Monday 13 July 2015

Neal's Yard

 Set around a little courtyard, Neal's Yard is a centre for alternative medicines, health food shops and cafes. It is situated very close to Covent Garden but is often overlooked by tourists. 


















Just at the entrance to Neal's Yard is this water clock. Designed by Andy Plant and Tim Hunkin in 1981 it had water flowing from the roof to animate chiming bells and then onto the gardeners who captured the water in their watering cans. They would then water the flowers in the window boxes. sadly the clock no longer works.

I found this video on YouTube that shows it working in 1982.







28 comments:

  1. Looks like a good place - how did you survive the great 'heat wave' of a few weeks ago?

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  2. What a nice neigbour hood with the coloured houses. What a pity the waterclock doesn't work anymore, it was such a pretty one when watching the video.

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  3. wow charming houses decorated with plants

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  4. How cool is that clock, they really need to get it working again

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  5. What a delightful looking spot.

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  6. What a terrific hidden little gem. These are the best kind of places - almost undiscovered!

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  7. I am not so sure if I have seen this place, but certainly not this water clock, that's amazing and funny how it works !

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  8. That makes it all the more appealing to me...........hardly any tourists so the place would be a favorite 'haunt' for me!!!

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  9. Hello, I love all the signs and greenery on these buildings. It is sad that the clock is not working. I hope they can fix it! Enjoy your day and the new week ahead!

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  10. That looks like a really interesting place to visit. I like the photos where you show the plants growing from the roof and then flowing down the front of the buildings. Great photos!

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  11. Oh, a hidden little gem it is indeed!! I would love to spend some time (and money) there -- if I had enough of both that is!! Your captures are the next best thing!! Great post for the day!! Thank you for sharing! Hope you have a lovely new week!!

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  12. I would love looking around this nice area. Nice collection of shops. Fan of Neal's Yard.

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  13. I would love looking around this nice area. Nice collection of shops. Fan of Neal's Yard.

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  14. Oh, that is sad about the clock no longer working. Something clever like that would undoubtedly keep people mesmerized for hours never wanting to leave Neal’s Yard.

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  15. Beautiful shots of a very colorful place and filled with wonderful buildings ~ Love to visit ~

    Happy Week to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  16. I love the colorful buildings!

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  17. I love it. To my eyes accustomed to western American towns, this looks like something out of Harry Potter!

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  18. I am wondering what is on the menu of the Wild Food Cafe?

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  19. Beautiful place, very colorful.

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  20. Great frames from the street. Thanks for this virtual tour.

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  21. That looks like a fun place. I bet the clock took too much maintenance to keep going.

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  22. looks like a fun place to explore. love the colorful buildings.

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  23. I loved the video of the whimsical watering clock. Such a nice little area to explore.

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  24. The buildings are so colourful and sad that the clock does'nt work any more.

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  25. It's years since I was in Neal's Yard. Lovely to see it again, and to look up! Not sure I ever really did that, but the upper floors of the old buildings with their window boxes are beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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  26. Well darn it was overlooked by these tourists... And I would have enjoyed it!

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  27. How quaint ... so much character, I must put it on my "places to search out in London" list.

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