30 St Mary Axe to flight paths for both London City and London Heathrow airports; the revised plan for a lower tower was accepted. The tower's topmost panoramic dome, known as the "lens", recalls the iconic glass dome that covered part of the ground floor of the Baltic Exchange and much of which is now displayed at the National Maritime Museum. "The Gherkin" nickname was applied to the current building at least as long ago as 1999, referring to that plan's highly unorthodox layout and appearance. On 23 August 2000, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott granted planning permission to construct a building much larger
St Mary-at-Finchley Church St Mary-at-Finchley Church St Mary-at-Finchley Church is the Church of England parish church for Finchley. It is located in Hendon Lane, in the town centre, near Finchley Library. The church was established sometime in the 12th century. There is reference to a church here in 1274, and evidence of a building even before then. By 1356 it was dedicated to St Mary. The building has been altered many times since its foundation and the oldest parts, the north wall and the tower (which seems to have had a steeple during the 16th and 17th centuries), date from the reign of