)
Width: 41 feet (12 m)
Height: 66 feet (20 m)
Longest span: 384 feet 9 inches (117.27 m) before 1973, 185 feet (56 m) after 1973

Nickname: “The Trembling Lady” because it vibrates when people walk over it.


Notes:

Some text modified from Microsoft Copilot.

The photos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton [Website: suttong.com ]

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LONDON BRIDGES

Albert Bridge    Albert BridgeLINK

Battersea Bridge   BatterseaBridgeLink

  

A five-span historic bridge near Battersea Park.

Chelsea Bridge     ChelseaBridgeLINK

 An historic suspension bridge across the Thames

London Millennium Footbridge     MillenniumLink

  

The steel footbridge opened in 2000 located near St Paul's Cathedral

Tower Bridge    TowerBridgeLink

  London's iconic bridge often panned in movies about London.

Vauxhall Bridge     VauxhallLINK

    1906 arched bridge with 8 bronze sculptures

Westminster Bridge  WminsterBridgeLink

   A popular photo spot for pictures of Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament) and the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) as well as the Thames River.

Google Map of Albert Bridge

Vauxhall Bridge London England

 

Vauxhall Bridge is a Grade II listed steel and granite deck arch bridge in central London. It spans the River Thames in a southeast–northwest direction, connecting Vauxhall on the south bank with Pimlico on the north bank. The bridge was opened in 1906, replacing an earlier bridge known as Regent Bridge.

 

I noticed the art work on the piers. According to Wikipedia, the images I took in 2023 of the upstream sculptures were the works of Frederick Pomeroy: Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering, and Pottery.

Agriculture 2023
Geoffrey W. Sutton

Architecture 2023
Geoffrey W. Sutton

Engineering 2023
Geoffrey W. Sutton

Pottery 2023
Geoffrey W.  Sutton

The original bridge, built between 1809 and 1816, was the first iron bridge over the Thames. It operated as a toll bridge before becoming publicly owned in 1879. The current bridge has remained largely unchanged since 1907.

The sculptures on the downstream piers were provided by Alfred Drury: Science, Fine Arts, Local Government, Education.

What's Nearby

Southside

MI6 Secret Intelligence Service on the downstream

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens - public park

Vauxhall underground and train stations

Northside

Bessborough gardens

Riverside Walk Gardens

Pimlico underground

Notes

The text was edited based on Microsoft's Copilot response to the prompt "Describe Chelsea Bridge."

The photos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton [Website: suttong.com ]

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LINKS TO LONDON BRIDGES

Albert Bridge    Albert BridgeLINK

Battersea Bridge   BatterseaBridgeLink

  

A five-span historic bridge near Battersea Park.

Chelsea Bridge     ChelseaBridgeLINK

 An historic suspension bridge across the Thames

London Millennium Footbridge     MillenniumLink

  

The steel footbridge opened in 2000 located near St Paul's Cathedral

Tower Bridge    TowerBridgeLink

  London's iconic bridge often panned in movies about London.

Vauxhall Bridge     VauxhallLINK

    1906 arched bridge with 8 bronze sculptures

Westminster Bridge  WminsterBridgeLink

   A popular photo spot for pictures of Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament) and the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) as well as the Thames River.

Google Map of Vauxhall Bridge area

Chelsea Bridge London England

Chelsea Bridge is a steel self-anchored suspension bridge that spans the River Thames in west London. It connects Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank. Split between the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Wandsworth, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, this iconic bridge has an interesting history.

Historic Chelsea Bridge

The site of Chelsea Bridge was once an ancient ford.

The first Chelsea Bridge was proposed in the 1840s as part of the development of marshlands into the new Battersea Park.

Initially called Victoria Bridge, it was a suspension bridge intended to provide convenient access from the densely populated north bank to the park.

The current Chelsea Bridge opened in 1937.

 

Video Clip of Chelsea Bridge

Some Facts

The new bridge was the first self-anchored suspension bridge in Britain.

It was constructed entirely with materials sourced from within the British Empire.

The bridge’s total length is 698 feet (213 meters), with a longest span of 332 feet (101 meters).

It stands 69 feet 2 inches (21.08 meters) tall and has a width of 64 feet (20 meters).

The clearance below the bridge is 42 feet 9 inches (13.03 meters) at the lowest astronomical tide.

Notes

The text was edited based on Microsoft's Copilot response to the prompt "Describe Chelsea Bridge."

The photos and videos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton [Website: suttong.com ]

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What's Nearby?

Northside

National Army Museum

Royal Hospital

Chelsea Flower show

Southside

 Battersea Park and Children's Zoo

Battersea Power Station underground

LONDON BRIDGES

Albert Bridge    Albert BridgeLINK

Battersea Bridge   BatterseaBridgeLink

  

A five-span historic bridge near Battersea Park.

Chelsea Bridge     ChelseaBridgeLINK

 An historic suspension bridge across the Thames

London Millennium Footbridge     MillenniumLink

  

The steel footbridge opened in 2000 located near St Paul's Cathedral

Tower Bridge    TowerBridgeLink

  London's iconic bridge often panned in movies about London.

Vauxhall Bridge     VauxhallLINK

    1906 arched bridge with 8 bronze sculptures

Westminster Bridge  WminsterBridgeLink

   A popular photo spot for pictures of Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament) and the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) as well as the Thames River.

Google Map of Chelsea Bridge area

uShaka Marine World Durban South Africa

 

We enjoyed our visit at uShaka Marine World in Durban South Africa. (The signs also refer to uShaka Sea World.)

First we walked through an attractive sample of sea life.

Then we relaxed whilst watching a pulsating Sea World show.

Do you love such shows? If so, Here's a link to my video, which I posted on YouTube.

After the show, we walked about the park--here are two more images.

On leaving the park, we wandered through the village of shops and eateries, and boarded a bus to return to our African Cruise.

So, that is mostly what we did during our short visit to Durban.

Beach at Durban, South Africa

Related Posts

Cruising to South Africa:   Cruise to South Africa

Africa on YouTube:  African Travels

Google Map locating uShaka Marine World and the nearby beach