The inspiration for this book was the advice of thegreat Dr Samuel
Johnson (1709-1784), something of an expert on London, to hisfriend
and biographer James Boswell on the occasion of his trip to London
inthe 18th century, to 'survey its innumerable little lanes and
courts'. In the21st century these are less numerous than in
Johnson's time, so we've extendedhis brief to include alleys,
squares and yards, along with a number of mews,roads, streets and
gardens. London's Hidden Corners, Lanes & Squarestakes you off
the beaten track to seek out places that often fail to registeron
the radar of visitors and also most residents. Entries range from
ancient history-soakedalleys and lanes in the City - where you half
expect to bump into one ofCharles Dickens's characters or even the
author himself - to smart,pastel-painted mews in Chelsea built to
house horses and carriages (now home tomulti-millionaires); and
from unexpected oases of Georgian elegance in traffic
plaguedcentral London to tranquil Kensington squares, where you can
hear birdsong andalmost smell the scent of money on the breeze.
SamuelJohnson also said, 'It is not in the showy evolutions of
buildings, but in themultiplicity of human habitations which are
crowded together, that thewonderful immensity of London consists.'
Every corner featured in this book hasa story to tell, from those
who lived there (actresses, bishops, painters,politicians,
philosophers, writers...even ghosts of former
residents!),significant historical events (from duels and
demonstrations to plots andexecutions) and bizarre surviving
landmarks such as a brick kiln, a sewer gaslamp and a Parisian
pissoir. Althoughthis book isn't intended as a walking guide, most
of the places featured areclose to one another in central London -
notably in the hubs of Westminster andthe City, where you can
easily stroll between them - and all are near publictransport links
and easy to reach. Ihope you enjoy discovering London'sHidden
Corners, Lanes & Squares as much as we did, and if you
happenacross more secret gems on your travels, we would love to
hear about them.
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