wappingtowestminster

[wappingtowestminster]

Rotherhithe Sewage Works

Another hiding place for Bartimaeus in the Amulet of Samarkand, there are no such sewage works in Rotherhithe. However, the Earl's Sluice, one of the lost rivers of London, once marked the eastern border with Deptford and in the 19th Century gained the nickname the Black Ditch due to its role as an open sewer. It was closed over in the 1870s, however there continues to be untreated sewage entering the Thames in the area near St. George's Stairs. Previously an area of docklands, these were largely filled in during the 1980s and the area has been swiftly developed and gentrified following connections to the City and the West End by Overground and Jubilee lines respectively.

(The above photo was taken further up river near the Rotherhithe Tunnel and Surrey Docks - but I thought it applicable to the context)

Tube station: Canada Water 

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Embankment - Cleopatra's Needle

Since the founding of the city the Thames has been used for transport and trade, entertainment and display, but its changing face is perhaps one of the most visible evidence for the evolution of city life. Before the 19th century, between the water and the built-up areas was a stretch of soggy marshland subject to the tides - ideal for scavengers but prone to flooding. Embanking the Thames was first proposed in the 17th Century - it would regulate the flow, add an element of stability and security, and reclaim land for development - however it wasn’t until the 1860s Century that headway began to be made along the north side. Stretching from Battersea to Blackfriars, the development incorporated sewers leading to the river, wide pedestrian streets and pleasure gardens, as well as new underground railway lines (now used by the Circle and District lines).

Victoria Embankment is the name given to the stretch between Westminster and Blackfriars Bridge and is the most popular and well known - “the embankment” will often refer to this stretch in particular. Running parallel to the Strand and Fleet Street, Kitty flees here, via the cobbled Middle Temple, after the court trial, and its where Mr. Pennyfeather first begins to recruit her for the Resistance.

There are a number of sights along the route -  memorials, gardens, Middle Temple, but also the obsolete watergates of Somerset House and some dragon boundary statues for the City of London. Honorius comes here whilst on the run from the authorities, swinging on the street lamps and jumping up from behind the river wall - before being converged on by Bartimaeus and his gang near Cleopatra’s Needle in between Waterloo and Hungerford Bridges. As Bartimaeus mentions, the ancient Egyptian obelisk has nothing to do with Cleopatra and was in fact erected in Heliopolis by Thutmose III in the 1450s BC - it wasn’t, however, stolen like most other artefacts as he suggests. Donated as a gift to Britain from the Egyptian ruler in 1819 to commemorate successes at the Battles of the Nile and Alexandra, it didn’t arrive in London until the 1870s, when it was erected with a time capsule in the pedestal. The flanking sphinxes are Victorian imitations - and they face the wrong way, looking at the obelisk rather than guarding it.

Tube Stations: Westminster, Charring Cross, Embankment, Temple, Blackfriars.

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Blackfriars Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge is one of the main crossing points between the north and south banks of the river, positioned at the end of Fleet Street and almost exactly in the middle between the traditional City and Westminster. Each of these districts had their own bridge (London and Westminster), come the 18th century Blackfriars was only the third to be built across the Thames.

The present wrought iron bridge was built in the 19th century, and opened by Queen Victoria - there is a statue of her at the north side where it joins onto the Victoria Embankment (keep an eye out for a separate post on this). Directly alongside the road bridge is a railway bridge that shares the same name - and is home to Blackfriars station (visible in the bottom right image. This station is part of both the underground and national rail networks, making it busy with commuters, and has entrances on both sides of the river.

In the Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel takes the bus from the Underwoods’ house to Blackfriars Bridge to drop the tobacco tin and the spell of indefinite confinement into the river. The low, wide bridge on an open stretch of river is one of the windiest - it’s no surprise he needed the jacket. 

Stations: Blackfriars, Temple

[wappingtowestminster]

Marshalsea Prison

Mr. Pennyfeather threatens Kitty with the prospect of Marshalsea Prison during their first meeting at the Druids' Coffee House in The Golem's Eye. As stated in the books, it was known for being the place where debtors were sent when they could not pay. Charles Dickens' father was sent there when he was a child, an experinace which the writer drew from for novels such as Little Dorrit. It was shut down in 1842.There were two buildings during its time, both along what is now Borough High Street in Southwark, however the last one was destroyed in the 1870s. You can still see a surviving wall of the prison today, in a small green on Angel Place, just off of the High Street.

Tube Stations: Borough, London Bridge

[wappingtowestminster]

oh my god you guys are life savers. I'm working on Bartimaeus as my uni art project and this is super useful for someone who's based in Bristol and can't visit London all the time! (especially useful considering I came from Malaysia and have been here for less than 3 months)

Aha, this is so lovely to hear! We started this as a little bit of fun a few years ago, so it's great that you're finding it so useful - and we would love to see some of that art when it is done! I hope that you're enjoying the course and have settled in to Bristol well - it's a really beautiful city.This also reminds me of something I (Sovay) have been thinking about for a while - would anyone be interested in walking tours of central London around some of the key locations? I would gladly run them on odd weekends if people are visiting - free of charge, but probably with a suggestion of a donation to a chosen charity.If anyone is interested in this, please drop us a message to let us know!

[wappingtowestminster]

Covent Garden - Holborn

While following Clive Jenkins in Ptolemy's Gate, Bartimaeus tracks him through Covent Garden and Holbon while he meets the rest of the conspirators. Covent Garden is one of the oldest shopping districts in the city, originally the site of a fruit and vegetable market. During the 18th Century, its proximity to many of the theatres made it the City's red light district, although the building of the market building in 1830 saw this decline. One of the main attractions these days are the street performers that gather around the square and which you'll find at almost any given moment. Stanley suggests the Resistance should make an attack on Covent Garden, suggesting that, like in our world, it is a popular tourist hotspot guaranteed to make an impact. However, Nathaniel states that Dervereaux plans to demolish much of the area as part of his modernisation of London, suggesting that it's more similar to the 18th century carnation.Just to the North East is Holborn, based around the two roads of the same name.

Tube stations: For Covent Garden: Covent Garden, Leicester Square For Holborn: Holborn, Chancery Lance 

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Cornhill - Poultry Street (Bank) (Royal Exchange)

At the heart of the City, next to Bank and just on the corner of Cornhill and Poultry, is the Royal Exchange. In Bartimaeus' London, this is the site of a bustling international marketplace full of merchants selling a wide variety of luxury products from across and beyond the empire. At its centre is a police-guarded area where magical artifacts are sold, and it's here that Sholto Pinn visits in the Golem's Eye to bargain hunt and check out the competition.In our world, this bares a similarity to the Royal Exchange. This was founded by merchant Thomas Gresham in the 16th Century to act as a centre of trade for the city, and it remains a high-market retail centre with restaurants and boutiques today. The current building was erected in the 1840s, with more recent modifications being made in the early 2000 - however it retains its central courtyard, now a bar/cafe, bordered with shops. (Apparently you can hire it out for weddings, if that's your kind of thing.)

Tube station: Bank

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Green Park

Green Park, in central London, is one of the places Bartimaeus takes cover in while hiding with the Amulet of Samarkand. It is situated in between Piccadilly and the Mall, and is directly next to Buckingham Palace. Unlike the other Royal Parks, Green Park has no lakes, playgrounds, buildings, and few monuments, making it a relatively uninterrupted stretch of turf and trees. Also in contrast to the other parks, which boast an array of annual and perennial flora, the only flowers to grow in Green Park are naturalised narcissus. 

Tube stations: Green Park, Hyde Park Corner

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The Tower of London

Established in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest and built in 1078, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, or the Tower of London, is one of the most iconic and recognisable historical buildings in the City. Although not its primary purpose, it was used as as a prison from 1100 to 1952 and remains one of the oldest symbols of power and oppression in the country - references to “The Tower,” especially in regards to being “sent to,” remain synonymous with torture and execution. Officially a Royal Residence, it has variously housed an armoury, treasury, the Royal Mint, and, most famously, the Crown Jewels. Its role throughout much of not only London’s, but the whole of the UK’s, history means that many well-known stories have their setting here - the Princes in the Tower, Anne Boleyn, the Nine Day Queen, and Colonel Blood’s attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. The castle continued to be used as a fortification against invasion up to the Second World War. 

Tower Bridge and the Tower from the south-east, set against the City of London.

Also well known are the ravens, which reside in the grounds of the Tower and are looked after by the Yeomen Warders. There is a long-standing cultural belief in the legend that the ravens are protectors of the Crown, and that if they were ever to leave the Tower, the Kingdom would fall. Subsequently, a number with clipped wings (to prevent ease of flight) have been held in captivity there since, allegedly, the reign of Charles II. Ravens are enlisted as soldiers of the United Kingdom and, as such, can and have been dismissed for inappropriate conduct. Much folklore surrounds them, including the belief that they were initially attracted there by the rotting corpses of the executed, and that even they watched in silence as Anne Boleyn was beheaded. However, more recently it has been suggested by historians that the ravens of the Tower of London and all that they stand for actually originated in Victorian fantasy.

Tube stations: Tower Hill, Tower Gateway (DLR), Fenchurch Street (National Rail)

[wappingtowestminster]

Southwark

Southwark, the location of Mr. Pennyfeather's shop, is a borough in south London stretching from the River to Dulwich (on the map I have only highlighted the Northernmost areas, including Borough, Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and parts of Walworth and Peckham). 

Looking eastwards towards Rotherhithe. On the northern bank is Wapping.

It has a long history of habitation stretching back to pre-Roman times, its proximity to the City, but outside of its borders, and also to the wharfs lead to it becoming a haven for criminals and free traders. In the 16th Century it was an area of entertainment and pleasure, with both The Rose and The Globe theatres existing in its boundaries, however, it has also been the site of many prisons including Marshalsea. Like most of London, in the 21st century it is an area of mixed development, with social housing existing side by side with luxury gated residential complexes and major office developments.

Tube stations: Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge

[wappingtowestminster]

Soho - Gibbet Street

Soho is an area in central London between Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street, Regent Street and the Charing Cross Road. Historically famed for its sex industry, it is now more known for its nightlife and LGBT* community. It's prime location has made it increasingly attractive to property developers in recent years, with many old and loved clubs and bars being lost to increasing rents and transformation into luxury housing. Bartimaeus travels from the edge of Soho along Gibbet Street in order to get back to Seven Dials and, ultimately, the British Museum. Gibbet Street doesn't exist in modern-day London, however I did find record of one in a 19th Century guide to London. In trying to find out more, it was suggested to me that it doesn't actually exist, and is simply more of a metaphor for the road criminals travel down on their way to capital punishment. Regardless, Saint Giles Circus, currently (2015) one big building site for the redeveloping Tottenham Court tube station, did use to be the site of a major gallows, and is positioned in roughly the right place to fit in with the narrative. He also mentions that the nearest spirit in their group was a foloit stationed somewhere near Charing Cross. 

Tube stations For Soho: Leicester Square For Gibbet Street/St. Giles Circus: Tottenham Court Road

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Greenwich

In the Amulet of Samarkand, Greenwich (pronounced Gren-itch or Gren-idge) is named as the location where Maurice Schyler, Simon Lovelace's old master, resides - from this, it can be assumed that Lovelace grew up and received his education here. The borough's location in the south east of London made it one of the key docklands for the City, leading to its strong maritime connections and history. The (Old) Royal Naval College, in buildings that were designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1692 for the Royal Naval Hospital for Seamen, was based here between 1873 and 1998, and the building is now open to the public. Also in Greenwich is the O2 music venue, the Cutty Sark (a 19th Century tea clipper), the National Maritime Museum and Greenwich Park. The park includes the former Royal Observatory, commissioned by King Charles II in 1675 and the location of the Prime Meridian, which dictates longitude measurements worldwide as well as international time zones. Greenwich Mean Time is the name given to the time decided by the moment the sun is directly above the observatory as 12:00 Noon - and is the legal time for the UK during the winter.

Tube Stations (DLR): Greenwich, Cutty Sark

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The Medical Institute of Lincoln's Inn

Although not a medical institute, Lincoln 's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in England and Wales, the professional associations to which all barristers in these countries must belong. It was established some time during the mid-to-late 13th Century, after legal educators were forced to leave the City of London in 1234, moving instead to the hamlet of Holborn nearer to Westminster Hall. It continues to be a thriving Society of lawyers.

Sir John Soane’s House and Museum.

Adjacent to the main buildings, and lending it's name, is Lincoln 's Inn Fields, the largest public square in London. A fashionable area in the 17th and 18th century, much of the surrounding architecture dates from these periods, including examples by Inigo Jones, Sir Christopher Wren and Sir John Soane. The latter's house on the north side now houses a museum of his collection of antiquities, while newer buildings belonging to the London School of Economics appear on the south.

Tube Stations: Holborn, Chancery Lane

[wappingtowestminster]

Hampstead

Hampstead is the home of Simon Lovelace in Amulet of Samarkand. In the books and in real life, it’s an incredibly wealthy area of North London in the borough of Camden. It is known for Hampstead Heath, a large area of parkland, and its intellectual, liberal arts and musical associations: the Freud Museum, Keats House, the Isokon Building and Fenton House, among others. 

Much of the luxury housing there that still exists today was built in the latter decades of the 19th century, although Kenwood House, a Georgian stately home worked on extensively by architect Robert Adam, dates from the early 17th century. It is fitting that an individual such as Simon Lovelace would live here - Hampstead has more millionaires living in its boundaries than any other area of the UK.

An apt sculpture outside a villa in Hampstead.

Tube stations: Hampstead, Hampstead Heath (Overground), Gospel Oak (Overground)

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Whitehall

In the books as in real life, Whitehall is the main road in the political district of London, leading away from Trafalgar Square towards the Thames and the Palace of Westminster. It was originally the site of the Palace of Whitehall, which was built in the 13th century and became the main London residence of the British monarchy under Henry VIII. Due to the stone used in new developments it was given the name White Hall during this time. The sprawling complex also housed many of the governmental departments, and many retain their locational roots today following the palace's destruction in two fires during the 1690s (the original Banqueting House survives and is open to visitors). It is even possible to match up the historic palace with the layout of the area today.

 The majority of the main branches of government exist along the road, including the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Offices, as well as Downing Street - home of the Prime Minister since 1735. It is also the site of the west entrance to Horse Guards Parade, where major ceremonies are held such as the Trooping of the Colours. Along the road are numerous statues and memorials, most notably the Cenotaph for those killed in conflicts but also a memorial to the women of the Second World War.

Tube stations: Westminster, Charing Cross

[wappingtowestminster]

Coliseum Theatre

The London Coliseum is a theatre on St. Martin’s Lane in central London, just a short walk from Trafalgar Square to the south and the Seven Dials to the north. It is the site of Kitty’s meeting with Quentin Makepeace in Golem’s Eye before the Resistance’s raid on Westminster Abbey. 

The theatre opened in 1904 and was originally intended to be a place for the people - something between a music hall and highbrow entertainment. It is recognisable for its large metal globe on top, which can be seen several streets away and bears the theatre’s name. Its original slogan was PRO BONO PUBLICO, or “for the public good” - an interesting place for a magician to meet a commoner?

The stage door is on Bedfordbury Street, behind the main front of the theatre, and is most likely where Kitty would have entered. 

Tube stations: Charing Cross, Leicester Square

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St. James’ Park

St. James’ is the easternmost park of a near-continuous chain of open spaces in central London stretching between Westminster and Kensington. It is bordered by the Mall, Horse Guards Road and Buckingham Palace, and its wildlife and Georgian landscaping make it incredibly popular with tourists and Londoners alike. 

In the books, St. James’ Park is home to the Crystal Palace as well as a pagoda, neither of which exist in the modern park. It is highly likely that the fictional Crystal Palace is based on the 1850 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, which is 15 minute walk from St James’ Park. However, the Crystal Palace’s location in the books in central London remains to be explained. In reality, St. James’s Park is probably too small for the scale of Palace described. The Palace could be in the actual location of Buckingham Palace, as there is no mention of the British monarchy in the novels. 

“Run, Jump, Where? Left, Up, Duck, etc.* -//- *This latter was an observation I made on the edge of the lake. Nathaniel unfortunately took it as a command, which resulted in our temporary immersion.”

However, the park was once home to a pagoda, like the one where Bartimaeus was waylaid by the heron foliots. It was constructed in the 1814 celebrations for the end of the war in France, which aligns perfectly with its purpose in Bartimaeus’s world and the ongoing war in America. The real pagoda caught fire from the fireworks that were being used during the celebrations, rather than Detonations from rogue spirits. Traitor’s Corner is also mentioned in the book, although I could not find a possible real-world counterpart to this; perhaps it was drawn off of Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park. 

Tube stations: St. James’ Park