All roads lead to...

Getting our bearings and from A to B is fairly easy now, so here whether you know the area or not is a more personal trip past different, um, 'landmarks' I guess, down the famous Road. A brief photographic walk in 30 images, there will of course be more concentrated and detailed later posts.

The starting point then is, though of course very close, not actually the Old Kent Road. This is the Elephant & Castle and more New Kent Road – emphasis on the new?

This is the partly energy self-generating building Strata SE1, which was rather unfairly voted ugliest new building a few years back. Also known as the Electric Razor, Barad-Dur etc. The certainly more colourful (for better or worse) arches below, near the station, are probably under threat from more regeneration. Speaking of which...

Not sure everyone would agree...

However, these new unaffordable luxury apartments have included their own colourful exterior by the look of it.

Old and new. Green space, check.

This is what remains of the Michael Caine Mural.

A view from above the mural.

Heading away from the Elephant, eastwards. Another new building along the way.

Driscoll House. Historic places to stay.

A little further on is the Old Kent Road Bricklayer's Arms bus stop, but now on the other side of the road - this is under what I'd probably call this place most of the time, the flyover. Looking back towards the Elephant from here you can see The Shard. That way also is London Bridge and Tabard Street - which of course has lots of historic connection to pilgrimages down this way.

To the right is Tower Bridge.

Under the flyover.

Mandela Way. Not Nelson Mandela House.

Stompie the tank is here.

These were advertised before completion as £1950 p/m to let. Given that round the corner Tower Bridge apartments were priced for sale at £17,000,000 (though even this had to come down to about only £8.5) something of a bargain...

Ye Olde '01' number for Carter's.

The famous waving fireman mannequin and later cleaning lady appear to have unfortunately retired.

The mobile thingy, near The Dun Cow, which can be quite hypnotic as it confusingly moves in the wind while you wait for your bus. Opposite...

The Thomas A'Becket. Thankfully still there though, after many recent changes, now as a bar. Henry Cooper blue plaque still in place.

Burgess Park.

Trafalgar Avenue with a pub called...what else? This the Bakerloo Line extension might be running through here but there are places of conservation - see above. Also preserved, thankfully, the fire station opposite.

Birthplace of the Humanitites. It is believed A.C.Grayling materialises near here occasionally.

The long-running complaints about people sleeping in their cars and having washes in Asda near here etc. were finally dealt with when developers decided this was another places rife with opportunities. You can just imagine Surrey Wharf soon as the name of another must-buy new destination.

That way lies St. James's Road and SE16.

The pilgrimage continues.

Now a church this building, with unpainted mural, was originally a library and civic centre.

To the right, Peckham, or onwards...

Royal London Buildings. If you don't want to look up they're above Ladbrokes and some other shops and just past (heading this way) that mechanic that always seems to have antique cars.

Livesey Museum. Another donated ideal, creator of many local memories. Hands off!

Signs of change. Opposite the gas works.

And soon we reach Brimmington Park, movie locations, Aldi, million-pound homes, churches, Millwall and New Cross.

For another time.