The Lissun's London Locator
Section 4: In the Footsteps of Jack and Stephen
This section proposes three journeys; two are short walks following the footsteps of Stephen and Sir Joseph Blaine, the other a longer journey with Jack, joining together many of the locations mentioned in the canon. This longer adventure would be undertaken mainly on foot, with connections by river taxi and train, and is described first.
Walking in London:
Walking city streets can be tiring if one is not used to it. Although Londoners walk fast you can take it slower and stop often - there is much to see about you and not all at eye-level.
Although city walking is a different technique from country walking, some of the same rules apply. Wear comfortable shoes with sturdy soles, and take suitable clothing such as a light raincoat in summer (unless you are certain of fine weather) or an overcoat in winter. Umbrellas are not practical in London's windy and bustling streets - one reason perhaps why City businessmen and Guards officers in mufti always kept theirs tightly furled even in a rainstorm.
Hats are again fashionable for men - a Panama or tweed flat cap in summer, a dark Fedora or Homburg in cooler weather, but not these days the City Bowler (Derby) of yesteryear - that's strictly for judges of Hounds at country fairs, or the drivers of Whitbread's heavy horse dray, which you may see taking barrels of beer to City pubs on a weekday morning.
Car, taxi and bus drivers in London are well behaved, but strangers to the city, particularly from countries where driving is on the right-hand side, should take great care crossing the roads at all times - look right, look left, look right again! Preferably use the many pedestrian crossings (many controlled by pedestrians operating lights) or foot tunnels. Bicycles are common, fast and silent in the narrow streets of the Square Mile and in Mayfair so be vigilant.
Places shown in the itineraries in
bold
italics are described in Section
2.
Jack's Voyage around London:
The walk is presented here as one unbroken journey, following a chain of many of the places mentioned in the Aubrey-Maturin canon, but this would be uncomfortably difficult in practice. Breaks for refreshments and to enjoy certain locations are essential. There are links using underground trains or river taxis, and pre-planning using a London street map (the Geographer's A-Z is excellent) and a London Underground map enables you to take alternative shortcuts if you wish.
At least one very full day should be allowed for this journey; two days would be sensible if the visitor wishes to spend adequate time in some of the more interesting locations. Access to some of the sites mentioned may be restricted, permanently or at certain times of the year or day. The whole route has been travelled by the author recently and few restrictions or other difficulties are known, but the traveller should check access to avoid disappointment.
Jack's London Voyage - itinerary:
The journey starts in the heart of the City of Westminster, from Nelson's end of Whitehall on foot to The Monument in the City of London. This is quite an arduous walk taking about an hour or so, unless you sensibly stop for refreshment.
At The Monument, take the interesting new Docklands Light Railway to the banks of the river Thames (about 30 minutes travel) we come face to face with one of the great sights of the world - the Royal Naval Hospital Greenwich, a World Heritage Site. We reach that by foot tunnel under the Thames from the prettily but inaptly named Island Gardens. It is close to Mudchute, which is more appropriate!
On the high level, overground railway route the traveller will have a very good view of the modern City of London but will also pass by some of the less salubrious areas of the old East End, including remnants of the old docks. If you pass stations with names redolent of maritime history, such as Custom House and Gallions Reach, you are on the wrong branch line!
The train gives spectacular views as you come through Canary Wharf, a city in itself where 20,000 people work in a major commercial centre housed in beautiful new buildings and cityscapes. Observant travellers seated at the front of the (driverless) train will get a clear view of the Millennium Dome at several points towards the end of the journey.
Between Island Gardens and Greenwich, walk through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. Built over a 100 years ago for the dock labourers living on the southern side of the Thames, it is a long and eerie route, but worth it as the traveller decamps from the tunnel out of a cast iron turret on the south side of the river. Right in front of you is "Cutty Sark", the China tea clipper; note the horse's tail in the hands of the figurehead Cutty, the witch in Rabbie Burns' poem. You can go aboard this lovely ship and see a wonderful display of ship's figureheads and marvel at the history of this famous tea clipper. Dwarfed by Cutty Sark is the 53' yacht "Gipsy Moth IV" sailed in the first solo circumnavigation of the world by Sir Francis Chichester.
The river voyage:
From Greenwich Pier you can take a river taxi upstream, stopping at several landing stages along the way to Westminster. River taxis are not cheap but the trip is worth it, particularly if the weather is clear, as they give a splendid view of London from the river. Some of them have bars on board and a few have open-topped seating areas. The river is tidal and big here, and still quite busy so do pay attention to the safety notices.
Although many of the buildings of riverside London have changed since Georgian times, the changing perspective as the boat swings through the Reaches is the same and with a little imagination you could be in the wake of The Ringle taking Stephen and his strong boxes to his meetings at The Temple.
On this voyage you will see:
on the North Bank:
Stephen's Ambles:
The short stroll (about 60 minutes):
Foot note:
To discover more about modern London,
I heartily recommend the superbly illustrated and very detailed Dorling
Kindersley Eye Witness Travel Guide. You may also like to join a small
group on one of the excellent afternoon or evening themed London Walks
with expert guides, which cost about £5 - try their website for more
information: http://www.walks.com/
© J M J Reay MM