Lindsay is still formatting photos for me (bless her!), so I’m going to share some snaps I took today in the High Street Kensington area. I absolutely love to get off the main thoroughfares and just “poke” around to see what I can find. There’s a tiny alleyway called Kensington Church Walk that you’d miss if you sneezed, but it is well worth finding. It’s right off the main High Street and meanders back in such a way that all the busy hustle and bustle of the busy street is completely hushed. Around the first corner you find this beautiful church:
There is a beautiful gated garden all around this church with a quiet, shaded courtyard filled with roses. I didn’t manage to snap that, as there was a police van temporarily parked in front of the gate–rats. So I wended my way around the church and up a tiny alley filled with shops. At the end was this adorable house, the upper balcony just packed with flowers:
I turned to the left and followed the street down to the next alleyway, where I discovered a hidden garden (public access, but you’d never know it was there unless you stumbled upon it like I did!):
This spot was so quiet you'd never believe you were in the middle of a metropolis.
I finally turned down a “Mews” (which is where stables of horses and carriages were kept in prior centuries):
It really was a delightful way to eat up an hour’s time before lunch today. I had hoped to stumble into an antique bookstore that used to be here, but I never found it. I lunched on caprese salad and mushroom soup instead, then headed back to our hotel. Lovely!
From Kelly:
Sounds lovely! It’s one of my absolute favorite things to do – my sister and I wandered all over Paris’ side streets when we were there (we love aimless wandering, for all the reasons you mentioned!), and when I was staying in Kensington once, I stumbled upon a block with the same name as my street at home, so of course I needed pictures!
From Elizabeth Barlow:
Jennie,
Alas, I’m on a library computer with limited time left before the end of my session, so I haven’t had a chance to look through all the lovely pictures on your blog (which I just discovered). I just wanted to recommend a site to visit in London. It’s called Dennis Severs’ House, and I visited it while I was in Britain last summer at the urging of a friend. I’m so glad I did! It is a really unique recreation of past ways of living, and I wish I had more time to properly describe it – but for now, here’s the website: http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk
Have fun!
From admin:
Sounds fun, Elizabeth! Too bad we leave London this morning. Maybe next time!
From Melanie A. from the forum:
It’s absolutely adorable! It looks like it would feel like walking right into the past.
From Elizabeth Barlow:
Oh – I’m sorry I didn’t make the suggestion sooner! But it sounds as though you’ve had a beautiful trip, and I look forward to looking through all these lovely pictures you’ve posted.