Ramble No. 2 - Chelsea

Date: Thu 9 June 2011
Place : Chelsea, London

Distance: No idea!

Time: No idea!
Weather: Overcast, occasional light showers


Start: Sloane Square tube station


After a look round Peter Jones (well it was raining!), headed for the Royal Hospital, but the grounds were closed for Founders Day. Over Chelsea Bridge with galleon lamp standards and views of Battersea power station. Into Battersea Park, renovated for the anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain, past the Buddhist Peace Pagoda.
 

Lunch outside a park cafe before finding Henry Moore's 3(4?) standing figures. Over Albert Bridge  (pedestrian only as it's in the midst of major renovation).

 Down Cheyne Walk, avoiding a shower by dodging into Chelsea Old Church (completely rebuilt after bombing in the war) to see the Thomas Moore memorial.

Zig-zagged through some very nice Chelsea back streets past a medieval hall and the site of the Chelsea porcelain factory through the Chelsea Farmer's Market to St Luke's Church where Dickens was married and we had afternoon tea.

Back to Sloane Square via King's Road shops and a visit to the free Saatchi Gallery (in the old Duke of York's Territorial HQ). 

PS Too early to get the train home on our cheap ticket, so rounded off the day with supper at the National Theatre and two of the best stalls seats for £10 each to see a preview of "Emperor and Galilean" by Ibsen. A long day (home at 23:45 after over 22,000 steps), as the trains were disrupted due to cable theft at Woking!