Belsize Park Deep Shelter
As bombings intensified during the Second World War the Government embarked on a programme of constructing deep level air raid shelters beneath the streets of …
Excalibur Estate
Following intense bombing during the Second World War, Londoners were in need of new homes – and fast. The solution adopted by the Government was …
Rainham Marsh Firing Ranges
The Rainham/Purfleet area has been in use by man since the days of the so –called ‘Cavemen’. You can see some of the petrified tree …
Brighton Road Deep Shelter, Coulsdon
As World War Two intensified, Surrey Council Council ordered four deep shelters to be built. These big underground complexes could accommodate hundreds of civilians in …
Highgate’s Abandoned Railway: Parkland Walk
Parkland Walk allows people to walk along the abandoned tube line between Finsbury Park and Highgate and has been dubbed London’s version of New York’s …
North Woolwich Station
North Woolwich Station opened back in 1846, making it one of London’s oldest surviving stations. The Grade II listed building in East London was using …
Millennium Mills, Silvertown
Many comprehensive histories of the mills have been written online, so here is just a very brief overview of their past, present, and future. The …
Canning Town Regeneration Demolition
Taken in 2017, we captured the start of demolition of dozens of houses as part of a multi-billion pound regeneration scheme of Canning Town and …
River Ravensbourne, Bromley
Joined by explorer Sam, we ventured into a culvert running through a suburban town on the border of south-east London and Kent. This drain, covered …
Shooters Hill WW2 Defences
Shooters Hill is one of the highest points in London with a summit of 432 feet. The name is thought to date back to 1226 …
Camden Catacombs
So we began blowing up an inflatable canoe on the side of Regents Canal footpath much to the confusion and amazement of passers by. When …
Stratford Pillbox & Anti-Tank Blocks
Whilst working in the area, I decided to go on a walk and stumbled across this purely by chance. Just a few minutes walk away …
Slade Green HAA Battery
The Slade Green HAA site (also known as ZS1) was the most easterly anti-aircraft site built inside the London Inner Artillery Zone. Dating back to …
RAF Hornchurch
What is RAF Hornchurch? Hornchurch Country Park covers almost 105 hectares on the former site or RAF Hornchurch. Used today by dog walkers, fishermen and …
Bromley-by-Bow Gasometers
Those of you who travel past West Ham station on the C2C train line will be familiar with the sight of Bromley-by-Bow gas containers. Upon …
Valence House, Becontree
Valence House is an old manor house in Becontree, Dagenham. It is the last survivor of Dagenham’s five manor houses. Whilst the Becontree estate of …
Chadwell Heath HAA Battery
During the early Second World War, Germany bombed British towns, cities, and industries using aircraft. This initially took place in daylight leading up to the …
Billionaires’ Row, Hampstead Heath
At Hampstead Heath in North London lies Kenwood House. Constructed across the 17th and 18th centuries, the house now stands as a symbol of traditional …
Rainham Marsh Concrete Barges
Left abandoned in Rainham, several concrete barges were placed here at Coldharbour Point as flood defences in 1953 and have formed part of the coastline …
Howbury Moated Site, Slade Green
Moated sites are as the name suggests – wide ditches full of water that would have surrounded an island which would have had a domestic …
Whitechapel WW2 Bomb Site
German bombing during the Second World War left London heavily damaged to this very day. At 4.18 in the video below filmed in 2013 – …
Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Ghost Station
Every year 80 million people file in and out of Heathrow Airport on their way around the world. While many take the Tube or train …
The National Archives, Kew
When we visited the Houses of Parliament last year for the launch of the campaign ‘Archive Awareness’ we were fortunate to meet Clem Brohier who …