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Day and a half in London?


JeffP
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Got possibility of going for nowt, only one evening meal to buy.

But what remains worth looking at in London for two days in January?

Tia

What are your interests, just railways or anything?

 

Regards, Ian.

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The newly re-opened Post Office Railway is well worth a visit, provide you are not excessively claustrophobic. A ahort ride through the tunnels and an interesting museum of this unique system. At Mount Pleasant, 10 minute walk from Faringdon station. Book ahead!

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A visit to all the terminus stations. But as you do them make sure that you go to Kings X then St. Pancras as the the two arches of Kings X were an engineering marvel and the biggest in the world until the upstart was built next door. 

Marvel at the architecture (that still remains). Oh and Paddington, find the romantic Romeo and Juliet style balcony and marvel that when this station was built that it was surrounded by green fields.

 

Andy

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Thames Branches Day Ranger ticket. Ride the last few HSTs to Reading and back a couple of times.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr601e4c0a04000200f63dfe8f29a46f.aspx

 

I also included a return to Ealing Broadway to watch the freight at the country end of Acton Yard.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited by newbryford
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If you have time, you could also try a ride on the DLR. If you get on at a terminus, try and "bag a seat" at the front (e.g. where the driver would normally sit) to get a great view of where you are going. Failing that, "bag a seat" at the rear instead to see where you have been!

 

Regards, Ian.

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Liverpool St still fascinates me despite all the plastic. You might get a chance to ride on a genuine, BR design, classic EMU from nearly 40 yrs ago-a class 315.

Waterloo is another place to watch life go by. Have a ride on the East London Line up to Dalston, over the reopened viaduct that used to lead to Broad St.

Edited by rodent279
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Ordinarily I'd recommend the RAF museum at Hendon but half of it is closed for refurbishment at the moment. The Imperial war museum is well worth a visit, and the trio of the V&A, natural history and science museums deserve their popularity. If you've never been to the V&A I recommend it, I thought I'd hate it but it is a magnificent museum. Railway wise, an hour train watching at Clapham Junction remains a great experience and a ride down HS1 in a Javelin is worth doing. For eating there aren't many cities in the world that offer the variety and quality of food you can enjoy in London.

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Certainly do St Pan, KX and Paddington in the late evening - almost magical. Also Charing Cross as the light is fading across the river. The new London Bridge is worth a visit too.

 

If you want some freight action then Stratford (Freightliners) and somewhere west of Acton (stone trains) are worth a stop. 

 

For a busy junction, East Croydon is good - also look in on Tramlink whilst there.

 

As already mentioned, the DLR is also worth a ride. in the front or back. Curves and gradients put some model layouts to shame.

 

Get a Zone 1-6 Travelcard and the Capital is yours.....

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I'd agree that the DLR from Bank to Lewisham via Canary Wharf is well worth it - and definitely try to get the front seat for the climb out of Bank - though you might as well bail out at Greenwich (for either Maritime Museum/Observatory or Cutty Sark) . And as you'll have to come back , the Jubilee from Canary Wharf up to Stratford is a possibility - the great concrete caverns of the Jubilee extension have their own grandeur. 

 

Stratford as rebuilt is worth a look round - DLR, LUL, Network Rail , with Stratford International round the back of Westfield Stratford, with Eurostars and Javelins - not to mention the Olympic Park . There's also London Overground (the North London under TfL stewardship) and Freightliners coming round the corner onto the GE in the evening rush hour

 

If you're going down the high speed line, the question is where you might go as a day out - Dover is a long way and expensive, but nearest and with the best frequency is the Medway towns - which like the curate's egg are good in parts - Rochester Cathedral and Castle and High Street (fairly picturesque with a very large second hand bookshop) are within 15 minutes walk of the station.

 

And the high speed line will take you straight back to St Pancras (and KX). The British Library is just over the road and the exhibition galleries might be worth half an hour. The Model Railway Club meet 5 minute walk up Pentonville Rd, so if you're around KX on a Thursday evening when they meet that might be an option.

 

The extended East London Line , now part of London Overground, might be worth a look. One of its southern spurs connects with Croydon Tramlink - so this might be a good connection if you want to explore Tramlink.

 

I'd also recommend a boat trip along the Thames if you can find one. These days the whole river frontage , on both sides, from Chelsea/Vauxhall down to below Docklands /Greenwich is quite spectacular, especially at night. For some reason this seems not to be remarked on by anyone... There are piers at Greenwich , Charing Cross and Westminster (I believe the PS Lincoln Castle is back in place just upstream of Charing Cross pier)

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St Pancras church is worth a look inside. As, for that matter, is the Head of Steam pub at Euston station (if it's still called that. Must be a decade or more since I've been in there).

Also, not often remarked upon, and something I've always wanted to do, you could try a walk through the foot tunnel under the Thames at Greenwich.

Edited by rodent279
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St Pancras church is worth a look inside. As, for that matter, is the Head of Steam pub at Euston station (if it's still called that. Must be a decade or more since I've been in there).

Also, not often remarked upon, and something I've always wanted to do, you could try a walk through the foot tunnel under the Thames at Greenwich.

'Head of Steam' has now become another pub, without the railway memorabilia- didn't go in last time I passed. It was originally part of a small chain set up by my old landlord, Tony Brookes, with another in Newcastle.

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Are the gravestones still stacked up in St. Pancras church yard?

I remember seeing them when I checked out the site before St.P became "International".

For those not aware, these were stacked up to make way for the then new St.P station approaches and was the cause of outrage as the graves were left open. Dogs were seen running through the area carrying human bones.

 

Thomas Hardy was put in charge of the correcting the error and had the grizzly task re-interring the residents. From this experience he wrote two poems "In the Cemetry" and "The levelled Churchyard" that I reproduced below. It was this poem that started him on his career as a novelist.

If you go to St.P church stand in the churchyard and read this aloud.

 

The Levelled Churchyard.

 

O passenger, pray list and catch
       Our sighs and piteous groans,
Half stifled in this jumbled patch 
       Of wrenched memorial stones! 

We late-lamented, resting here,
       Are mixed to human jam,
And each to each exclaims in fear,
       'I know not which I am!'

The wicked people have annexed 
       The verses on the good;
A roaring drunkard sports the text 
       Teetotal Tommy should!

Where we are huddled none can trace,
       And if our names remain, 
They pave some path or porch or place 
       Where we have never lain!

"There's not a modest maiden elf 
       But dreads the final Trumpet,
Lest half of her should rise herself,
       And half some local strumpet!

From restorations of Thy fane,
       From smoothings of Thy sward,
From zealous Churchmen's pick and plane 
       Deliver us O Lord! Amen!"

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