On the rooftops of London...

A workman removes part of the scaffolding on one of the octagonal pavilion towers on a corner of Smithfield Meat Market after renovation. The Market was established in 1860 by the Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market Act. The buildings were designed by architect Sir Horace Jones, who was also responsible for Billingsgate and Leadenhalll Markets. The ornate halls replaced the open air livestock and meat market that had been based on this site for over a thousand years.

The Meat Market is still functioning and is safe for the time being, but the buildings to the west have been derelict for some time. The derelict buildings (the General Market, Fish Market, and what's known as the Red House) make up about a quarter of the whole complex. They were threatened with demolition and replacement by big commercial blocks, but the 2008 planning application was refused. The current planning application seeks to "scoop-out" the buildings, leaving the facades but filling them with shops and offices.

The larger dome on the right is the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey. The Court deals with major criminal cases mainly from Greater London. It stands on the site of the medieval Newgate gaol, on the road which follows the line of the City of London's fortified wall (or bailey). The present building dates from 1902 and was opened by King Edward VII. "Defend the Children of the Poor & Punish the Wrongdoer" is inscribed over the main entrance. The bronze statue on the dome is Lady Justice by British sculptor F. W. Pomeroy. She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left.