Curiosities of London

Historical Walks Around the Capital

Curiosities of London contains an informative and entertaining selection of walks around well-known and some less-visited parts of London, revealing oddities, bizarre connections and strange stories from the past which echo through the city streets. Brandon and Brooke reveal the urban myths that abound, the origins of wonderful place names such as Bear Gardens and Gin Lane, and shocking Mafia-linked murders, in addition to other tantalising tales. The guide includes Bloomsbury with its literary connections and garden squares; the historic Borough; Whitechapel and Stepney in the East End; Clerkenwell and its associations with monastic orders, prisons and radicalism; the ancient City of London; the stylish Mayfair; Fleet Street, once synonymous with the printing industry, but also with its religious and legal connections; Smithfield, with its gruesome associations with executions, hauntings, plague and debauchery; Bankside, once the home to theatre, bear-baiting and brothels; and the sedate area of Marylebone with its attractive streets and squares. Curiosities of London is the indispensable guide for Londoners and visitors who want to walk, look, be educated and enthralled, and to learn something new about the Big Smoke.