The Sainsbury’s supermarket on Camden Road in London is now Listed at Grade II: it’s the first purpose-built supermarket to be added to the List and forms part of the 1980s Grand Union Complex, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners. Commissioned to replace a former industrial site in the heart of Camden Town, the complex is an excellent example of High Tech architecture, a style that emerged in the 1960s combining industrial aesthetics (at a time when British industry wasRead more
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Eight Out of this World Examples of Space-Age Architecture
On 20th July 1969, the Apollo Lunar Module landed on the moon: it was the first crewed craft to land in spaceRead more
5 Jubilant Jubilees
We take a look back at some royal jubilees and how the nation commemorated these royal milestones.Read more
D-Day, 75 Years on: how the Allies prepared
Between midnight on 6 June (D-Day) and 30 June 1944 an Allied invasion force of over 850,000 troops landed on France’s Normandy beaches, together with nearly 150,000 vehicles and 570,000 tons of supplies.Read more
D-Day, 75 Years on: how it was planned
A massive amphibious assault to retake Nazi-occupied France during the Second World WarRead more
The first skyscraper: Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
A rare survival from a dramatic stage in the Industrial Revolution, Shrewsbury Flaxmill was built during a period of innovation and social upheaval.Read more
Pubs, parks and pavilions: Queen Victoria in public places
Queen Victoria was born on 24 May 1819 and to celebrate the bicentenary of her birth we’re looking at some of the historic places named after her; from pubs to parks, streets to statues and even a phantom city. The Victorian age Perceptions of Queen Victoria’s legacy change with each generation and historians are frequently busting cliché’s about her. Whatever your views on Victoria and her era, particularly in the latter part of her reign, she was held in great affectionRead more
War Art: Military and Civilian murals from the Second World War
Over the centuries soldiers and Prisoners of War (POWs), have left personal expressive art on the places where they lived or served. These murals, cartoons and graffiti were often subversive, humorous, risque, nostalgic or decorative. Some were tolerated by military authorities in the interests of morale, and others were officially sanctioned.Read more
5 Historic High Streets
There are around 5,000 high streets in the United Kingdom, and almost every city, town and village has one. Traditionally the epicentre of community life, their role has dramatically changed in the last few decades, and as our work, shopping and leisure habits transform, we’re at a vital crossroads to decide on the future of the high street.Read more
The story of London’s sewer system
Hidden beneath the city streets lie 2,000 kilometres of brick tunnels that take raw sewage direct from our homes, along with 130 kilometres of interconnecting main sewers the size of railway tunnels.Read more