Although the United Kingdom was never occupied with civilians living under Nazi rule, the terror of war was still experienced. From 1940 the Luftwaffe (German Airforce) made many bombing raids on the capital. The morale of Londoners was tested, but they never gave in and the ‘Blitz Spirit’ became a legacy of the Second World War.
The Blitz themed route allows you to see many different aspects of the effects of the German bombing campaign against the English capital.
The trail starts at St Pauls Cathedral, a building that then Prime Minister Winston Churchill said was to be saved at all costs. The Cathedral became a symbol of the London blitz, captured in the ‘St Paul’s Survives’ photograph (see images). To the north is the ghostly remains of Christchurch Greyfriars Church which was destroyed on 29 December 1940 following a German air raid.
Walking west you arrive at St Clement Dames Church which has the marks of bomb blasts to the north side. The church was destroyed by Blitz fire on 10 May 1941. To the front of the church are the statues of the head of Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command, Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris and head of RAF Fighter Command, Hugh Dowding.
The route then follows the northern bank of the River Thames passing the RAF Memorial and the Battle of Britain Monument. Passing the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, within the Abbey is the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
The route then enters into Lord North Street, a small residential road. On the walls of some of the residencies, markings and public notices can still be faintly seen identifying where public air raid shelters were located.
From September 1940 to May 1941, it is estimated that 40,000 civilians died due to the bombings, with almost half of these casualties in London. The themed route gives a glimpse into that period and the visible signs and scars left.
