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The Queenhithe Mosaic

November 23, 2014
by the gentle author

Queenhithe is a natural inlet of the Thames in the City of London, it means ‘Queen’s harbour’ and is named after Queen Matilda who granted a charter for the use of the dock at the beginning of the twelfth century. This is just one of two thousand years of historical events illustrated in a new twenty metre mosaic recently installed upon the river wall at Queenhithe.

Commissioned by the City of London and paid for by 4C Hotel Group, who are constructing a new hotel on the waterfront, it was designed by Tessa Hunkin and executed by South Bank Mosaics under the supervision of Jo Thorpe – and I recommend you take a stroll down through the City to the river, and study the intricate and lively detail of this epic work for yourself.

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12 Responses leave one →
  1. jeannette permalink
    November 23, 2014

    so beautiful. i love these people and their art, thank you for telling us their story previously and fot giving us so many pictures of this wonderful mosaic.

  2. November 23, 2014

    Great work. — Note the references from ancient times to modern history!

    Love & Peace
    ACHIM

  3. Annie permalink
    November 23, 2014

    What an amazing piece of work. Especially the little seal…I love Queenhithe, my favourite of all the hithes. There are wonderful images of it on the Guildhall website – today it is but a shadow of its former self – but I would love to live there and watch the river go by. Come on,Euromillions!

  4. November 23, 2014

    This is really beautiful, a sort of modern Bayeux Tapestry. Valerie

  5. Pauline Taylor permalink
    November 23, 2014

    Valerie beat me to it, this reminds me so much of the Bayeux Tapestry too, a brilliant piece of work. Congratulations to all concerned, and thank you GA for letting those of us who can’t visit it see the overall pictures and the details.

  6. November 23, 2014

    Amazing art! I’m always amazed how simple squares can render all those subtle curves and colors.

  7. November 23, 2014

    Ah! Thank you for letting us know about this! It looks amazing and well worth a stroll or two…three…

  8. Chris F permalink
    November 23, 2014

    Wow… Utterly brilliant…

  9. Carolyn Badcock - nee Hooper permalink
    November 24, 2014

    Simply magnificent! I will keep it in the memory bank hoping to see it in the future. These are the wonderful things to take from your blog………from Down Under.

    Enormous thanks, gentle author

  10. Sonia Murray permalink
    November 24, 2014

    A wonderful mosaic – pictorial history! Do you remember Kipling’s poem, The River’s Tale, which tells the early history?

    “Twenty bridges from Tower to Kew wanted to know what the river knew…”

    “And Norseman and Negro and Gaul and Greek fought with the Britain in Barking Creek…”

    Gran gave me Kipling’s “Sixty Poems” when I was a child, and The River’s Tale was a favorite. Can’t remember all the lines – have to Google it now!

  11. Sheryl Marmo permalink
    November 24, 2014

    Thank you so much for the opportunity to see this extraordinary piece of work. The portrait of King Alfred is amazing. As always you continue to enrich the lives of many of us who are far away. I traveled to London in the early seventies and fell in love. I have the privilege of visiting everyday because of you.

  12. Suse permalink
    November 23, 2020

    Amazing, thank you! Although I lived in London for 40 years I didn’t know this existed. I’ll make a special visit next time I’m there.

    (NB I found this from a link on diamond geezer’s blog).

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