Fergusbrandon

Spend just five minutes researching things to do in London and you will be hit with a whole barrage of world-famous attractions and landmarks worth exploring. Certainly these are all great options when you visit the city but if you want to experience something a little different then why not factor in some time to check out some of the more unusual offerings which can be found in London:-

The Stone Nose of Admirality Arch
Admirality Arch is a Grade I listed building which is located close to Trafalgar Square; although an important landmark in the city it’s a small protrusion which can be spotted halfway up the wall of the northernmost arch which is the truly unique thing here. There was much mystery surrounding the appearance of the life-sized nose until it came to light that an artist named Rick Buckley had placed a number of these stone noses on prominent buildings around the city as part of a protest against the growth of London’s CCTV cameras (which he deemed to be ‘nosy’).

The Eisenhower Centre
From the outside this white circular building located on Goodge Street appears to be nothing special and yet it was a very significant instalment which was put in place during the Second World War. This was a protective deep level air-raid shelter which was home to bunks, a bathroom, a kitchen and medical facilities for around 8,000 people and was one of several which were placed at strategic tube stops. This particular building is special because it was also used as General Eisenhower’s command base during the D-Day operations and it was renamed in honour of the president at a later date. Goodge Street is near to a number of other great London attractions such as The British Museum and some of the 5 star hotels in London too.

The Bells of St Sepulchre
Just a 15 minute tube ride from The Marble Arch By Montcalm London you can discover St Sepulchre’s Church and the bells which were immortalised in the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons’. The bells at this church have a long history of announcing death and between the 17th and 19th century the clerk of St Sepulchre’s was also required to ring a small handbell outside the cells of those condemned to death in the prison at midnight on the day of their execution. This ‘Execution Bell’ is kept in a glass case in the church’s nave and can be seen by visitors to the church.

Sewer Lamp
If you head to Carting Lane, just off the Strand then you can see the ‘Sewer Lamp’; a lamp which is said to run on methane fumes provided by the guests of the nearby Savoy hotel. Certainly this was the case during Victorian England when such lamps were created to help with the diffusion of methane from the city’s sewers but much evidence points to the fact that this lamp is actually just a replica and not still in use.