Walking Tour (1/3)

It's up to you, you decide, how much time do you have? You can see most of the Heart of Bloomsbury in a couple of hours of determined organised tramping around, OR you can take a day and enjoy the outdoor cafes, the architecture, take leisurely strolls through the Squares, sit awhile and watch the world go by. Pop into the odd Museum, do a little shopping in the many independent retailers, enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner in an equal number of independent international cuisine dispensaries. www.bloomsbury-london.com will give you the bones of the Walking Tour London Bloomsbury and you decide how much time to spend at each venue. You could even hire a bike from one of the many bike stations scattered throughout the district.

Bloomsbury London is very well signposted so if you stray from the route map exploring one of it's many London attractions look out for the local map boxes dotted around the area. You'll quickly find yourself back ontrack to your visit London Bloomsbury.

You can follow along on the map  and on the Walking Tour Image page. Click on   to locate yourself on the map.

1. Starting Point  

There are many entry points into Bloomsbury but we're going to start our walking tour London Bloomsbury outside Russell square tube station. With our back to the station we turn right and walk down Guildford street, passing the Marchmont Street T-section, until we see the entrance to Brunswick Centre on the left hand side. Lets wander up the steps into the heart of the open air centre. There are many cafeterias, coffee houses, pharmacies, even a cinema and other retailers to wander around and on Saturdays there's an open air food market. We can stop here for breakfast or an early morning coffee to get our bearings.

2. Marchmont St. to Woburn Square

After wandering around Brunswick Centre, getting provisions or making mental notes for later when we ultimately return, we wander out through the exit half way up on the left hand side with our back to the way we entered, onto Marchmont Street. Your now in perhaps the most famous shopping street in Bloomsbury, turning right when we enter the street we notice coffee shops, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and even a notable house or two - look above one of the barber shops it's where Kenneth Williams, of Carry On (British comedy movie series) fame grew up. The famous Gay's the Word bookshop is just opposite. Now we approach the intersection with Tavistock Place and here we turn left onto Tavistock Place.

To see the Marchmont Street street view please click here. 

Walking up Tavistock Place, yes it's a street, notice the architectural gem of the Mary Ward Hall on the right hand side, next door the Chinese Community Centre, adding to the cultural diversity within the district. We come to the intersection with Woburn Place and opposite we see Tavistock Square. Lets head into the Square and wander around looking at the artefacts inside (busts of Virginia Woolf and Mahatma Gandhi) and enjoy a walk with nature (and the squirrels!!!)

 We'll wander around the square and exit the north exit left walking down Endsleigh Place until we reach Gordon Square, just one block over. Surrounding Gordon square are some good points of interest on the East side are houses where John Maynard Keynes and Virginia Woolf lived. To the north is the Architecture Department of UCL, to the West are the Williams Library and entrance to Christ the King. The main part of the Church is no longer open to the public, but this small chapel entrance, used by the Anglican community, is opened weekdays and holds services - go inside they are very friendly and it's a hidden gem most people passby. Inside the square itself is one of the many Bloomsbury havens of tranquility with much less traffic than it's neighbour Tavistock Square.

Video inside Gordon Square

Let's now exit Gordon Square by the Southern exit, coming out onto Tavistock Place we simply cross over the road and immediately opposite we enter Woburn Square. This is perhaps the smallest square in Bloomsbury, even quieter than Gordon square are there's practically no traffic at all around it. There's an old Pavilion and the famous statue The Green Man. There's also a small play are if you have young children.

 

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