London’s best SHORT WALKS
A Grand Tour
STEP INTO THE QUEEN’S BACKYARD TO ADMIRE BELGRAVIA’S GRAND ARCHITECTURE AND FANCY SHOPS
Belgravia is an affluent district of central London which is enjoying its time in the spotlight following the recent TV adaptation of Julian Fellowes’ novel
Belgravia. We begin this guided walk at Sloane Square tube station. Immediately next door is the Royal Court Theatre, which is noted for its much more highbrow and writer-led productions than many of the mainstream West End theatres. Early plays by John Osborne, Samuel Beckett and Bertolt Brecht have all been performed here.
Walk down Sedding Street to admire a second world-class venue. Cadogan Hall is set inside a former 1907 church and a renowned home for classical music – the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the resident ensemble here. Head east for a coffee and cupcake at Peggy Porschen, the photogenic pink bakery and café where you can also sip Champagne with your muffin.
Transport is very much in evidence round here. Pass the Art Deco Victoria Coach Station and you come towards the side of Victoria, one of London’s largest mainline train stations. On Buckingham Palace Road is the electrifying former Imperial Airways Terminal and Head Office from 1939 in striking Art Deco, with statues above the entrance. Passengers once checked in for flights and bought tickets here; Imperial Airways’ successor is British Airways. The building is now the UK government’s National
