Urban Wandering: Paddington to Lancaster Gate

Very pleased to have managed two urban wanderings this week. The first of which was on a bright(ish) but cold lunch time break around the Paddington and Lancaster Gate areas. Again this is somewhere I have walked through many times but I found some mews, alleyways and staircases that I'd not explored before. And surprisingly, I have more photographs to chose from than I can comfortably add into a single blog post, which recently has been unusual as I try to find the least grey shot from a dreary batch.

The first photo was taken in Fulton Mews, which until I'd explored it this week I thought it was a hammerhead cul-de-sac but to my pleasant surprise also contained a couple of more intimate side passages, one of which had a wooden bench, half in the sunlight, set against a backdrop of a white brick wall with a cut-out archway. I couldn't tell whether the archway was simply decorative or whether at one time it had been an actual arch leading through to more mews or possibly Quennsborough Passage which runs adjacent on the other side of the wall.

 Wooden bench in Fulton Mews, London W2

Elms Mews was another mews that I had not explored before. It lies just of the main Bayswater Road and leads off towards Craven Terrace. The mews itself was pleasant enough, but of more interest was this flight of steps and street lamp at the end.

 Flight of steps in Elms Mews, London W2

The next three photos are of Lancaster Mews which was a real treat as I had no idea that this was in fact a quadrangle of mews. From the news entrance it simply looked like it went as far as the flats at the end and not further, but in fact it opened out revealing a further two picturesque mews. What was also pleasing about these mews was that they didn't have any cars insight to spoil my photos.

Lancaster Mews, London W2

Lancaster Mews, London W2

Lancaster Mews, London W2

 My reward at the end of the lunch time wander was a ham and cheese roll, made up freshly in front of me, in the excellent Sheila's Café on the corner of Lancaster Mews. All too often I am pressed for time and simply go to one of the chain sandwich shops near the office, so this was a pleasant change.

    

For anyone interested to read more, my second urban wander of the week Bermondsey to Borough hasjust been posted.