Here’s a great day on your bike visiting Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpieces in London.

Our ride starts at Hampton Court, a royal palace that is most famous for its Tudor architecture and connections with Henry VIII. Less well known is the baroque palace, designed by our hero, and built for William and Mary in 1689. Err, you’re not going to be able to avoid history on this ride, sorry!

Hampton Court is surrounded by parkland, creating a lovely way to ride to Kingston, en route there’s a stop at the end of the Long Water for one of the best vistas of the palace. Ride on through busy Kingston using the excellent network of bike paths and quiet roads into Richmond Park. Join the Tamsin Trail around the park to Roehampton Gate, before crossing Barnes Common and reaching the Thames again at Putney.

Your first view of Chelsea Hospital, home of the famous red-coated Chelsea Pensioner is from the river and it’s worth a stop before riding along to the ‘front entrance’.

Back on your bike, past Buckingham Palace (nothing to do with Wren) and along Birdcage Walk to join the new bike routes around Westminster Square leading to the traffic-free super cycle route alongside the river.

Taking advantage of the newly pedestrianised Aldwych (which is in my opinion, pretty impressive), ride past St Clement Danes Church, often recognised as one of Wren’s finest City Churches. Carry on down the now peaceful Fleet St to approach the magnificent west façade of St Paul’s Cathedral.

With virtually empty roads and loads to discover, riding through the City of London on a Sunday is a cyclist’s dream and no Wren ride worth its salt would miss the Monument, the fantastic monument topped with blazing gilded ball fire. Although technically marking the site of an inept baker, it’s a homage to our champion!

Leaving the confines of the City, the route becomes more Dickensian, following cycle paths around St Katherine’s Dock, with great views of Tower Bridge and along the cobbled streets of Wapping High St heading east to join the Thames at Canary Wharf.

At the southerly tip of the Isle of Dogs, don’t rush to the Greenwich foot tunnel, rather ride on through Island Gardens for the best view of the Old Royal Naval Hospital with its colonnades framing the Queen’s House.

Then walk through the foot tunnel, and exit right in front of the past Cutty Sark. You may be desperate for that cup of tea, but it’s worth walking your bike along the river for the best views of the Old Royal Naval College and then make your way to the Undercroft Cafe and a well-earned Cream Tea. 

After tea take a moment to explore this wonderful building, apart from the colonnades framing Queens House, there’s the Painted Hall, a skittle alley or find the patriotic courtyard!

• 26 miles/42 km
• 760 ft | 230 m climb
• 40% off-road on well-maintained paths
• Easy Ride suitable for all types of bikes

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

300 years ago, Britain’s greatest architect, Sir Christopher Wren, died at the age of 90, just as his finest work, St Paul’s Cathedral, was completed.

Join Harry Mount, architectural historian and editor of The Oldie, for a walking tour of Wren’s London, from St Paul’s to his fabulous City Churches, built after the Great Fire of London.

Includes lunch (and wine) in Middle Temple Hall, the best Elizabethan building in London.

Itinerary

11am: Meet Harry Mount outside the main western entrance of St Paul’s Cathedral

1pm: Two-course lunch in Middle Temple Hall

Tickets are £135 (inc VAT) per person, including lunch with wine.

Limited to 20 people.

Guarantee a place with Katherine by emailing reservations@theoldie.co.uk or calling 01225 427 311 (Monday-Friday)

Led by David McKinstry and accompanied by a range of highly-regarded experts, we will take a group to explore Wren’s work on foot, examining the context of royal connections to Greenwich, institutional and political functions and the later uses of sites and buildings. This is a day-long walking tour, with visits to several sites and lunch at the Trafalgar Tavern. It gives a rare opportunity to study original early 19th century plans for the town centre.

This promises to be a highly engaging and comprehensive day which, although focusing on Wren, takes in the work of other artists and architects of this unique area and has much to offer anyone interested in the history of Greenwich and the architecture of the seventeenth-nineteenth centuries.

Places are limited to 40 and must be booked in advance at www.sahgb.org.uk/whatson

You think HS2 is taking a long time?

Take a walk round the City and find out how Christopher Wren and friends managed the task of rebuilding a whole city devastated by the Great Fire of London.

The fire gave them great opportunities but great challenges as well.

How did they cope?

Please note: children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

When: 19 April  – 20 September 2023, 10.30, on alternate Wednesdays

City Guides are the Official Guides to the City of London. They are qualified, accredited and insured.  https://www.cityoflondonguides.com/

Fire and Faith – Guided Walk

Wren was a child prodigy and a polymath. He excelled in many disciplines and at the age of thirty, he could have pursued a number of careers with equal virtuosity. Fortunately for us, he eventually made a career in architecture and the design of major public buildings.

This tour is round the eastern half of the City of London focussing on the Great Fire, the aftermath and the changing appearance of the City.

Please note: children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

City Guides are the Official Guides to the City of London. They are qualified, accredited and insured.  https://www.cityoflondonguides.com/

12 April  – 27 September 2023, 10.30, on alternate Wednesdays

Known to millions as the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Christopher Wren’s early years were spent in Oxford where he arrived at Wadham College as a ‘gentleman commoner’ in 1649/50. This tour will start from Wadham and stroll past the Garden Quad at Trinity College, which was originally designed by Wren in the 1660s. In the same decade (and while working as the Savilian Professor of Astronomy), Wren was invited to submit designs for the impressive Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street. After spending some time looking at the Sheldonian and walking past the gateway to All Souls in Radcliffe Square, we will move onwards to Christ Church and Wren’s Tom Tower, a key feature of the Oxford skyline. Over the course of 60 minutes, you will see Wren’s most important Oxford buildings, learn some Oxford secrets and find out more about the man described as ‘the greatest architect Britain has ever known’ and a ‘towering genius’.

Lizzy Rowe is an art historian who studied Classics at Oxford University before completing an MA in Classical and Byzantine Art at the Courtauld Institute in London. Initially an editor in book-publishing, she later worked at English Heritage as a guidebook editor. She currently lives in Oxford where she teaches Art History in primary schools and gives guided tours and talks.

She is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic speaker on a wide variety of art-related subjects. Her particular interest is in exploring the art collections of the Oxford colleges, where many treasures can be found in chapels, dining halls and libraries.

The walks will start from outside the front entrance of Wadham College on Parks Road. This walk will be repeated at 12pm.

If tickets have sold out for this event, please email members@georgiangroup.org.uk to be added to the waiting list.

A guided walking tour of five of Wren’s Churches in the Bank area of the City of London beginning at St James Garlickhythe and visiting St Stephen’s Walbrook, St Margaret Lothbury, St Mary-le-Bow, and ending at St Vedast-alias-Foster with light refreshments. To sign up please email info@stmarylebow .org.uk