One of the Ladies that went with me—showing just how tall that policeman was —one of the “policemen” staff—ie Bobbies— that are stationed outside the museum.
First I must confess that we actually did this day on April 16th —not on Day 4—April 2nd. But I am giving you the days in order of my original scheduling—–I did tours— My own or scheduled them online with tour companies or planned an item I didn’t have to do bunches of work on—-Like a day at Hampton Court for all but 3 days of our time in the UK—those three were free day (one for each and we chose what we wanted to do on our day.—- Unfortunately very soon after we arrived my companions had issues with not feeling good and having allery attacks and just plain being too tired- so we missed days or reschedule—-I will be giving you the daily events and details of doing these—these are very busy days and it is unlikely that you’d be able to make them all either—but I am giving a bunch of daily choice that might provide a few of your days (or more) out and about—-or at lease give you a direcction you might like to go in planning day tours for instance that requires less work on your part—but lets get started
This building includes a fairthful recreation of the sleuth’s home and his furnished with “his” possessions and memorabilia of his most famous cases, of course these include a deerstalker (dare I say Trademark) and pipe. There’s also other items like chemistry equipment, note book—-and they didn’t forget his violin, persion slippers and a few disguises.
Was said to be the residence of Holmes and Watson from 1881-1904
that’s fiction too—-and the address numbers on the street were changed to meet the need for 221 B.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet—this was the first of four novels and 56 short stories about Sherlock and his friend and fellow crime investigator Dr. Watson.
There is a store to the right of the entrance (you can purchase tickets on line in advance—but we bought ours when we got there
a bit after 10 and got in line and had no problems getting in with the next group admitted) and you can purchase tickets books and all manner of stuff there.
London Underground (Tube) operates a vehicle from Baker Street station to Embankment station every 5 minutes. Tickets cost £2 – £4 and the journey takes 8 min. Alternatively, Metroline Travel operates a bus from Baker Street Station to Trafalgar Square every 10 minutes. Tickets cost £2 and the journey takes 24 min.
In this area there were once many old roads but most of them have been swallowed by the railoads. Craven Passage (pictured above) is one of the few survivors that dates back to the time when this area was first developed.
Originally Craven Court it cuts across Craven Street and was reportedly busy back in the days. At that time Craven was a busy path into the Hungerford Market which stood where the railway is now.
Continue onto Craven Passage
So where are we going—-this seemes like an odd location for us to visit Sherlock—but this area appears several times in the novels and directly across from the pub is a former Turkish Baths that was featured in several stories, and the pub well by its former name the Northumberland Hotel chapter 4 in the Hound of the Baskerville.
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Look down to the former Turkish Bath side of the street down the alley you should be able to see the tiles above the fire exit—this was formerly the ladies entrance fo the Turkish Bath and also note the arches which are called distinctive Islamic in the guide books.
Apparently this pub is on both sides of the passageway and is linked by a staff only tunnel under the passage that contains the kitchen and cellar.
South side is the newest—was a sandwich shop in the 1950s but was sold out later and is now part of the pub.
Sharp Right onto Northumberland St.
Northumberland Street was originally Hartshorn Lane which was entirely demolished to make way for Northumberland Street in 1760s. The Dramaist Ben Johnson spent his early life here when it was Hartshorn Lane– infact he may have been born here.
London’s Most Beautiful Streets: Northumberland Avenue【4K】
Sherlock Holmes is a Victorian themed public house that once upon a time inherited an entire exhibition on Britain’s most famous detective. To this day we rejoice in the mystery of everyday pub life, upstairs the exhibition leaves nothing to the imagination.
This traditional pub serves pints and pub food It has a nice bar at street level and a restaurant as well as a complete recreation of Holmes and Watson’s study ad sitting room with a large collection of obects and photographs related to the characters from the books. The collection is rom The Festival of Great Britain and moved from there to here in 1957.
By the way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle use to drink here himself
The current pub serves food with a Holmesanian theme
that ends the part of the tour we did—–but I’m gonna share the rest with you just in case you, like me have more staminia that that.
Portrait in Westminster Abbey likely depicting Edward I, installed sometime during his reign
She died in 1290 in Nottinghamshire. He brought her body back and along the was had 12 Memorial crosses put up to commemorate her across England from 1291-94. The first was in Nottinghamshire and the last at Westminster Abbey—each marked a stopping place fr her funeral cotege made along that route. The final stop—-before the abbey was in the village of Charing. This monument lasted quite awhile but finally time and the weather wore it out in 1647 and it was removed by an act of Parliament.
A replica of the older cross was designed by EM Barry between
1863-65 and it stats today outside the Charing Cross Station to this day—it is said to be only a few meters from the original site.
Turn left onto Strand/A4 164 ft.
The Strand’s name is first listed in reords in 1185 from and Old English World meaning “bank” or ‘shore”. This makes sense if you know that the road once flowed close to the Thames—-it only gained its inlandstatus when the Victoria Embankment was built. It was once the nae of this area but in more recent times this area has become Covent Garden.
in 223 ft make a sharp right on A4/A400
Then slight left to stay on A4/A400
Continue to follow A400 for 0.1 mile
Turn left onto Irving St.
Irving Street is named for the actor and political activists Sir Henry Irving. In 1876, the “Beefsteak Club” came about as an after theater club for the wealthy playgoers (naturally nobody was us poor people)
in the parish of St Martins its name changed to Leicester Fields when Robert SIdney, 2nd Earl Leicester built a residence in 1636.
by 1665 there was an early version of the quare here with houses built around it. 1712 – 1760 Leicester Houses served as a palaces for 2 princes and went on to be a place to be–fashional resort no less.
by 1771 the house had been converted into The Holophuscon a musuem of curosities’ which attracted smaller crowds that street entertainers and gambling dens that were also present at this time. Lever who established the museum also established an arhery club on the house’s grounds.. The house was eventually sold and soon demolished. It was around this time that traders and craftsmen started the lay out which stared and roughly resembled its present layout.
Leicester Square
London WC2H 7DE, UK
Head southwest
46 ft
Turn right toward Swiss Ct
161 ft
Slight left onto Swiss Ct
148 ft
Continue onto Coventry St
423 ft
Coventry St
London, UK
Coventry Street is a short street in Westminster (within London), it conects Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square and it the main connection of the two—-it’s said that on the weekends up to 150,000 people after walk the streeets full length. It is often heavily congested espically on the weekends. Oh and FYI you might find the name (on a yellow square) on your Monopoly Board—does anyone still play that game????????????????
You’ll end in Picadilly Square—-this stands for a Piccadil and goes back to the 17th century when a tailor Roger Baker made a furtune selling piccadils—Stiff Elaborate lace colars–worn by wealthy, fashionable people at the time. His shop was in what was a circle at that time—-as you can now see it is currently a squae—but it still is called a circle. Oh and the angel is Eros…..can’t go to London w/out seeing Eros.
Ok that’s all the walk about—–I’ve tried to be detailed on my directions but I’d recommend that you pull up the directions just to be sure as big cities can be confusing
So you’ve see Eros—-the following is a list of places out and about Picadilly you might find interesting.
Things To See Besides Eros
A suggestion take some time to walk about the square circus then decide if any of these work for you and branch out.
1664—in an area developed by Henry Jemyn, Earl of St. Albans—on orders of Charles II to develop this area near St. James Palace.
It is now home to London’s BEST men’s tailors as well as suppliers of leather goods, food & wine mechants as well as resturants, hotels and even art galleries.
Designed by Christopher Wren (who else?) and consecrated on July 13, 1684 by the Bishop of London . It is part of the Church of England and a parrish church for this area in the heart of the city including Piccadilly and St. James’s.
For over 3 centuries Fortnuns has been suppling the best food to this their flagship store on Piccadilly. Fresh food from this isle or farther afield as needed. This is groceries as you’ve never seen them before—trust me—it’s impressive.
£6,950,000 (obviously bought like a condo, not rented like an apt—don’t think they have condos in England)
While you won’t be able to visit this posh apartment paradise—You can take a peek walking buy this—London’s oldest block of flats (that’s apartments for us Yanks) and one of the most exclusive addresses. It’s so straid that photographers have found themselves escorted off the premisis and decorum here is so strict tht even a hello to a neighbor as they pass may be considered as violating a taboo and so is not done—though a nod appears to be OK as does a hat raised to a lady in greeting.
David Hicks, Lord Snowdon, Aldous Huxley, Kenneth Clark, Sir Terence Rattigan and Terence Stamp have all resided there over the years. Women were not permitted on the premises until the 1880s; Baroness Pauline de Rothschild resided there less than a century later.Jul 8, 2014
Described as the original shopping mall dating back to 1819, this arcade was designed by Warae for sales of “jewelry and fancy articles of fashionable demand, for the gratifiation of the public.” Commissioned Lord George Cavendish, Earl of Burlington and owner of the adjacent Burlington House, It was purposed as a safe place fo “genteel folks to shop.” It originally had 51 independent boutiques in 72 units selling hats, gloves and jewelry with shopkeepers living upstairs. It had the first public electric lamps in Britain. Originally guarded by Beadles recruited from Lord Cavendish’s regiment. The store guards continue to be Beadles and wear Victorian-inspired uniforms—oldest and smallest police in the world.
Mostly Georgian and Neo Geogian architecture with a centre garden. Originally of the top 3 or 4 most fashionable neighborhoods for at least its first 100 years. Now the location of such company headquarters as BP and Rio Tinto Group—
Four Private Clubs: East India Club
Naval and Military Club
Canning Club
Army and Navy CLub
Location for High Commission of Cyprus and the London Library, The think tank Chatham House
So that’s it for our wanderings for this lovely day in the UK
Back again to tell you about the tower—-our 5th day out and about in London—should have it done by Friday.
Spot the wizard himself at the Scenes in the Square sculpture trail on Leicester Square. Credits: Joe Pepler/PinPep.
