Serco Prize For Illustration: 'Secret London'

Temple Bar Memorial

This statue marks the location of one of the original gates to the City of London. I was interested to discover that the stone archway that once stood here has been relocated twice; first in 1880 to a private estate in Hertfordshire, where it sat disregarded for over a century, and more recently in 2004 to Paternoster Square near St. Paul's Cathedral. Not only that, but during the archway's recent reconstruction contractors found a time capsule hidden inside the brickwork. I have no idea what it contained but it seemed like an interesting piece of trivia, and it goes to show that many of the historical sites around the city still have secrets left to share. 

EDIT: This piece made the shortlist! The exhibition will be held at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden 

(13th November - 10th December 2012).