A spare hour in London
What to do between trains
Suppose you have a spare hour in London. Not a week, not a day, just a spare hour before you catch your train or plane. What can you do with that?
It rather depends on which station you're headed out from. While most of London's termini have something to see around them, some are more interesting than others.
LIVERPOOL STREET STATION
For those heading to the east of the country, Liverpool Street offers some interesting options. Brick Lane and Spitalfields have always sheltered immigrant communities – the Huguenot Protestants fleeing persecution in France, and then the Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe. Now, it’s a mainly Bangladeshi area, with curry restaurants and a mosque occupying what was earlier a classical synagogue. Artists have moved into the old brewery buildings on Brick Lane and there’s still a bakery offering lox bagels and salt beef. On Sundays, there’s a busy street market too.
If instead you want to savour the financial might of the City, you can visit the Bank of England Museum in Threadneedle Street (open weekdays only, 10-5). As well as banknotes and coins, it has a collection of silver, fine furniture, and even statues. Best of all, it’s free.
LONDON BRIDGE
If you’re heading south, London Bridge Station has a number of interesting places to occupy a spare hour. Southwark Cathedral, while not in the same league as St Paul’s or Westminster Abbey, can easily fill the time. Shakespeare’s brother is buried there, and there is a magnificent Gothic altar screen. Nearby is the ruined palace of the Bishops of Winchester, and the New Globe Theatre – a faithful replica though on a new site, continuing the Shakespearian association. A little further along the bank is Cardinal’s Wharf, with seventeenth-century houses; Christopher Wren stayed here when he was building St Paul’s, and had himself rowed over the river to work every morning.
There must be something in the air around here, because gruesome treats abound. As well as the London Dungeon, there’s the Old Operating Theatre in St Thomas Street where you can see a demonstration of Victorian surgery. The museum is open every day.
Or you could simply wander down Borough High Street to The George, an ancient galleried coaching inn which is still in use as a public house. Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims set off from Southwark – though this inn dates from much later – so you’re following in their footsteps. And the beer’s not bad.
VICTORIA
If you have to wait for a train at Victoria you're spoilt for choice. You're not that far from Buckingham Palace; while you might not have time to visit the Palace itself, the Queen's Picture Gallery is worth visiting. Or take a stroll in St James's Park, famous for its pelicans. If you're there at lunchtime in the summer you might catch a brass band playing in the bandstand. But remember, the deckchairs have to be paid for!
PADDINGTON
Going west? Take a walk along the Grand Union Canal before you go. Recent regeneration works included the creation of a pedestrian walkway along the canal – previously impassable – all the way from Paddington Basin to Little Venice with its white stucco house fronts and leafy charm. There’s a floating art gallery and a puppet theatre on a canal boat, as well as the Warwick Castle pub. If you have time, you can take a trip on a narrowboat.
EUSTON / KINGS CROSS
Euston Station serves the West Midlands and North-West. It’s an unglamorous 1960s structure so head straight out of it to find something more interesting.
Drummond Street, close by, is a little taste of the subcontinent, with a couple of South Indian vegetarian restaurants as well as more conventional curry houses. There are Indian sweet shops, too, with sticky barfis and halwas, some even topped with gold leaf. If you have a sweet tooth they’re irresistible.
The British Library, given its new home here in 1997, displays some of its treasures in a public gallery. You can see early Chinese and Japanese printing, and Persian and Turkish miniatures, as well as a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, and work by the first English printer, William Caxton. There are illuminated Haggadahs and manuscipts including the Lindisfarne Gospels, as well as the originals of work by Dickens, Jane Austen and James Joyce. Even better it’s open every day, including weekends.
Up a road between King’s Cross and St Pancras stations is St Pancras Old Church. . It’s possibly the oldest church site in London, and despite a ruthless Victorian rebuilding preserves Roman tiles and Norman stonework in its walls. But the real attraction is the churchyard, with the mausoleum of architect Sir John Soane. If it looks familiar, remember that his design influenced Sir Giles Scott, who created the red ‘K2’ Telephone Box!