Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Across the street is
Bush House,
former home of the BBC's World Service. And
just beyond is
Australia House,
a kind of embassy for that member of the British Com-
monwealth. It's most famous for its role as the goblin-run Gringotts Wizarding Bank in
the
Harry Potter
movies. (Though it's not open to visiting Muggles, you can peek into
the chandeliered lobby from the door.) The building sits on a multibranched intersection
where the flow of traffic is a marvel to watch.
•
Also in the intersection is the church of
St. Clement Danes.
(To reach St. Clement
Danes from the Temple Tube stop, walk uphill on Arundel Street until it intersects with the
Strand.)
St. Clement Danes
Built by Christopher Wren (1682), the church was blitzed heavily in World War II. Today,
it's a busy Royal Air Force chapel and a memorial to the 125,000 RAF servicemen who
gave their lives in both world wars. Outside stand statues of brave airmen. Inside, hundreds
of gray medallions in the stone floor are dedicated to various squadrons. Lining the walls
are Books of Remembrance—10 thick volumes (with a page respectfully turned each day).
This is the first of several Wren-built churches (steeple added later) we'll see on the walk.
Of the 50-some he originally built, 23 Wren churches still dot London.
•
Past St. Clement Danes, on the left side of street are the...
