For 2 weeks every September a multitude of London sites otherwise inaccessible to the general public open their doors to visitors. Today we toured 2 livery halls, the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers and the Worshipful Company of Coopers (wine cask manufacturers). Both originating in the 1400s, these trade guilds are today mostly focused on philanthropic activities.
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| Statue depicting a step in the leather-making process |
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| Entrance (on the right) to Leatherseller's Hall |
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| The Gherkin building towers over St. Helen's Place |
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| The overhead sculpture is by American glass artist Dale Chihuly. We attended his exhibition at the de Young in 2008. |
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| This stained glass window was luckily removed just before the previous hall was destroyed in The Blitz |
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| Our tour guide, on the left, is the Leatherseller's archivist. |
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| Inside the Coopers' Hall |
We also stopped into 13 Princelet Street, a Landmark Trust holiday let in a neighborhood of well-preserved Georgian residences near Spitalfields Market.
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| 13 Princelet Street |
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| Princelet neighborhood street art |
