Baroque by the River: architecture around the Thames

London is famous for the history of its architecture, but the River Thames in particular is a treasure trove of buildings with stories. Walking around the river is wonder | wander | women's favourite way of connecting with this ancient and beautiful city.

The Monument to the Great Fire of London stands on the corner of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, on the site of the first church destroyed by the fire. The Monument was designed by legendary architect Sir Christopher Wren, the polymath who also designed St. Paul's Cathedral.

St Paul's Cathedral dominates most views of the Thames from either bank. It's as iconic a London landmark as the Houses of Parliament. But it's not the original structure - that was gutted in the fire. Sir Christopher Wren took up the project and designed a magnificent cathedral, the second largest church in Britain. 

There is a small house with a red door, 49 Bankside, that stands by another reconstructed London landmark, The Globe. A small plaque on the wall declares it to be not only Christopher Wren's house but a former residence of Queen Katherine of Aragon. The plaque was an invention by a later owner, but the house has a fascinating history of its own.

St. Paul's also overlooks the City of London School, an all-boys' secondary school designed by architect Tom Meddings in the 80s and a sister of the City of London School for Girls in the Barbican Centre. It's not a Baroque building, but the school has been in service from 1837 and this new location makes a beautiful view.

Blackfriars Bridge was originally William Pitt Bridge after the Prime Minister of the time, but nicknamed Blackfriars after the Dominican monastery that stood nearby. When standing under this bridge at certain times of the day, you can hear the echoes of waves as the tide surging up the Thames estuary meets the Thames coming down, causing parts of the river to flow backwards.

The former monastery itself, in one of the comedic ironies typical of London, is now the Black Friar Pub on Queen Victoria Street. It is one of the last original Arts and Crafts pubs and maybe the only one in London with original Art Nouveau work, designed by H. Fuller Clark, Henry Poole, Nathaniel Hitch, Frederick Callcock and Farmer and Brindley. The interior art is worth several repeat visits.

The City of London is a history book that you can literally walk through. Each building has a story and we look forward to our next walk so we can share even more city legends.