Copyright Survival Books

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Survival

3rd Edition Books Graeme Chesters

Survival

City Books • Bath • England First published 2012 Reprinted 2015 Second Edition 2017 Third Edition 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or recorded by any means, without prior written permission from the publisher. Books Copyright © Survival Books 2012, 2017, 2019 Cover design: Herring Bone Design Cover photo: © Marcin Jucha (Adobe Stock) Maps © Jim Watson Survival City Books, c/o Survival Books Limited Office 169, 3 Edgar Buildings George Street, Bath BA1 2FJ, United Kingdom +44 (0)1305-266918 [email protected] Copyrightcitybooks.co, londons-secrets.com, survivalbooks.net

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-909282-99-5

Printed in China Acknowledgements

pecial thanks are due to Peter Read for commissioning this book, S Robbi Forrester Atilgan for editing and additional research, Alex Browning and Susan Griffith for proof-reading, John Marshall for desktop publishing, David Gillingwater for the cover, and Jim Watson for the superb maps and – dare I forget – Louise, my long-suffering wife, for answering my computer queries and continuing with the pretence that writing is a proper job. Last, but not least, a special thank you to the many photographers – the unsung heroes – whose beautiful images add colour and bring London to life.

Books

Survival

Please note the following regarding the walks in this book.

♦♦ Length: The length of walks are approximate, as is the time required to complete them – shown as a half or full day – particularly if you make a lot of stops (coffee, lunch, museums, shopping, etc.). You can, of course, terminate any walk at any point and combine a number of walks to make a longer walk – or alternatively, shorten a walk. ♦♦ Transport: All walks start and end near a tube or railway station and directions are provided to the nearest station at the end of each walk. (Buses aren’t usually listed as there are simply too many to include them all.) If you plan to drive, bear in mind that the nearest car park or on-road parking may be some distance from the start/finishBooks – and can be expensive. Also, walks don’t always return to the starting point. ♦♦ Maps: The maps aren’t drawn to scale but the length of walks is shown. Points of interest are numbered. Overall maps are included on pages 8-13 so that you can see the location of walks on a larger scale map of London. Survival ♦♦ Opening Hours: The opening hours of many sights and museums (etc.) are listed. Bear in mind that these are liable to change. Where opening times are erratic or not stated, a telephone number is included. Where there’s an entry fee, the fee for an adult is shown. There are usually (but not always) reduced fees for children, families and concessions, e.g. pensioners, students and the unemployed. If no fee is listed, then entry is usually Copyrightfree. ♦♦ Food & Drink: Recommended ‘pit stops’ have been included in all walks – shown in blue on maps and in the text. If you’re planning to stop at one of the pubs, restaurants or cafés listed, bear in mind that many serve lunch between say noon and 2.30pm and dinner from 6 or 7-10pm. Many pubs are also open in the mornings for coffee and breakfast. Some establishments don’t open at all in the evenings or at weekends (which is noted), particularly in the City of London. When not listed, pub/ restaurant opening times are the ‘standard’ times, e.g. noon-2.30pm and 6-11pm, although some are open all day (and may also serve food all day). Telephone numbers are shown when bookings are accepted or advisable, otherwise booking isn’t usually necessary (or even possible). Contents

1. ROMAN LONDON 15 2. ST PAUL’S & BARBICAN 29 3. OLD STREET & LIVERPOOL STREET 39 4. BLACKFRIARS & MANSION HOUSE 51 5. CANNON STREET TO THE TOWER 63 6. CLERKENWELL 75 7. SPITALFIELDS & WHITECHAPEL 87 8. BLOOMSBURY 99 9. CHARING CROSS & THE WEST END 113 10. SOHO & FITZROVIA Books125 11. BELGRAVIA & CHELSEA 139 12. HOLBORN 153 13. INNS OF COURT & FLEET STREET 165 14. ST JAMES’S Survival 179 15. MAYFAIR 191 16. REGENT’S PARK TO ST PANCRAS 203 17. HOLLAND PARK TO KENSINGTON 213 18. SOUTHWCopyrightARK 225 19. WESTMINSTER 239 20. LAMBETH 253 21. MAIDA VALE 265 22. ROYAL PARKS 273 23. NOTTING HILL 285 24. CHISWICK 295 25. BARNES & PUTNEY 305 INDEX 313 Books

Survival

The city at dusk Introduction

alking makes a lot of sense in London, whether for pleasure, Wexercise or simply to get from A to B. Although the city has a comprehensive public transport system, it’s also one of the world’s most expensive and very crowded, with the result that walking is often the quickest and most enjoyable way to get around – at least in the centre – and it’s also free and healthy! Furthermore, London’s reputation for rain is largely unfounded – it actually enjoys lower annual rainfall than New York, Rome and Sydney (but take your brolly just in case!) – and it’s rarely too hot or cold to make walking uncomfortable. London has a somewhat haphazard street pattern (to put it mildly), the result of having grown organically over 2,000 years, rather than being planned logically like some modern cities. As a result many attractions are off the beaten track, away from the major thoroughfares and public transport hubs. This favours walking as the best way to explore them, as does the fact thatBooks London is a visually interesting city with a wealth of stimulating sights between destinations; you don’t see a lot from the seat of a cab or bus and nothing at all when cocooned in a tube train! The starting point for this book was Samuel Johnson’s advice to his friend Boswell in the 18th century, on the occasion of the latter’s arrival in London: “survey its innumerableSurvival little lanes and courts.” By extension, wander off the beaten tourist track and you’ll find a world of fascinating sights, as you would expect in a city as large and old as London. My aim was to compile a list of these hidden attractions and construct walks around them – which resulted in the 25 walks contained in this book. Most walks can be done in half a day or less, depending, of course, onCopyright how fast you walk and how long you spend at the highlighted sights and diversions, particularly the pubs and restaurants. The walks don’t always follow the most logical route, but that’s deliberate and part of the enjoyment; the aim is to maximise the pleasure and provide a flavour of the area, rather than simply get from the start to finish as quickly as possible. Writing (and updating!) this book has been a fascinating, educational and enjoyable journey, which has had the added bonus of returning me to the weight I was when I got married (over 20 years ago). I hope you find the walks as engaging, rewarding and stomach- flattening as I have.

Graeme Chesters January 2019 3. Old St & Liverpool St 6. Clerkenwell OLD STREET 8. Bloomsbury

TOTTENHAM COURT RD 2. St Paul’s 7. Spitalfields BooksCLERKENWELL RD & Barbican

ROAD

HIGH HOLBORN LONDON WALL WHITECHAPEL Survival BISHOPGATE OXFORD STREET

UPPER THAMES ST

4. Blackfriars RIVER & Mansion House Copyright 5. Cannon St THAMES Blackfriars Southwark Bridge & Fenchurch St Waterloo Bridge Bridge London Tower Bridge Bridge 1. Roman City

London Walks 1-8 overall Walks 1-8 3. Old St & Liverpool St 6. Clerkenwell OLD STREET 8. Bloomsbury

TOTTENHAM COURT RD 2. St Paul’s 7. Spitalfields Books CLERKENWELL RD & Barbican

ROAD

HIGH HOLBORN LONDON WALL WHITECHAPEL SurvivalBISHOPGATE OXFORD STREET

UPPER THAMES ST

4. Blackfriars RIVER & Mansion House Copyright5. Cannon St THAMES Blackfriars Southwark Bridge & Fenchurch St Waterloo Bridge Bridge London Tower Bridge Bridge 1. Roman City

London Walks 1-8 overall 16. Regent’s Park

Regent’s

Park EVERSHOLT STREET

EUSTON ROAD

MARYLEBONE RD 12. Holborn 10. Soho & Fitzrovia HOLBORN

15. Mayfair REGENT ST 13. Inns STREET of Court Books OXFORD STREET SHAFTESBURY AV FLEET BAYSWATER ROAD STRAND

PARK LANE 14. St TRAFALGAR Blackfriars Hyde Park SQUARE Waterloo James’s Bridge Bridge

WHITEHALL Survival PICCADILLY 9. Charing Cross St James’s Hyde Park Park KNIGHTSBRIDGE Corner Westminster Buckingham Palace Bridge SLOANE ST

EATON SQ Lambeth Copyright Bridge

THAMES KING’S ROAD Vauxhall Bridge

Chelsea RIVER Albert Battersea Bridge Bridge Bridge London Walks 9-16 overall 11. Belgravia & Chelsea

Walks 9-16 16. Regent’s Park

Regent’s

Park EVERSHOLT STREET

EUSTON ROAD

MARYLEBONE RD 12. Holborn 10. Soho & Fitzrovia HOLBORN

15. Mayfair REGENT ST 13. Inns STREET of Court OXFORD STREET SHAFTESBURY AV FLEET Books BAYSWATER ROAD STRAND

PARK LANE 14. St TRAFALGAR Blackfriars Hyde Park SQUARE Waterloo James’s Bridge Bridge

WHITEHALL PICCADILLY 9.Survival Charing Cross St James’s Hyde Park Park KNIGHTSBRIDGE Corner Westminster Buckingham Palace Bridge SLOANE ST

EATON SQ Lambeth Copyright Bridge

THAMES KING’S ROAD Vauxhall Bridge

Chelsea RIVER Albert Battersea Bridge Bridge Bridge London Walks 9-16 overall 11. Belgravia & Chelsea CAMDEN TOWN ST JOHN’S WOOD Regent’s 21. Maida Vale Park

MAIDA 23. Notting VALE Hill PADDINGTON MARYLEBONE NORTH KENSINGTON 22. Royal Parks NOTTING HILL CITY MAYFAIR Books Hyde Park

SHEPHERD’S SOUTHWARK BUSH KENSINGTON 18. Southwark WESTMINSTER 24. Chiswick Survival LAMBETH 17. Holland Park 19. Westminster CHISWICK HAMMERSMITH CHELSEA 20. Lambeth KEW FULHAM Battersea Park Copyright 25. Barnes

MORTLAKE BARNES BATTERSEA

London Walks 17-25 overall Walks 17-25 CAMDEN TOWN ST JOHN’S WOOD Regent’s 21. Maida Vale Park

MAIDA 23. Notting VALE Hill PADDINGTON MARYLEBONE NORTH KENSINGTON 22. Royal Parks NOTTING HILL CITY MAYFAIR Hyde Park Books

MORTLAKE BARNES BATTERSEA

London Walks 17-25 overall Liverpool Street Station Moorgate Liverpool Street 10 7 6 St Bartholomew’s Hospital LONDON WALL LONDON WALL 5 9 FARRINGDON ST WORNWOOD ST BISHOPSGATE WOOD ST Guildhall CAMOMILE ST NEWGATE STREET GRESHAM Old Bailey 8 BEVIS MARKS

ST MARTIN’S LE GRAND STREET Aldgate St Paul’s ‘The Gherkin’ Bank of DUKE’S CHEAPSIDE England PL OLD BAILEY LUDGATE Bank Royal CIRCUS LUDGATE HILL St Paul’s Exchange 11 NEW BRIDGE ST Cathedral POULTRY Lloyd’s MINORIES Mansion Building 13 14 House 12 CANNON QUEEN VICTORIA STREET QUEEN VICTORIA ST 15 Blackfriars WALBROOK STREET Fenchurch Blackfriars Monument Street Station Station Cannon Street Station Tower Hill Books Cannon The Street Monument Blackfriars Millennium 3 4 Bridge Bridge 2 RIVER LOWER THAMES ST 1 KING WILLIAM ST Tower of London Survival THAMES

SOUTHWARK BRIDGE

LONDON BRIDGE

Tower London Bridge Bridge

London Bridge Copyright Station 1 9 St Magnus-the-Martyr Roman wall – and turret 2 All Hallows by the Tower 10 Museum of London 3 Trinity Square Gardens 11 St Bride’s 4 Roman wall 12 The Blackfriar 5 All Hallows on the Wall 13 Planet of the Grapes 6 St Alphage Garden 14 Roman Mithraeum 7 Roman wall 15 London Stone 8 London’s Roman Amphitheatre

Places of Interest Food & Drink Blackfriars Blackfriars Bridge

11 FARRINGDON ST FARRINGDON

LUDGATE CIRCUS NEW BRIDGE ST BRIDGE NEW St Bartholomew’s Old Bailey

12 LUDGATE HILL LUDGATE Blackfriars Hospital

Station OLD BAILEY

QUEEN VICTORIA STREET VICTORIA QUEEN NEWGATE STREET NEWGATE Millennium Bridge Cathedral St Paul’s

RIVER ST MARTIN’S LE GRAND St Paul’s 10

CHEAPSIDE QUEEN VICTORIA ST GRESHAM

LONDON WALL

SOUTHWARK BRIDGE 13 WOOD ST 7

Cannon Street CANNON Moorgate Station

Guildhall STREET

8 POULTRY 14 6

WALBROOK Bank 15 Cannon Street Mansion

House

STREET England Bank of LONDON WALL LONDON LONDON BRIDGE Exchange KING WILLIAM ST

Royal LOWER THAMES ST THAMES LOWER

Monument THAMES Monument 1 The London Bridge London Bridge Liverpool Street 5 Station

Building Copyright ST WORNWOOD Lloyd’s LONDON ‘The Gherkin’

ROMAN CAMOMILE ST CAMOMILE

BISHOPSGATE Liverpool Street Station Street Station

Fenchurch BEVIS MARKS BEVIS

Survival DUKE’S

2 PL Tower of

Bridge Tower

London 3 MINORIES Tower Hill 4 Books Aldgate

WA LK 1 WALK 1

Distance: 4 miles (6½ km) Duration: full day i Start: London Bridge station End: Cannon Street station

odern London has been shaped by generations of architects, entrepreneurs and immigrants – not to M mention a few invaders – but the city’s first stones were laid by the Romans, who founded the city in around 50AD. Londoners may regard their city as being as ancient and noble as Athens or even Rome itself, but there’s little evidence of major, permanent settlement on the site before the Roman conquest of Britain in 43AD. The wider Thames Valley had been occupied for millennia before the founding of London;Books archaeologists have uncovered signs of human habitation dating back at least 500,000 years. But the Romans probably founded the first proper urban settlement on the site of modern London. Before this, all that existed were a few sacred sites and a hill fort or two. London’s location was chosen because it was the lowestSurvival easy bridging point of the River Thames, which was wider and shallower then. There was also a way through the marshes to the south and two convenient hills, at St Paul’s and Cornhill, which rose safely above the floodplain and provided useful vantage points

Liverpool Street CopyrightCripplegate station Museum of London ROMAN LONDON Aldersgate Fort Bishopsgate Newgate NEWGATE STREET GRESHAM STREET Amphitheatre

Bank of CHEAPSIDE Baths England Aldgate Ludgate St Paul’s POULTRY LEADENHALL STREET Mithras Basilica Forum FENCHURCH ST VICTORIA ST Temple Roman QUEEN city wall Baths Cannon CANNON STREET Fenchurch Street Street station station Palace House with

LOWER THAMES ST private baths Tower of London Roman Bridge Approx line of river Southwark bank in Roman era

16 ROMAN LONDON

stone to be rebuilt in Lake Havasu Start Walking… City, Arizona. To explore the remains of Roman In previous centuries, London London, leave London Bridge Bridge was crowded with houses station and follow the signs for and shops, some reaching seven London Bridge itself. As you cross storeys high; the last ones weren’t the River Thames, to the right are demolished until 1758-62. For a the Art Deco splendour of Hays time, traitors’ heads were displayed Wharf, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge above bridge gatehouses, a and Canary Wharf; ahead are two macabre tradition which began of London’s iconic structures, the in 1305 with the head of Scottish Monument and the Gherkin (30 independence leader William St Mary Axe), while to the left you (‘Braveheart’) Wallace. can see the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and, in the distance, the Billingsgate porters were known for their Post Office Tower. When you reach distinctive hats, which they wore from the north bank, you’re close to the 1415 onwards to mark the English defeat spot where London was founded. of the French at the Battle of Agincourt. The first London Bridge was The hats resembledBooks the leather helmets probably wooden, built between 100 worn by the English archers who were and 400AD by the Romans, and instrumental in the victory. a number of bridges have come and gone over the centuries, some swept away by floods or destroyed by fire or even frost. The current Survival concrete structure was built 1967-72 to replace John Rennie’s five stone arches which had spanned the river since the late 1820s; the Rennie On the north bank, the first bridge was sold to a US oil magnate street on the right is Monument and shipped to the US stone-by- Street, the site of the impressive, Copyright gold-topped Monument (see themonument.info), built to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666. Continue down Monument Street and turn right into Fish Street Hill, so-called because it was one of the City streets where the retail sale of fish was authorised. At the bottom is Lower Thames Street, the site of the famous Billingsgate Market from the 14th century until 1982, selling food, wine, and later, fish (it’s now on the Isle of Dogs in East London). model of London Bridge in Roman times 17 WALK 1

Ahead, across Lower Thames London. At the lights, cross to the Street, is the parish church of St large traffic island ahead to reach Magnus-the-Martyr 1 , (Tue-Fri, All Hallows by the Tower 2 . This 10am-4pm) named after a hapless ancient, Grade I listed church is Norwegian earl who was murdered London’s oldest, established by the by his cousin in 1110. A church was Saxon Abbey at Barking on the site founded here in the 10th century of a Roman building. and rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire. It’s here that we find our first evidence of Roman London in All Hallows was lucky to survive the Great the church forecourt up against Fire in 1666. It was so close to the inferno that diarist Samuel Pepys famously a pillar: a hefty portion of timber climbed the spire to watch the fire lay which, according to the sign, is waste to the city. ‘from Roman wharf 75AD, found Fish Street Hill 1931’; some experts think it’s from a bridge rather than Inside is a Saxon arch from a wharf. 675AD, with Roman tiles visible at On leaving the church, turn the top, typical of the architectural right and head east along Lower recycling in LondonBooks as civilisations Thames Street. The road swings succeeded one another. The arch to the left and becomes Byward is next to a small flight of stairs Street, which gets its leading down to name from the daily the atmospheric bywords, or passwords, Crypt Museum. At that are still issued to staff Survival the bottom of the at the nearby Tower of stairs on the left is a large section of well preserved, tessellated Roman pavement from the floor of Copyright a 2nd-century domestic house. The museum has plenty of other Roman finds – bowls, keys, lamps, needles, pots and more – as well as casts of Roman tombstones; the originals are in the British Museum. There’s also an informative model of Roman London and exhibits from later phases of the church, Font cover, All Hallows by the Tower 2 including some striking Saxon Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat-Sun carvings. The church’s gorgeous 10am-5pm, except during services. baptismal font cover (1692) by the renowned Dutch wood carver

18 ROMAN LONDON

All Hallows by the Tower

Grinling Gibbons – Sir Christopher Wren’s favourite – is regarded as one of London’s finest carvings. Behind the church, Gloucester Court provides a splendid view of the Tower of London. But Books leave exploration of the Tower to another day and cross to the north side of Byward Street to enter Trinity Square and Trinity Square Gardens 3 . The gardens Trinity Square Gardens have a poignant monument to theSurvival merchant seamen and fishermen killed in the two World Wars: above is medieval. The Roman around 12,000 in WWI and 24,000 build is better constructed than the in WWII; their names are inscribed medieval wall above and includes on a series of plaques. layers of red tiles to strengthen it. Cross the square to Tower On the far side of the wall, you Hill tube stationCopyright to find another can enjoy a vista which combines unexpected reminder of the ancient and modern London, as the Romans: a tall section of Roman Roman structure shares the skyline wall 4 located down some steps with a distant view of The Shard to the right. Built around 200AD (London’s tallest skyscraper) on the of Kentish ragstone, it’s part of a south bank by London Bridge station. wall that ran in a two-mile arc from Walk through the small park by the Tower Hill to Blackfriars, enclosing wall and turn left up The Minories, 330 acres (134ha) of land. In named after an order of nuns of the front stands a life-sized, 19th- same name founded in 1293. Despite century statue of Trajan (Emperor its religious connections, this street 98-117AD). The wall here rises was described in the 18th century to 35ft (10.6m), although only the as a ‘hotbed of brothels and gin lower section up to around 15.5ft palaces’. (4.4m) is Roman; the stonework

19 WALK 1

At the top, another left turn plant which grew here. Turn left takes you into Aldgate High Street. down St Mary Axe for a view of Aldgate was the most easterly of the curvaceous Gherkin and, at the six original city gates built by the end of the road, the distinctive the Romans, and the road which Lloyd’s of London building. St Mary passed through it led directly to Axe is named after a church that Colchester, another important was demolished in the 16th century Roman city. Cross a second set – the axe referred to is from a gory of lights into Dukes Place and legend about 11,000 murdered continue as it becomes Bevis virgins. Retrace your steps to Marks, a corruption of Buries Camomile Street, turn left and, at Marks, the town house of the the end, cross Bishopsgate, named Abbot of Bury St Edmunds, which for another Roman gate where stood here. On the left just past the London to Lincoln road called Bury Street is Bevis Marks elegant Ermine Street began. Continue synagogue (see page 49). ahead, now on Wormwood Street Bevis Marks leads into which becomes London Wall. Camomile Street, which follows the line of the old Roman wall; it Books was named after the medicinal In 1993, an IRA bomb exploded on Bishopsgate, killing one, injuring 44 and doing damage costing £1bn. The buildings which rose from the ruins now include some of the City’s most Survivalspectacular skyscrapers.

The church of All Hallows on the Wall 5 is on the right, built against a section of Roman wall; as at Tower Hill, the upper parts Roman wall Copyright