An Urban Wander from Kensington to Farringdon

With another wonderful summer's evening, and a couple of hours to spare after work, I managed another Urban Wander recently which took me roughly from Kensington to Farringdon, with a short tube ride in the middle somewhere.

I have walked past this sign many times before, and in fact I think I have also eaten in one or more of the restaurants in this road.

Old sign for an Electric Lighting Station, just of High Street Kensington, London

Initially I was tron as to whether this sign was actually a ghost sign, as clearly the Gloucester Road tube station is still operational. However, given that it's no longer part of the "Metropolitan Railway" I decided this counted.

Ghost sign on Gloucester Road tube station, London

By the time I found this old sign, I really was drifting and had found myself in Great Ormond Street. In a narrow road, Barbon Close, I was delighted to see this old sign for

C.BAILEY & SONS
HORSE & MOTOR CONTRACTORS

Old sign in Barbon Close, London WC1

As the evening grew darker I found this very impressive ghost sign near Farringdon, but you're going to have to take my word for this as it was dusk and the picture does not show the sign very well. Definitely one to return to during daylight.

 

Ghost sign near Farringdon, London

By the time I found my final ghost sign it really was quite dark, but even with my faltering eyesight I can make out the words

CONTRACTORS

and if you look closely there are actually multiple ghost signs here, one running horizontally beneath the windows, and another one, or possibly two, between the windows.

Ghost signs, Clerkenwell, London