Studio: international art (34.1905)

Reliques of Old London

very great antiquity, and right through to Chiswick as it is also one of the most liberal almshouses
a row with many fine old red-brick houses of near London. It was built by Strong, the master
Queen Anne and Georgian periods ; in Chiswick mason of St. Paul's, and in it he shows that he
itself there is a perfectly delightful little half- had studied Sir Christopher Wren's art to no
timbered inn. Travelling thus westwards along the little purpose. One cannot forbear when so close
river banks, one can find an infinite variety of turning into Greenwich Park, past the charming old
subjects at Mortlake, Strand-on-the-Green, Kew Ranger's Lodge and its ideal gardens, to sit by
Green, Old Richmond Green, with its quaint Wren's dignified Observatory and enjoy the never-
remains of Henry VII.'s Palace, and the delightfully failing interest of the grandest view of London as
aristocratic hamlet of Petersham, past Ham House, a whole, and the wonderful old Palace and Hospital
so fine and so full of history that one envies those at our feet. If we descend by Croom's Hill on
fortunate ones whose privilege it is to penetrate its the west side of the park, we shall see several fine
doors. But we must not prolong our journey much houses, and down along the river front many very
more in this direction, but cross the old ferry at quaint wooden buildings.

Twickenham, after noting several fine houses on I have not found much of interest along the main
the river bank, and shall find many quaint timber road between Greenwich and Blackfriars, that is,
and Georgian houses, and especially the fine the Old Kent Road and its continuations; but
Jacobean mansion in Queen Street, which has along the narrow way which runs parallel to the
been a butcher's shop now for many years. river bank there is a considerable fund of interest-

It would be impossible in a short article even to ing old cottages, half timber and red brick, along
indicate the districts on the south side where one side of the road, and opposite to them the most
" good hunting" may be found. From Putney to amazing contrast of eight and ten-storied grain
Wimbledon, from Wands-
worth to Clapham, many-
interesting subjects remain,
but excepting at the ex-
treme east and west of
London, the south side is
not so rich as the north.
You must go to the far
south-east, to Greenwich,
Blackheath, and Charlton,
for reliques that can hold
their own against any on
the north side. The
stately Charlton House,
built by Inigo Jones for
Henry, Prince of Wales, the
eldest son of James I., is
surrounded by a noble park,
of which one can get a quite
excellent view from the
road. Making this the east-
ward limit, we turn our faces
townwards again. How
many people know Morden
College by sight, beyond
those living at Blackheath ?
It is so closely guarded by
its trees that you must go
along a narrow foot lane
which skirts its boundaries
to see what is certainly
one of the handsomest the manor house, bermondsey from the lithograph by t. r. way