Two Temple Place – a gem for February
On Valentine’s Day London Explorers Group 2 enjoyed the guided tour of Two Temple Place which is just a short walk from Waterloo Station.
The Group started with a coffee in Waterloo station, which gave us the opportunity to share how we should include an emergency contact on our phones. Following that we made our way across the river and luckily the weather was superb for the slow walk over the bridge. We had lunch in Two Temple Place, which although the café is quite tiny, it does have two rooms with additional seating, a perfect place for the group to enjoy each other’s company.
We had booked a guide for the history of the house and we were also given an introduction by Rebecca on the art works currently on display all around the house. The theme was “Working Class” and she explained how to get the best out of the exhibition and where to start – there was certainly a lot to see! Then our house guide, Geoff, gave us the history of Two Temple Place which had been owned by the Astor family.
William Waldorf Astor had used it as his “office” and the rooms looked quite unlike what you’d expect for all the clerks to be working in; wood paneling and very fine stone work. Two Temple Place was one of the first houses in London to have electricity and the new technology – a phone! Geoff was a superb guide and after the tour, we were free to wander around the house, taking in all the art work and amazing sculptures.
We all agreed, this was a hidden gem and far more to it than you might expect from a relatively small house. Definitely one to visit again for future art displays.
Maggie Reeve