Hidden City Gems: Postman's Park
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Last time we told you about St Stephen Walbrook. This time it's Postman's Park, another place in which to escape these otherwise turbulent times. So go at lunch, or when your boss thinks you're grabbing a coffee. And let us know if you have a gem to add.
If you saw the film, Closer, then you know where stripper Alice Ayres got her name - a plaque in Postman's Park. Let us tell you how it got there.
Postman’s Park is a small but perfectly formed, public space located next to Guild & Ward Church of St. Botolph-Without-Aldersgate (between St Paul and the Museum of London).
The park has all of the attractive features you would expect from one of the City’s small public parks. It's peaceful and well-kept, has a fountain and old tombstones, many beautiful and varied plants, bushes and trees, and plenty of seating and places to find peace and serenity. It’s also encircled by some wonderful architecture.
However, the unique selling point to Postman’s Park is the reason it’s there in the first place - and the insight you get into a bygone age. Postman’s Park is the creation of Victorian painter and philanthropist, George Watts (1817-1904). It was built in 1870 to commemorate heroic men and women of London who gave their lives attempting to save others.
The memorial itself comes in the shape of a 50ft long open (albeit covered) gallery. On its wall are 47 glazed Doulton tablets, which provide brief details of those who died and the nature of their courageous acts. These plaques date from 1869 to 1917, and include amazing and selfless acts of bravery that more often than not, include train accidents, drowning or fire.
There are also stories which make you look twice, such as the driver and fireman on the GWR Windsor Express who died trying to save their train in 1898, or the policeman who died in explosions at Silvertown in 1917, and finally, the London man who died while trying to save two girls from quicksand in Lincolnshire in 1902. Quicksand - honestly! Each plaque has its own story, provokes its own emotions, and provides a small glimpse into the past.
As for why it's called Postman’s Park, it was either celebrate postmen who worked locally, or because it was a popular lunchtime retreat for workers from the nearby old General Post Office. Take your pick - but be sure to visit.
- Brian M
Please let us know if you have a Hidden City Gem you'd like to write about for HITC.
Postman’s Park is a small but perfectly formed, public space located next to Guild & Ward Church of St. Botolph-Without-Aldersgate (between St Paul and the Museum of London).
The park has all of the attractive features you would expect from one of the City’s small public parks. It's peaceful and well-kept, has a fountain and old tombstones, many beautiful and varied plants, bushes and trees, and plenty of seating and places to find peace and serenity. It’s also encircled by some wonderful architecture.
However, the unique selling point to Postman’s Park is the reason it’s there in the first place - and the insight you get into a bygone age. Postman’s Park is the creation of Victorian painter and philanthropist, George Watts (1817-1904). It was built in 1870 to commemorate heroic men and women of London who gave their lives attempting to save others.
The memorial itself comes in the shape of a 50ft long open (albeit covered) gallery. On its wall are 47 glazed Doulton tablets, which provide brief details of those who died and the nature of their courageous acts. These plaques date from 1869 to 1917, and include amazing and selfless acts of bravery that more often than not, include train accidents, drowning or fire.
There are also stories which make you look twice, such as the driver and fireman on the GWR Windsor Express who died trying to save their train in 1898, or the policeman who died in explosions at Silvertown in 1917, and finally, the London man who died while trying to save two girls from quicksand in Lincolnshire in 1902. Quicksand - honestly! Each plaque has its own story, provokes its own emotions, and provides a small glimpse into the past.
As for why it's called Postman’s Park, it was either celebrate postmen who worked locally, or because it was a popular lunchtime retreat for workers from the nearby old General Post Office. Take your pick - but be sure to visit.
- Brian M
Please let us know if you have a Hidden City Gem you'd like to write about for HITC.
