We are the East Hertfordshire Ramblers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.
Michael D.
This is going to be a day visiting and walking between two of the most important art collections in the world. En route between these two galleries we shall be visiting and admiring: Charing Cross, the statuary in Embankment Gardens, Cleopatra's Needle and a fabulous Art Deco pub just across Blackfriars Bridge.
Iris Murdoch described the National Gallery as: a place of delightful, secret and sometimes bewildering encounters; and there can be no doubt that it is the home of one of the world's great collection of paintings. We hope to spend at leat an hour here, wandering through its galleries.
Then along to Charing Cross, which we have all probably seen many time before and yet not - if you are like me - looked properly at it; realising it is a magnificent work of medieval art.
Embankment Gardens is a largely overlooked gem of a park, boasting a lot of statuary in a small place.
Crossing the Thames at Waterloo Bridge, we head east along the South Bank passing the National Theatre, before making a crossing again at Blackfriars Bridge to visit Blackfriars pub a grade 2 Art Deco building with a magnificent interior - and great beer.
Back on the South Bank it is a short walk to Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre.
The Tate Modern is still the most popular museum / art gallery in the country, and it is easy to see why. It hosts our most important collection of modern and contemporary art and - like the National Gallery - is free to enter. We plan to spend at least an hour here.
Finally, we shall cross back over the Thames by the Millennial Bridge and, skirting around St Pauls Cathedral, get back onto the underground.
Both the National and the Tate are free to enter. Although we plan to visit the Blackfriars pub, because of its artisitic merit, there is no obligation to go in. Also, the plan is to eat a packed lunch on the embankment.
In other words, the cost of this visit could be restricted to just the cost of travel.
NB:The walk length is quoted as 4 miles, which is the distance between the two galleries using the route indicated. It does not, however, take into account the distance walked in each of the galleries. Also, as we do not know how long people will want to spend in each gallery, the finish time is a 'best guess' and may not be accurate.
NB: As we are meeting in a crowded public place, I would request that you let me know by text if you plan to attend.
Start place to be advised on booking.
There are various Underground Stations in this area. St Paul's is on the Central line.
