Monday 3 July 2023

Let's draw Wimbledon Village - Saturday 22 July or Sunday 6 August 2023

Wimbledon Village
Sketch by Kristine Appleton

In July and August we will draw Wimbledon Village, a picturesque and affluent neighbourhood renowned for its charm, history and association with the iconic Wimbledon Tennis Tournament.

Wimbledon Village is an elegant enclave on a hill with well preserved period buildings and a delightful mix of amenities, independent boutiques and charming pubs and cafes. In this sketchwalk we have an opportunity to capture the bustling atmosphere of the village itself, or commune with nature amid the leafy greenery of Wimbledon Common nearby.

The day is run by Inga Knysh, Patricia Burbidge and Zane Karklina.

If this is your first sketchwalk with us, welcome to Urban Sketchers London!

Every sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, a gathering place in the middle and another one at the end, when we ‘throw down’ our sketchbooks and pose for a group photo. Sketchwalk leaders know the area and are there to help you feel at ease and give you some ideas about what to sketch. Please note there is no tuition during the sketchwalks. We all draw what we wish, following the Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end.

We look forward to seeing you!

Meeting point at 11 am

We will gather by the Wimbledon War Memorial (scroll down to see our location map). Please note: at the War Memorial there are no options for shelter in case of rain, so if on the day it is wet, we will break with Urban Sketchers tradition and forego the traditional throwdown.

Wimbledon War Memorial - Our meeting point for the day
Photo by Zane Karklina

Options for drawing

Wimbledon Village - There are many historic buildings to sketch, from the High Street at the Toynbee Fountain to the Wimbledon War Memorial, down Church Street as well as other streets in the area. In the centre of the village are the old Fire Station, the Dog & Fox pub and hotel, and many more buildings of historical interest, with charming cafes, boutiques and galleries for shelter in case of rain.

The Ivy, Wimbledon Village
Sketch by Patricia Burbidge

Wimbledon Common - Wimbledon and Putney Commons comprise 1140 acres of open land with heath, woodland, streams and ponds -- a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its importance to wildlife. Wimbledon Common is kept in a natural state, so while there are many footpaths, mainly unpaved, be aware there are also bogs, ditches and brambles. You can download a detailed map of the Common in pdf format. You'll find our War Memorial meeting point in the lower right hand corner of the map.

Wimbledon Windmill - A 15 - 20 minute walk through Wimbledon Common woodlands, the Windmill offers a museum of local history with memorabilia of the local milling industry and scouting, as well as a cafe and toilets. The Museum is open Saturdays 2pm - 5pm and Sundays 11am - 5pm. Admission is free. Next to the Windmill is Windmill Tearooms, who specialise in appetising homemade produce. They are open Saturdays 9am - 5.45pm and Sundays 9.00 - 6.15pm. The kitchen closes at 3.30pm.

Wimbledon Windmill
Sketch by Martin Lore

Cannizaro Park - A beautiful 34-acre Grade ll listed park that includes historic landscape features with formal gardens, as well as water and herb gardens and a vast collection of trees. The park is about a 10 minute walk across the Common, and is open from 9am until dusk. The main entrance is on West Side Common SW19 4UE. A coffee van is usually run from 10.30am - 4pm, and the public toilet is open from 9.30am - 5 pm. For more details you can download a map of Cannizaro Park in pdf format.

Thai Buddhapapida Temple - This ornate temple with its traditional Thai-style gilded roof is a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Wimbledon War Memorial. Set in a four-acre garden with statues and an ornamental pond, it was the first Thai Buddhist temple to be built in the U.K. Weekday services inside the temple and shrine itself are by appointment only, but the grounds are open from 9 - 5.30 daily for visitors to explore. NB: As the temple is a place of worship in daily use, remember to be respectful of the people who come to worship. We ask in particular that sketchers take care not to overpopulate the steps leading to the temple.

The view of London's skyline from Marryat Road - About a five minute walk down Marryat Road you will have a glimpse of London's skyscrapers. It’s a limited view from the pavement, so you might need to stand to see and sketch the scene.

The London skyline from Marryat Road
Photo by Zane Karklina

Key times and meeting points

11am

The Wimbledon War Memorial will be our meeting point through the day. As there is no option for shelter in this area, we will keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to adapt as the day unfolds.

1pm

Return to the War Memorial for our group photo and -- weather permitting -- the throwdown. Urban Sketchers aren't shy about a little drizzle, but if it's a wet day we will pose for the group photo and bravely forego the throwndown(s).

3.30 pm

Meet again at the War Memorial for the group photo and -- fingers crossed -- the throwdown.

Afterwards

We will go to the Rose and Crown pub -- about 400m from the War Memorial -- for drinks and conversation, and perhaps even more sketching!

Practical information

Food and drink and conveniences

There is no shortage of cafes and pubs in the village, and on Wimbledon Common the Windmill Tearooms are situated next door to Wimbledon Windmill. During our Sunday session on 6 August the Wimbledon Farmers Market will be set up in the High Street from 10am - 3pm, with fresh produce, cakes, artisan bread and ready to eat picnic food.

Toilets are available in nearby pubs and cafes. The Wimbledon Windmill has wheelchair-accessible toilets.

Cafe life, Wimbledon Village
Sketch by Inga Knysh

Public transport

Wimbledon Station is easily accessible by London Underground via the District Line and Tramlink, by National Rail via South Western Railway, and via bus routes 200 and 93.

Our meeting place at the Wimbledon War Memorial is a 20 minute walk uphill from the station. If you prefer to save your energy for sketching, when you arrive at Wimbledon Station go to bus stop L and take the no. 93 bus to the War Memorial, alighting at bus stop R. Or take the no. 200 bus to Wimbledon Village/Ridgeway, alight at bus stop N and walk five minutes to the War Memorial.

Accessibility

Detailed and up to date accessibility information is available at the online guide AccessAble. That's where our research led us when we wanted to find out, for example, how accessible the footpaths are in Wimbledon Common. Most footpaths in the Common are wide enough for wheelchair users and consist of compact earth, gravel and muddy surface. Slopes on the paths range from slight to moderate and steep, and there are benches along the paths where visitors can rest. You can look up accessibility information for specific venues in Wimbledon Village as well.

Covid guidance

Urban Sketchers London remains alert to national guidance about COVID-19 and its variants. Even though restrictions have been lifted, it's sensible to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe throughout the event. The risk of infection for outdoor events is low, but basic guidance still applies:

Please do not attend if you feel unwell
Wear a face covering when you're close to others
Give people space
Practise good hand hygiene.

Further information

If you're new to Urban Sketchers London, have a look at Mike Whalley's brief history of the international Urban Sketchers movement.

Location map

See you at Wimbledon Village!

Let's draw London in 2023 -- Find our full programme here

London by Urban Sketchers - Our 10 Year Anniversary Book

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Let's draw Fleet Street - Saturday 8 July 2023

The Cheshire Cheese Pub near St Clement Danes
(not to be confused with Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub in Fleet Street!)
Sketch by Pete Scully

Hello! This week we invite you to explore Fleet Street and the surrounding area.

Fleet Street has a long history of printing and publishing, and is also known as the home of London’s newspaper industry. The street is long and dense, featuring many architecturally interesting buildings of various styles, such as the Art Deco Daily Express Building on the corner of Fleet Street and Shoe Street and, further east in Ludgate Hill, the English Baroque edifice of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The day is run by Akira Yamanaka and Adam Topór.

If this is your first sketchwalk with us, welcome to Urban Sketchers London!

We look forward to seeing you!

Lets' draw London in 2023

Meeting point at 11 am

We will gather in St Bride’s Passage (see photo below and point A on the local walking route map below). If it's wet on the day there are few options for shelter in the Fleet Street area, so let's keep an eye on the weather and be prepared.

St Bride's Passage
Photo by Akira Yamanaka

Key times and meeting points

11 am

We meet in St Bride’s Passage for introductions, instructions and orientation (see photo above, local map below and, at the end of the blog post, the Location Map for the sketchwalk).

1pm

We will have our first throwdown and group photo at Victoria Embankment Gardens (point B on the map below) which is next to the Temple Underground Station. It’s a 10 minute walk from St Bride’s Passage.

Walking route between St Bride's Passage (A)
and Victoria Embankment Gardens (B)

3:30pm

We’re meeting again at Victoria Embankment Gardens for the second throwdown and group photo to conclude the day.

Afterwards

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street is 'an historic gem of a pub' with sawdust on the floor and a close association with Charles Dickens, WB Yeats and other famous literary types. It's a good option for those wishing to meet up for a drink and a chat after the sketchwalk, mainly for the unique and historic atmosphere of its underground cellar rooms and bar. Please note, this venue is 'totally inaccessible' for people in wheelchairs. (NB: Be sure not to confuse Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street with The Cheshire Cheese Pub near St Clement Danes!)

Temple Church
Sketch by Akira Yamanaka

Options for drawing

St. Bride's Church - An historic building designed by Sir Christopher Wren, St Bride's is hidden away close to Fleet Street. It’s a beautiful old church with a Baroque style interior, often called the 'wedding cake' church because of the shape of its spire. Sadly, on the day of our sketchwalk there is a possibility of a wedding, and so we may not be able to access the interior. On the other hand, this means there may be more people in the area to draw.

St Bride's Church
Sketch by Akira Yamanaka

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - This historic pub is linked to the roots of Urban Sketchers London. Some of our first sketchwalks took place here many years ago! The exterior is quite small and narrow, but the interior cellar rooms and table seating areas are quite interesting to look at and draw. The pub opens at noon. Please note, this venue is 'totally inaccessible' for people in wheelchairs. (NB: Be sure not to confuse this pub with The Cheshire Cheese Pub near St Clement Danes!)

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub in Fleet Street
Photo by Ewan Munro from London UK
CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

St Dunstan-in-the-West - One of the Guild churches in the City of London. The original church was saved from the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was rebuilt in 1831. St Dunstan's is both an Anglican church and the home of the Romanian Orthodox Church in London.

St Dunstan-in-the-West
Photo by Akira Yamanaka

Hodge the Cat Statue - Tucked away between buildings by the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub is a fascinating statue of a cat. The writer Dr Samuel Johnson’s restored house is nearby.

Hodge the Cat statue
Photo by Akira Yamanaka

Daily Express Building- The Grade II* listed home of the Daily Express newspaper, located right on Fleet Street. It features an Art Deco style with curved windows and building corners, and is mostly reflective. The building was featured in the 1961 science fiction film The Day the Earth Caught Fire. It really stands out in the area.

Daily Express Building
Photo by Akira Yamanaka

Victoria Embankment Gardens - We will meet here later in the day. There are a couple of statues of people like the philosopher and politician John Stuart Mill and the industrialist and philanthropist William Edward Forster. In addition there are seating areas and a few spots with various types of plants to sketch.

Other very different styles of architecture in the area for inspiration - It's fascinating the way many buildings of various purposes have been sandwiched together here.

More architectural styles in the Fleet Street area
Photo by Akira Yamanaka

More diversity in architectural design
Photo by Akira Yamanaka

Practical information

Food, drink and conveniences

There’s numerous restaurants and cafes in the area of St Bride’s Church. There's Starbucks Coffee near Blackfriars station, which has toilets, then there is the Punch Tavern pub near St Bride's Church, the Albion, and LEON Ludgate. Further towards the Temple area are coffee shops like The Fleet Street Press, the SOHO Coffee Co, and restaurants and pubs.