I'm taking my 2 adult kids on a 4 day, 3 night tour of London (includes a daytrip to Liverpool). This is my first trip to London; my daughter has been before and can navigate the Tube.
For accommodations, I believe I have neighborhoods whittled down to Blackfriars (particularly interested in this because of Wolf Hall); Covent Garden; and perhaps Kensington or Bloomsbury. At Blackfriars, there are hotels on the north and south sides of the Thames. Any thoughts?
Oh, and the trip isn't scheduled until May 2016.
Any you mentioned are just fine, i'd stay north of the river though. Liverpool is a long way for a day trip.
Hi, Mike.
Thanks for the tip on staying north of the river.
Yes, I know we're talking about a long day trip, but my son & I need to make the pilgrimage.
Choose Covent Garden area for your hotel. Lots of restaurants and central to transportation.
"I believe I have neighborhoods whittled down to Blackfriars (particularly interested in this because of Wolf Hall)"--First, this neighborhood is now mainly a financial district, and will not remind you of Tudor times or have the atmosphere you are looking for. Secondly, you will be spending hardly any time at all in your hotel, especially with one day devoted to Liverpool trip, and one or two of sightseeing. So go with a hotel that is near good restaurants and transportation.
You leave from Euston station in London to go to Liverpool, so you may want to stay near there for convenience, especially since you may get back late that night into London. There is a Premier Inn on Euston Street, one block south then one block east, from the station. I highly recommend Premier Inn; never have stayed at a bad one; always good.
You can always do just a "walk through" of Blackfriars. What is it that connects Blackfriars to Wolf Hall for you, anyhow?
Yes, there's really nothing left of Tudor-era London around Blackfriars. Or at all, really, apart from a few sites in the suburbs.
I would stay in the Covent Garden or South Kensington area, both are great. I agree with Rebecca.
Thanks, everyone. I had a hunch that 'Austin Friars' is probably now a tall bank:)
I am now leaning toward Covent Gardens: good pubs in that area?
I have no idea what Austin Friars is - having never heard of Wolf Hall - but there is a holdout at Blackfriars from the old Black Friars Priory - the Blackfriar Pub, an Art Nouveau wonder with arched ceilings and tiles everywhere is in the very location; Apothecaries Hall is also a worthy building.
There's certainly nothing Tudor in the vicinity.
Nigel, Austin Friars is a small backalley around the back of the old Stock Exchange building, off old Broad Street. As mentioned, the oldest buildings on it are nineteenth century. The "Austin" is a corruption of "Augustinian".
One of the few authentic Tudor buildings left in London is Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge (http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/visitor-information/Pages/queen-elizabeths-hunting-lodge.aspx) in Chingford (train from Liverpool Street station in central London, or Victoria Line to Walthamstow Central followed by train or bus). It was genuinely created for the royal family on Henry VIII's orders, but despite the name there is little evidence that any monarch ever actually used it.
There is also Sutton House in Hackney. The frontage was redone in Georgian times, but much remains elsewhere.
Or Eastbury Manor House in Barking.
Yes, great pubs in Covent Garden. My favorite is the Lamb and Flag. Look for more on Covent Garden's own website, here:
https://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/food-drink/pubs
Wonderful recommendations, everyone - thank you!
The Salisbury on St Martin's Lane is a fantastic old Victorian gin palace. It can get a bit crowded, but it's worth it. The Cross Keys in Endell Street (just north of Covent Garden) is also pretty good.
South Kensington is a great area to stay. We enjoyed the Crowne Plaza Kensington. It is directly across the street from the Gloucester Tube station. It is a lovely area. You can walk to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. It is one stop away form Harrod's dept. store, where you can eat. We loved just walking around the area and looking at the architecture.
Emma, thanks for mentioning Lambeth Palace! I have been there, and have always been amazed that it is never mentioned here on the Rick Steves Forum. Thanks also for the mention of Norfolk House, where it was located and the history of it. I knew the Catherine Howard dodgy upbringing bit, but didn't know where this took place! The Dowager Duchess of Norfolk's orphanage and house of ill repute!
Well thanks to Emma and Rebecca I now have something else on my list to see! No tours offered while I am there this time, but maybe I can plan a bit better next time.
Hi Marjie,
I stayed at The Crowne Plaza the City in 2013 and really enjoyed my stay. It is right across from the Blackfriar's Pub and tube station. During the week the pub is packed but on weekends it is not busy as all the financial workers are gone. I liked the location as it was only a 5 minute walk to St Paul's and close to so many historical sites as well. I caught a London Walk's tour that met outside of St Paul's station and took us to many of the historical sites I would of never been able to find on my own. I really encourage you to check their walk schedules to see if any fit your schedule as they are very informative and a lot of fun. I found the City location to be very conducive to seeing a lot of the Roman sites and catching the tube to any place you want to go is very easy and quick. Enjoy your trip. Wherever you decide to stay just be sure it is close to a tube station. Happy travels. Pam
Emma & Pam, and perhaps others -
Well, now I'm certainly intrigued by Lambeth Palace. But as I'm still trying to orient to the maps: is the Palace just south of Westminster Bridge? If so, what are neighborhoods where hotels or inns might be?
And yes, we're definitely going to do at least 1 London Walks tour, 2 if time permits.
Hi Marjie,
You are still looking for a neighborhood for a hotel or B&B?
1. You have had many excellent suggestions. Give some thought to those.
2. London has excellent transportation. Tube, taxis, bus, cabs. So you don't need to stay in the exact neighborhood where any one sight is. You can travel to any sight of interest quite easily from most anyplace in London.
3. It's time to ask...Do you have a London guidebook (Rick Steves London) or London map yet? You absolutely need those. A map is essential for finding your way around the city.
4. If you are looking for a neighborhood with an old Tudor atmosphere, you really won't find it. There are some buildings left here and there, but no section that screams "Tudor" when you walk out the front door of your hotel. So many tall modern buildings have been built, London has a big modern city atmosphere.
5. A really, really good location for you would be near the London Eye, on the south bank of the river. You would be able to walk south several blocks to Lambeth Palace, or walk west across Westminster Bridge to see Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and walk on farther to see Buckingham Palace. Ideal location. Premier Inn County Hall. Good pubs, restaurants nearby.
http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/LONCOU/london-county-hall
6. If you are craving a Tudor atmosphere, there are some towns in England that still have that. But you must travel outside of London to find some of this. York has a lovely old street called The Shambles that has real old Tudor buildings. York is reached by taking the train north out of London. Could be a day trip.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shambles
Hi, Rebecca. Yes, I do have many good suggestions. It's funny, 'tho: the very first hotel I was looking into was Premier Inn London County Hall. Hmm - maybe I'll take another look!
Thanks:)
There is another important site at the Tower of London. If you are a Wolf Hall fan, you can pay a visit to the graves of Thomas Cromwell, Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, and George Boleyn. (Also Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey) They are buried in the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, the Tudor church at the Tower of London. Yes, plot spoiler. Next season on Wolf Hall, Henry VIII turns on poor old Thomas Cromwell. It's off to the Tower for him, just like everybody else.
If you wish to see some filming locations for Wolf Hall, you will have to go outside of London for most of them. All of these Tudor-era buildings are worth visiting:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3LnHj2K1xnzQmGmjqBrtnz0/wolf-hall-the-locations
One of them, Sutton House, is in Hackney, in London.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house/
Choose a location close to a Tube station, and not more than 10 mins walk from the Thames, between Westminster Br and Blackfriars Br.
Just to add something to what Rebecca said, I don't believe you can go in the Chapel at the Tower unless you are on a beefeater/Yeoman Warder tour. They finish up in there with everyone sitting down and you can stay for a bit afterward. The tour is not an extra charge over your regular admission price to the Tower.
Premier Inn London County Hall would be a great choice, but it's generally more expensive than other PI because of the location.
