Two more days from my visit to UK in the summer of 2018. I was on a mission to meet skilled artisans and visit churches… All inspired by the #bimpencil work on Notre Dame which had consumed most of my free time over the previous three months.
Two churches by John Soane. Second time to visit these and a chance to get past the exterior. Walworth is my favourite. Three young sculptors were gracious enough to show me their workshop and talk about stone carving.
Pitzhanger Manor was John Soane’s country house, a short carriage ride from his Town House in Lincolns Inn Field. Restoration work recently completed so I enjoyed lunch at the restaurant and took a leisurely tour of the interior.
Soane was a self made man from a humble background with dreams of establishing a dynasty. He bought Pitzhanger at the height of that dream, transformed it much as he transformed the Bank of England, then lived through heartache as one son died and the other turned against him.
Those tragedies sent his…