The last time I was in London I took this interesting picture just around the corner from where I was staying.

Cartwright Gardens

I really like the hanging flowers and the wrought iron railings in front of the building. However, what I really like about this picture is how the building curves into the background.

I did a little research about this street. The Georgian town-houses on Cartwright Gardens were originally built at the end of the first decade of the 1800’s. Since they were built by the wealthy citizens of the time, I also decided to see who might have lived in them.

Major John Cartwright, a political reformer, was one of the early residents of Cartwright Gardens. The original name of the street was Burton Crescent, but it was later renamed for Cartwright. In the garden across the street there is a statue of Major Cartwright.

However, the former resident that caught my eye was Sir Rowland Hill. He was an educator and inventor, but is best know for his work in reforming the postal service and the invention of the postage stamp. Since I collected stamps when I was young, I think that this is pretty cool that I was able to see the neighborhood where he lived. I also remember looking at a display of old postage stamps in the British Library, which is only a few blocks from where I took this picture.

To put the picture above in context I am also inserting a snip from Google Maps. Here you can better see the curving street of Cartwright Gardens.

From Google Maps

If you look closely in the upper right of the picture you can see the Mabeldon Court, the hotel I was staying at. I took the picture while walking to the British Museum to start a great day of exploration.

Steven