It was another beautiful day in the city of London and Nicole and I were going dragon hunting.
We weren’t looking for just any run of the mill, sighted all over town, dragons either. The dragons we sought were the Guardians of the City of London. I had read that statues now stood at the location of all of the original gates to the city, and I was determined to track them all down. With the help of this map we set off on our quest.
Our first dragon encounter was at the Victoria Embankment, on the western border of the City of London. Did you know that the City of London is different from London itself? The City, or Square Mile, is the area that was settled from Roman times through to the Medieval Ages, and it is still a self-governing area run by the City of London corporation. The dragons are positioned at major entrances to the City, facing outwards like all good guardians should. The pair at the Victoria Embankment are the originals, first erected in 1849.
The next dragon is located next to the beautiful Royal Courts of Justice, and is a wilder-looking beastie than the more traditional Victoria pair.
I walk past the small dragons in Holborn most days, as they are located next to the Chancery Lane Underground station, although one is currently quite hidden in scaffolding. Now that I know where they are, I spot them every time!
The Farringdon dragon is another one I walk past quite often on my way to work, and it isn’t alone in the area – Holborn Viaduct is positively crawling with dragons!
Around the Barbican, we spotted our fifth dragon, and also decided we needed to get a wriggle on if we wanted to make it to all ten before night-fall. What else to do but hop on the modern chariot – Boris Bikes?! I love cycling through the city on the weekend, when it is comparatively quiet and stress-free.
It was just as well we’d had that boost when we got to Moorgate and made the devastating discovery that due to roadworks, the dragon was not currently in residence. Please excuse the unexciting nature of this photo and imagine a magnificent specimen instead… Like the Bishopsgate or Aldgate Dragons!
Gutting…
Cheered up by the Bishopsgate Dragon
We came across a bonus dragon by the Tower of London which seems to be in an authentic location… as every good explorer knows, sometimes you need to leave the map behind. We got back on track with the London Bridge dragons.
As we reached Blackfriar Bridge and our last dragons, dusk was approaching. We were two very happy London explorers, and I strongly encourage you to take your own quest for a unique way of seeing the City!
What’s the most unusual way you’ve chosen to explore a city?
