A Nice Walk: London Commonwealth Walkway (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, lots to see, centrally located, historic buildings, an international frisson, royally approved, multiple refreshment opportunities, entirely step-free, won't take long. So here's a pleasant mile and a half tracing High Commissions through the West End, nowhere near enough to make a day of it but a nice walk all the same.
First there was the Jubilee Walkway, a looped trail through central London inaugurated for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Then came the Jubilee Greenway, a much longer 2012 circuit to jointly celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Now finally we have the London Commonwealth Walkway, a brief addition in 2018 to commemorate the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting coming to the capital. It was designed by The Outdoor Trust, links several diplomatic buildings and flies so low below the radar that I don't think I'd previously been aware of its existence until I spotted one of these bronze markers underfoot.
The trail's endpoints depend on whether you believe the map on the Commonwealth Walkway website or the supporting text. But very roughly speaking it follows Pall Mall and the Strand via Trafalgar Square with a number of potential twiddles along the way. I chose to start outside Buckingham Palace, which seemed appropriate Commonwealthly speaking and is where the Queen launched the trail a few days before her 92nd birthday. Alas all I found underfoot here were plaques for the Jubilee Greenway and the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, plus an awful lot of inspection covers for subterranean palatial utilities, so I relocated to a more promising starting point behind St James's Palace.
Marlborough House is a former royal palace and since 1965 the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Out front is a sturdy metal panel decorated with the flags of every Commonwealth nation and including a lot of upbeat information about the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Games and how lovely the Queen is. It also includes a map depicting the London Commonwealth Walkway, although not in a helpful way that'd prepare you for what you'll be looking out for, indeed if you followed the green line you'd likely miss most of the trail's markers. More impractically the panel is currently taped off by a makeshift assemblage of cones and sandbags, for reasons not entirely apparent, so even the map is off limits. Thankfully I'd come prepared and knew where to go.
High Commission Of The Republic Of Cyprus & Consulate-General, 13 St James's Square
The first waypoint isn't along Pall Mall, it's off-piste in the far corner of St James's Square alongside the London Library. The Cypriot high commission is housed in an elegant Georgian building and, because Cyprus is one of only two Commonwealth nations in the EU, displays a large blue and gold flag out front alongside that of the island. It soon becomes clear there are two entrances, one for diplomatic staff and one for mere underlings requesting consulate services who are expected to descend to basement level instead. The bronze medallion we seek is clearly seen in front of the posh door, embedded in a paving slab, and there'll be nine more like that to find as we proceed.
Papua New Guinea High Commission, 14 Waterloo Place
This one's not on Pall Mall either, it's around the corner on Waterloo Place in another old building owned by the Crown Estate. Because it too is tucked into a corner its flag tends not to flutter, which is a shame because a 15-year-old schoolgirl went to a lot of effort to design it. If you own a business and fancy sharing a building with Oceanian diplomatic staff, a sign out front advises that recently refurbished office space is available.
New Zealand High Commission, 1 Pall Mall East
Finally, a building the London Commonwealth Walkway actually passes. New Zealand House is often considered London's finest 1960s office block, a rare West End tower sculpted from reinforced concrete and plated glass. It is perhaps less impressive at ground level, especially so at present because it's hoardinged-off while the building undergoes a £150m revamp. I loved the view from the 17th floor roof terrace when Open House allowed us up there in 2002, although it wasn't quite high enough to see what the Queen might have been up to in her back garden.
Canada House/la Maison du Canada, Trafalgar Square
As one of the Empire's big-hitters Canada's high commission got to be very centrally located, taking over what's now Canada House in 1925. It's one of the few embassy-type buildings the wider public are welcomed into, at least to the cultural gallery space, plus they do free pre-booked tours on Fridays for a deeper dive. The Commonwealth Walkway plaque's not outside that entrance, it's around the side actually facing Trafalgar Square, beneath a set of steps, a gold maple leaf and a security guard wearing a black woolly hat.
Uganda House, 58–59 Trafalgar Square
Close by, on a pointy corner not far from Admiralty Arch, is the home of Uganda's high commission. From a distance its Portland stone impresses but up close at ground level the design and typography instead screams 1970s suburban travel agent. Accoutrements in the 'shop window' include a stripy shield with a grey crowned crane in the centre, a sprawly pot plant and a poster urging you to visit The Pearl of Africa. If you're wondering why there are two flags flying from the roof the other is that of Burundi, not quite Uganda's neighbour, whose high commission shares the building.
Nigeria High Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue
I've got to write a blogpost about Northumberland Avenue later in the year because it's on the Monopoly board so I won't overdo this one. But I will say Nigeria House is 150 years old, Grade II listed, was designed in Elaborated Italianate style, occupies a corner site and blocks off its ground floor windows with travel posters.
South Africa House, Trafalgar Square
Facing off against Canada across the fountains, this building's bulky, palatial and a bit more fortressy. It was built in the 1930s on the site of Morley's Hotel and is liberally adorned with sculptures of indigenous flora and fauna including mimosa, wildebeest and the inevitable springbok. The nameplate by the door gives the name in Afrikaans as well as English. Being centrally located made it vulnerable to major protests during the apartheid era, although the iron gates at the entrance proved very successful in keeping reason out.
Zimbabwe House, 429 Strand
This one's awkward. The London Commonwealth Walkway leads walkers all the way along the main body of the Strand without highlighting a single high commission as if none exist, conveniently ignoring the diplomatic presence of Zimbabwe. They withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003, or rather President Mugabe did after being repeatedly accused of violating basic human rights and contravening Commonwealth principles, an international standoff which lingers even several years after his death. Walkway pilgrims should thus ignore any protests outside, turn the other cheek and proceed past tenminutesworth of plaquelessness.
Gibraltar Government Office, 150 Strand
This is the building that inspired my nice walk because it's where I first saw an LCW plaque embedded in the pavement. It looks more like a Georgian shop, indeed likely once was, and currently has a window display promoting study at the University of Gibraltar. Its dangly flag (a three-towered, two-tiered red castle) is particularly striking. Other British Overseas Territories with missions in London but not on the trail include Anguilla (10 Storey's Gate), Bermuda (6 Arlington Street) and the Cayman Islands (34 Dover Street).
High Commission of India, Aldwych
I don't have a photo of this stalwart building because when I found the embedded plaque at the entrance two police officers were standing immediately behind it. They didn't look the type who'd be impressed by the excuse "no, honest, I'm just doing visual surveillance along the London Commonwealth Walkway", so I moved on. India House has been sandwiched between Bush House and Marconi House since 1930, and its exterior features twelve provincial emblems including a rhino for Assam, a tiger for Bengal and a peacock for Burma. If you'd walked past last week you'd have seen multiple balloons and cheering crowds as part of 75th Republic Day celebrations, but I just got coppers.
Australia House, 71 Aldwych
And finally to the last of the Empire's cornerstones, Australia. They took over this corner site at the far end of the Strand in 1913, shipping over many of the building materials from Down Under. Other facts you can read on Wikipedia include the existence of a sacred well in the basement, the interior doubling up for Gringotts Bank in the Harry Potter films and the presumption that this building is the single largest polling station in Australian federal elections. And yes, there's the last of the ten London Commonwealth Walkway medallions out front, just below the flag and in front of the ornate black and gold doors.
Once you've completed your London Commonwealth Walkway walk you can sign in on the Community Walkway website and claim a stamp on your Community Walkway passport. What's more you don't have to be in London to do this because the scheme's overall intention is to create a 1000km path linking 100 global cities permanently marking 2000 points of significance. For example in the UK there's also the Birmingham Platinum Jubilee Walkway and the Cardiff Commonwealth Walkway, which you probably haven't heard of either, and across the world four in the Channel Islands, five in Australia, two in New Zealand, one in Jamaica, one in Sri Lanka, one in Saint Helena, one in Tristan da Cunha and one in Antarctica. If there's a nice walk near you, why not give it a try?
