Make a beeline for the Tower of London this month to see thousands of poppies, writes Graham Barker. Photos by Kois Miah. Crimson tide and Seas of Red (2). Ceramic artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper have created this spectacular art installation – 888,246 ceramic poppies curving and cascading around the Tower – to mark the centenary of WWI. Each poppy represents a British military fatality during WWI. It’s an evolving artwork; volunteers plant further batches daily until Armistice Day. The poppies are for sale online, with proceeds shared among six service charities, including Help for Heroes, SSAFA and the Royal British Legion. Head left, flanking the moat. Beyond the subway, the view opens out across St Katharine Docks. Opened in 1827, this dock was once a busy interchange, handling imports of tea, spices, ivory and wine. Today it’s a tranquil haven, a place to stroll beside luxury yachts or enjoy a leisurely lunch. Until November 3, a giant wooden hippo – called HippopoThames (3) – created for the Thames Festival by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman – adds a dash of humour to the dock scene. Hofman is renowned for oversized sculptures, such as his 26-metre yellow Rubber Duck, globe-trotting since 2007. Take the boardwalk, sloping down beside the old Thames sailing barges, with their distinctive red-brown sails. These flatbottomed boats once transported sand, coal, grain and bricks along the shallow waters of the Thames estuary. Colourful abstracts by Dale Devereux Barker brighten up the end wall. Head right, around to the riverbank, where you’ll see David Wynne’s beautiful sculpture of a Girl with Dolphin dancing gracefully in the air. From here, there are views up to Tower Bridge (4), an iconic feature of London’s skyline. Bridge architect Horace Jones chose a Gothic medieval style to complement the Tower of London alongside. When Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, the constant flow of boats meant the bridge sometimes opened 20 times a day, and required up to 80 staff. As the roadways lifted, horse manure would roll towards two shovellers, ready to be flung through small doorways still visible on the outer tower walls. Pedestrians used the high-level walkway to cross when the bridge was up. To the right of Dead Man’s Hole – where corpses once washed up – you enter the surrounds of the Tower of London (5). This is one of Britain’s most remarkable buildings – a one-time royal palace, state prison, fortress THERE are still a few weeks left to see Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, a remarkable installation of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London. On this short, history-packed walk you can also take a closer look at sections of London Wall, the atmospheric All Hallows by the Tower, and a giant hippopotamus in St Katharine Docks. From Tower Hill Tube station, step down to meet Emperor Trajan (1); he was a notable soldier, prolific builder, and overseer of the expanding Roman Empire from 98- 117AD. His hand is held aloft, as if highlighting the surviving stretch of London Wall behind him, built at the end of the second century as part of a three-mile defence around Londinium. In the subway, fiery murals depict the colourful history of the Tower, its jewels, ravens and monarchs. You emerge to a swathe of red at Blood Swept Lands (Above) The Kentish ragstone London Wall (Right) One of Paul Cummins and Tom Piper’s poppies 18 NEWS FROM TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 20 – 26 OCTOBER 2014
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