The Five Minute Walk Between Oxford Circus Station And The Hanover Square Entrance To Bond Street Station For The Lizzie Line
With Bond Street station on the Elizabeth Line opening tomorrow, I thought I’d take a reconnaissance today and find out how long it takes to walk.
I took these pictures as I walked.
Note.
- I started from the South-East entrance to Oxford Circus station.
- I walked a few yards down Regent Street and took the first right into Princes Street.
- Princes Street has a few cafes and restaurants, a toilet and a Timpsons.
- I then walked straight across the Northern side of Hanover Square to the station entrance.
- I passed Harewood Place on my right, which leads directly to the London’s largest John Lewis.
If the station had been open, the walk would have taken five minutes.
Hanover Square
Hanover Square now is a London Square with its own station entrance. I suppose that Sloane Square is the only other one, but that doesn’t have the formal garden that Hanover Square does.
The Medici Courtyard
Hidden behind the station building is the Medici Courtyard, which has been created by the developers of the station entrance.
These pictures show the courtyard.
Note.
- The Medici Courtyard leads between Hanover Square and Bond Street.
- It joins Bond Street, just to the North of Fenwicks.
- It contains a high-class hotel, an upmarket coffee shop and some shops.
- There is a courtyard, where you can sit and enjoy a drink.
- There were a lot of flowers.
It is a very unique station feature, that has been designed to attract visitors and shoppers to the area.
Would A Tunnel Between Oxford Circus Station And The Hanover Square Entrance To Bond Street Station Be Possible?
Consider.
- At some point Oxford Circus station will be remodelled to provide extra capacity and full step-free access.
- In a few years time, there will be reliable statistics on how many passengers will change between Oxford Circus Station and The Hanover Square entrance to Bond Street Station.
- There will be more pedestrianisation in the area.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to find out, that the The Hanover Square entrance to Bond Street Station has provision for a possible tunnel.
I suspect various proposals will be put forward for improving the connection, if it is needed. Some will include tunnels.
Two Oases In The City
I came across these oases in Temple Avenue in the City of London.
What a good idea! The notice says it’s part of a Covid-19 Street Recovery Scheme
A New Garden Bridge Proposed For London
This article on Ian Visits is entitled Plans Open A Disused Railway Bridge To Pedestrians.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A section of the Thames with few bridges could become a lot easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross if plans to convert a disused railway bridge for pedestrian use go ahead.
The disused railway bridge to be used is the original 1849 Barnes Railway Bridge, which was closed to trains, when a new stronger bridge was built alongside in 1890.
This Google Map shows the two bridges.
Note.
- The railway tracks in the centre on the 1890 three-arch bridge.
- The Thames flows from South-West to North-East under the bridge.
- A walkway on the North-Eastern side of the is still in use.
- The original 1849 bridge is on the South-Western side of the bridge.
The pedestrian garden bridge will be built on the 1849 bridge, which will be refurbished.
This second Google Map shows the bridge and Barnes Bridge station.
Note.
- Barnes Bridge in the North-West corner of the map.
- Barnes Bridge station in the South-East corner of the map.
Part of the plan envisages connecting the South-Western platform to the pedestrian garden bridge.
It looks a plan with a lot of good possibilities.
The Project
It appears that Network Rail, the London Boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow are all supportive and Moxon Architects have been appointed to the project.
The project now appears to be called The View at Barnes Bridge and it has an impressive web site, with lots of information and pictures.
I have a few thoughts.
I Am Not Surprised That Network Rail Are Supportive
Network Rail must be pleased to be getting a Grade II Listed structure off their hands.
Could Barnes Bridge Station Be Made Step-Free?
I suspect that Moxon will produce designs for this and it will probably be a question of money, if they are implemented.
But as the garden bridge will attract more visitors, this will surely increase the need for full step-free access at Barnes Bridge station.
Could A Refurbished Bridge Carry Utilities?
I suspect that this will be looked at, as it could be a nice little earner.
Could This Project Be An Example Of a Levelling-Up Project?
In my travels around the UK and Europe, I’ve seen several disused railway bridges that could be reused as footbridges to provide walking and cycling.
Many are being converted, but this high-profile bridge could inspire architects to create other worthwhile bridges.
Finsbury Circus Appears Fully Open
I bought my breakfast yesterday in Leon on Moorgate and ate it in the nearby Finsbury Circus Gardens.
It is now fully open.
This picture shows the gardens during the construction of Crossrail.
Note.
- The bandstand can be picked out amongst the trees.
- The shaft towards the bottom is forty metres deep and was used to get men and materials to the tunnels.
Comparing the pictures shows that the gardens are now able to used for their original purpose.
MAHYTEC Creates World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Riding Lawnmower
I searched for hydrogen-powered lawnmower and found this page.
Surely ideal for the Prince of Wales to buy for Camilla, when she does the mowing at Highgrove.
But seriously, if you can make a hydrogen-powered ride-on mower, you can make any number of smaller horticultural and agricultural vehicles, that run on hydrogen.
How long before John Deere or one of the big Japanese manufacturers releases a hydrogen-powered lawnmower, that takes the large grass-cutting market by storm?
It won’t be just the grass, that is green!
I suspect a company like ITM Power will provide the operator with their own hydrogen generator.
I can envisage the farm of the future, having the following.
- Hydrogen powered tractors, loaders and other powered machinery.
- Hydrogen-powered Range-Rover to speed through the lanes.
- Hydrogen-powered lawn mower to make the place look good.
- Hydrogen-powered vehicles for road use.
All would be powered by the farm’s own hydrgen generator, which might use their own wind turbine.
A Garden Is Being Created Under London Bridge Station
I took these pictures as I walked in one of the tunnels under London Bridge station.
Somebody is doing a bit of garden creation.
Square Comes Full Circle For Grosvenor Estate
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the Business section of today’s copy of The Times.
It describes the history of Grosvenor Square and its relationship to the Grosvenor family.
There has been an American presence in the square since 1785, but with the moving of the American Embassy to Nine Elms earlier this year, the need for security measures has decreased and control of the square has returned to the Grosvenor Estate.
These are the last two paragraphs of the article.
After a public consultation, Grosvenor is seeking ideas from urban designers, architects and artists to “recreate a place fit for the 21st century”.
Craig McWilliam, chief executive, said that Grosvenor Britain and Ireland wanted to create “a haven where locals and visitors can enjoy the best of the city”.
Donald Trump has stated that moving to Nine Elms is crazy, but London will gain immensely from that move.
Volunteers Transform Neglected Rail Station Gardens Into Welcoming Area
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Westmoreland Gazette.
In my travels I come across many stations, where volunteers make a difference.
Kents Bank station can be added to that list.
Many more stations need volunteers to do some community gardening and other work.
Improving The Wisley Interchange
It is probably nearly ten years since I drove through the Wisley interchange where the M25 and A3 meet.
The BBC this morning is discussing a proposal to improve this junction by taking some land from the RHS Wisley Garden.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note how close Wisley Garden is to the A3, which all proposals say should be widened from three lanes to four.
Two proposals have been put forward by Highways England.
This is Option 9, which is a four-level flyover.
And this is Option 14.
I suspect as far as Wisley Garden is concerned it’s a choice between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!
Just out of curiosity, I looked up on the RHS Wisley Garden site, how I could get there easily by public transport.
Effectively, it means taking a train to Woking and a taxi!
Wisley Garden can’t have it both ways, as they encourage people to drive to the Garden and yet are objecting to widening of the A3.
A Wider Problem
Wisley Garden illustrates the wider problem, of how so many attractions are only easily accessible by car.
Some attractions like Brighton and Hove Albion’s new Falmer Stadium, have been built with decent public tyransport access, but others assume everybody comes by car.
Surely, in this age, where the environment matters, no development should be allowed without due consideration of well-thought out public transport.
I’ve Now Got A Back Garden!
On BBC Breakfast this morning, the weather is coming from Woodberry Wetlands, which is London’s newest Nature Reserve, that opens to the public today, after being opened by Sir David Attenborough yesterday.
This Google Map shows the area.
Woodberry Wetlands
One entrance is on the road between the two reservoirs and I think there is a second one by the Castle.
To get there, I just walk across the road by my house and get a 141 bus to the castle. It takes me about ten minutes.
How many readers of this blog realised that North London had such an impressive castle?
It was built to keep Tottenham and Arsenal supporters apart. Tottenham is to the North-East and Arsenal is to the South-West.
This morning, I visited Woodberry Wetlands.
I walked across from where the 141 bus dropped me by the Castle along the New River Walk.
It was crowded, as would be expected on the first day.
One thing that surprised me was that I saw a fox in broad daylight, strutting about as cool as you like.
I think it will turn out to be a popular attraction, but I think that transport bus, bicycle and walking access should be improved.
- Probably the easiest way to go is to walk from Manor House station. Some signs showing the shortest walking route would help.
- The maps on the web site need updating with buses from both entrances.
- Bicycles were everywhere and there needs to be better storage.
- A bus running between the reservoirs would certainly help.
It is the sort of attraction, that would benefit from some Boris bike stations.
- Manor House station
- Finsbury Park station
- The Castle
- The entrances to the attraction.
The first two would also serve Finsbury Park.
The Anonymous Widower 