St Botolph’s Church Hall in Bishopsgate Churchyard has changed little since I took this picture over 30 years ago and the churchyard is still a place you can stroll though away from the noise and fumes of Bishopsgate a few yards away.
Back in 1987 you could walk through a considerable part of the City on the High Walks, pedestrian walkways above the streets, one of which could be accessed at the western end of Bishopsgate Churchyard and gave elevated views of the buildings on Old Broad St opposite. Boston House appears to be the name of the the block on Old Broad Street between London Wall and New Broad St, and to be made up of two similar buildings; this one, on the corner of London Wall appeared to me the more satisfactory.
This was the view from the highwalk looking back down Bishopsgate Churchyard. Much of the the highwalk has since been closed to the public.
Perhaps surprisingly this view from the north end of the highwalk looked little different until recently, though I don’t think there is any public access to enable you to see it from my 1987 viewpoint. At far left is the corner of Broad Street Avenue and the building, 76-80 Old Broad Street, dates from around 1860 and is Grade II listed. The UBS building at 100 Liverpool St was completed in 1988, but UBS moved out a few years ago (to an even more hideous building in Broadgate, nominated for the Carbuncle Cup) and others moved in, but the building has been treated to a facelift, with a new skin over the old structure.
Although the bridge across Wormwood Street from which I took this picture is still in place (or was last time I walked by before lockdown) the stairs leading to it were firmly blocked. It shows the junction between Old Broad St and the east end of London Wall, with Boston House, shwon in a picture above, on the corner at right.
Angel Court is an alley in the centre of London’s finanacial district between Throgmorton St and Copthall Avenue, now leading between tall buldings.
A little to the east of Angel Court, this garden is at the corner of Austin Friars and Copthall Avenue and was I think closed to the public, and my photograph was taken through the fence looking south from Austin Friars.
More from the CIty of London in a later post. All these pictures are in my Flickr album 1987 London Photos.
All photographs on this and my other sites, unless otherwise stated, are taken by and copyright of Peter Marshall, and are available for reproduction or can be bought as prints.