There are two sphinxes on the Thames Embankment, flanking Cleopatra’s Needle. The obelisk was erected in 1878 and the sphinxes, designed by George Vulliamy and modelled by C. H. Mabey, were added in 1882. According to the TourUK site, the sphinxes “were accidentally replaced facing the wrong way after being cleaned in the early years of the 20th century.” The Historic UK site has further information about Cleopatra’s Needle.
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After the supper at Rule’s, on a balmy night in June,
Rule’s Restaurant is still in business at 35, Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, and claims to be the oldest restaurant in London, having been established in 1798. Further information and pictures are available on their website.
Back to The New Rome: ‘The Sphinx’
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