Secret London Guide

Rachel Howard is a journalist and copywriter who has lived in almost every borough in London. A regular contributor to Conde Nast Traveller, National Geographic Traveler, and The Guardian, Rachel writes mainly about travel, food and the arts. She previously spent a decade writing speeches for the Greek foreign minister. But that’s another story.  Bill Nash is an actor and writer, with family roots all across London. An obsession with the city’s corners is the foundation for his contribution to this book. He lives in Brixton with his family and an ineffective cat.

“The best guide to alternative London ever. An essential purchase.”The Londonist.com

• Westminster to CamdenKEYSTONE CRESCENT 16THE HARDY TREE 18CAMLEY STREET NATURAL PARK 20THE LAMP POSTS OF ST NICHOLAS 21THE BROWNING ROOM 22MARYLEBONE CONDUIT 23THE BRITISH DENTAL ASSOCIATION MUSEUM 24ANAESTHESIA HERITAGE CENTRE 26FITZROVIA CHAPEL 28FITZROY HOUSE 30THE GRANT MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY 32WARREN STREET MAZE 33MIN’S PENIS 34THE AUTO-ICON OF JEREMY BENTHAM 36INSTITUTE OF MAKING 38MAGIC CIRCLE MUSEUM 40BLEIGIESSEN 42THE COADE STONE CARYATIDS 44THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM 46THE HORSE HOSPITAL 48JAPANESE ROOF GARDEN 50NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE 52THE MUMMY OF KATEBET 54JOHN SNOW’S CHOLERA PUMP 56K2 TELEPHONE BOXES 58THE FORTNUM AND MASON CLOCK 59THE LONDON LIBRARY 60PICKERING PLACE 62A SECRET CELLAR 63SECRETS OF THE AMERICAN BAR AT THE STAFFORD LONDON 64QUEEN ALEXANDRA MEMORIAL 66MOUNTING BLOCK 68GIRO’S GRAVE 70THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON’S MOUNTING STEPS 71THE JEAN COCTEAU MURALS 72BORIS ANREP’S MOSAICS 74MONSTERS OF TRAFALGAR SQUARE 78ST OLAV’S STATUE 79BRITAIN’S SMALLEST POLICE STATION 80CONTENTS- 7 -IMPERIAL STANDARDS 81THE CENTRE OF LONDON 81THE BRITISH OPTICAL ASSOCIATION MUSEUM 82BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S HOUSE 83SHERLOCK HOLMES ROOM 84YORK HOUSE WATERGATE 86FREEMASONS’ HALL 88Angel to TempleMYDDELTON PASSAGE CARVINGS 92108 ROSEBERY AVENUE 94THE CLERK’S WELL 96SADLER’S WELLS 97FINSBURY HEALTH CENTRE 97JOE ORTON’S LIBRARY BOOKS 98MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY 100CHARTERHOUSE 102THE LULLABY FACTORY 104NOVELTY AUTOMATION 106KINGSWAY TRAM SUBWAY 108CANDLELIT TOURS OF SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM 110LONDON SILVER VAULTS 112FREE LECTURES AT GRESHAM COLLEGE 113THE RELIC OF ST ETHELDREDA 114THE CHERRY TREE AT THE MITRE TAVERN 116SECRETS OF ST BARTHOLOMEW’S THE GREATER 118BARTS PATHOLOGY MUSEUM 120THE EXECUTIONER’S BELL OFST SEPULCHRE-WITHOUT-NEWGATE 122THE GOLDEN BOY OF PYE CORNER 124LONDON’S FIRST DRINKING FOUNTAIN 126NEWGATE CELLS 128THE MEMORIAL TO HEROIC SELF-SACRIFICE 130POLICE CALL BOX 132THE BREAD BASKET BOY 134CHRISTCHURCH GREYFRIARS GARDEN 135ST PAUL’S TRIFORIUM 136DR JOHNSON’S HOUSE 138FOUNTAIN COURT 140ST BRIDES’ CHURCH 141- 8 -MIDDLE TEMPLE HALL 141THE CHARNEL HOUSE AT ST BRIDE’S 142MAGPIE ALLEY CRYPT 144TWO TEMPLE PLACE 146ROMAN BATH 148AN ABANDONED UNDERGROUND STATION 149CAMEL BENCHES 149TWININGS TEA MUSEUM 150LLOYDS BANK LAW COURTS BRANCH 151HUNTERIAN MUSEUM 152THE DEAD HOUSE 154PATENT SEWER VENTILATING LAMP 156Shoreditch to Tower BridgeWOODEN PAVEMENT 160BUNHILL FIELDS 162JOHN WESLEY’S HOUSE 164CIRCUS SPACE 166THE GEFFRYE MUSEUM 167VILLAGE UNDERGROUND 168DENNIS SEVERS’ HOUSE 170BROADGATE ICE SKATING RINK 172BARBICAN CONSERVATORY 174LONDON WALL 176THE MASONIC TEMPLE AT ANDAZ HOTEL 178ROMAN GIRL’S GRAVE 179THE TENT 180BEVIS MARKS SYNAGOGUE 182TOWER BRIDGE BASCULE CHAMBER 184TOWER SUBWAY 186DEAD MAN’S HOLE 187THE GARDEN OF ST DUNSTAN-IN-THE-EAST 188SKY GARDEN 190LONDON BRIDGE MODEL AT ST MAGNUS THE MARTYR 192ASCENT OF THE MONUMENT 194TIMBER FROM A ROMAN WHARF 196THE ROYAL EXCHANGE AMBULATORY PAINTINGS 198GRESHAM’S GRASSHOPPER 199THE ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE OF GUILDHALL YARD 200ST STEPHEN AND THE LOST WALBROOK RIVER 202CONTENTS- 9 -LONDON STONE 204THE ORIGINAL GLOBE THEATRE 206REMAINS OF THE ROSE THEATRE 207CITY LIVERY COMPANIES 208Shepherd’s Bush to MaryleboneKENSAL GREEN CATACOMBS 212WEST LONDON BOWLING CLUB 214MUSEUM OF BRANDS 216THE ARAB HALL OF LEIGHTON HOUSE 218THE SERPENTINE SOLARSHUTTLE 220V&A PET MEMORIALS 221HYDE PARK PET CEMETERY 222THE FAKE HOUSES OF LEINSTER GARDENS 223TYBURN CONVENT 224MARBLE ARCH SURVEILLANCE ROOMS 225HORSEMAN’S SUNDAY 226ALEXANDER FLEMING LABORATORY MUSEUM 228MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB MUSEUM 230CAB SHELTERS 232Hammersmith to WestminsterFETTER LANE MORAVIAN BURIAL GROUND 236CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN 238CARLYLE’S HOUSE 239ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA 240THE THIN HOUSE 242LONDON’S LOST PROPERTY OFFICE 243WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL BELL TOWER 244FUNERARY IMAGES OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY 246THE LONDON SCOTTISH REGIMENTAL MUSEUM 248MILLBANK BUTTRESS AND TUNNELS 249FIREPLACE 250A MINIATURE ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL 252575 WANDSWORTH ROAD 254- 10 -South Bank to BrixtonBFI MEDIATHEQUE 258POETRY LIBRARY 259NATIONAL THEATRE BACKSTAGE TOURS 260FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM 262GARDEN MUSEUM 264ROOTS AND SHOOTS 266VAUXHALL PARK MODEL VILLAGE 267BONNINGTON SQUARE PLEASURE GARDEN 268THE CINEMA MUSEUM 270CHUMLEIGH GARDENS 272HENRY MOORE’S ’TWO PIECE RECLINING FIGURE NO. 3’ 273KIRKALDY TESTING MUSEUM 274THE FERRYMAN’S SEAT 276THE BLACK-FACED CLOCK 277CROSSBONES GRAVEYARD 278KEATS STATUE 280THE OLD OPERATING THEATRE 282LONDON’S LIVING ROOM 284BRIXTON WINDMILL 286Whitechapel to WoolwichCABLE STREET MURAL 290WILTON’S MUSIC HALL 292EXECUTION DOCK 294THAMES RIVER POLICE MUSEUM 296THE BRUNEL MUSEUM 298THE OLD MORTUARY 299FINNISH CHURCH 300PEEK FREANS BISCUIT MUSEUM 302CREEKSIDE DISCOVERY CENTRE 304THE FAN MUSEUM 306GREENWICH FOOT TUNNEL 308STARGAZING AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY 310PRINCESS CAROLINE’S SUNKEN BATH 312SLICE OF REALITY AND QUANTUM CLOUD 314CONTENTS- 11 -LONGPLAYER 316THAMES FLOOD BARRIER 318CROSSNESS PUMPING STATION 320Greater London (North)BAPS SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR 324FENTON HOUSE 326FAKE BRIDGE ON THOUSAND POUND POND 327BURGH HOUSE & HAMPSTEAD MUSEUM 328A THEATRE WITH A MORBID HISTORY 329HAMPSTEAD OBSERVATORY 3302 WILLOW ROAD 332LONDON ZOO AVIARY CLOCK 334FOSSILISED TREE STUMPS 336RUDOLF STEINER HOUSE 338BARNSBURY WOOD 340THE ICE WELLS OF THE CANAL MUSEUM 342NARROWBOAT TOURS OF ISLINGTON TUNNEL 343LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE 344CANONBURY TOWER 346NEW RIVER WALK 348THE ESTORICK COLLECTION 349WEST RESERVOIR 350CASTLE CLIMBING CENTRE 351CLOWNS’ GALLERY AND MUSEUM 352MUSEUM OF CURIOSITIES 354RAGGED SCHOOL MUSEUM 356SUTTON HOUSE 358BANNER REPEATER 360THE RECORD DECK 361GODS OWN JUNKYARD 362WANSTEAD GROTTO 364LONDON MUSEUM OF WATER & STEAM 366THE MUSICAL MUSEUM 368LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM DEPOT 370KELMSCOTT HOUSE 372- 12 -Greater London (South)CRANE PARK SHOT TOWER 376HERBARIUM OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS 378RICHARD BURTON’S MAUSOLEUM 380THE ANTIQUE BREADBOARD MUSEUM 382WIMBLEDON WINDMILL MUSEUM 384ARTESIAN WELL 385BUDDHAPADIPA TEMPLE 385THE LONDON SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM 386GALA BINGO TOOTING 388THE ROOKERY 390BRITISH VINTAGE TELEVISION AND WIRELESS MUSEUM 392CRYSTAL PALACE DINOSAURS 394CRYSTAL PALACE SUBWAY 396CRYSTAL PALACE MUSEUM 397BETHLEM MUSEUM OF THE MIND 398SYDENHAM HILL WOODS 400THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM 402HOUSE OF DREAMS 404NUNHEAD CEMETERY 406MICHAEL FARADAY MEMORIAL 408THAMES PATH CAT 410THE GIANT SCRIBBLE 412ELTHAM PALACE 414SEVERNDROOG CASTLE 416ALPHABETICAL INDEX