sold at little more than cost price, often attain a pitch of excellence unequalled by the most elaborate and expensive restaurants. We append an alphabetical list of the most important clubs: Army and Navy Club, 36-39 Pall Mall, N. side, corner of George Street; 2350 members. Arthur's Club, 69 St. James's Street. Athenaeum Club, 107 Pall Mall, the club of the literati; 1200 members. (Distinguished strangers visiting London may be elected honorary members of the Athenæum during their temporary residence in London.) Badminton Club, Piccadilly (sporting and coaching club). Boodle's Club, 28 St. James's Street (chiefly for country gentlemen). Brooks's Club, 60 St. James's Street. Burlington Fine Arts Club, 17 Savile Row. Carlton Club, 94 Pall Mall, the chief Conservative club; 1600 members. Cigar Club, 6 Waterloo Place. City Carlton Club, 24 St. Swithin's Lane. City Liberal Club, Walbrook. City of London Club, 19 Old Broad Street, City. Conservative Club, 74 St. James's Street; 1200 members. Constitutional Club (Conservative), Northumberland Avenue; 6500 members. Devonshire Club, 50 St. James's Street; 1500 members. Garrick Club, 13 and 15 Garrick Street, Covent Garden, for lit erary men and actors. German Athenaeum Club, 93 Mortimer Street, W. Gresham Club, 1 Gresham Place, City. Grosvenor Club, 135 New Bond Street. Guards' Club, 70 Pall Mall. Isthmian Club, 150 Piccadilly. Junior Army and Navy Club, 10 St. James's Street. Junior Athenaeum Club, 116 Piccadilly. Junior Carlton Club, 30-35 Pall Mall; 2100 members. Junior Constitutional Club, 14 Regent Street. Junior United Service Club, corner of Regent Street and Charles Street; 2000 members. Kennel Club, 29a Pall Mall; for improving the breed of dogs. National Club, 1 Whitehall Gardens. National Conservative Club, 9 Pall Mall. National Liberal Club, corner of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall Place; 6500 members. National Union Club, 23 Albemarle Street, W. Naval and Military Club, 94 Piccadilly; 2000 members. Northbrook Club, 3 Whitehall Gardens (for Indian gentlemen and others interested in Indian affairs). Orleans Club, 29 King Street, St. James's (see also p. 326). have studied at Oxford or Cambridge are eligible as members.) Prince's Club, Knightsbridge (mainly for racquets, tennis, etc.). Raleigh Club, 16 Regent Street; 1400 members. Reform Club, the chief Liberal club, 104 Pall Mall; 1400 members. St. George's Club, Hanover Square, with which is combined the Imperial and American Club; 3000 members. St. James's Club, 106 Piccadilly; for the diplomatic service. Savile Club, 107 Piccadilly. Scottish Club, 39 Dover Street, Piccadilly. Somerville Club, 231 Oxford Street; for ladies only. Thatched House Club, 86 St. James's Street. Travellers' Club, 106 Pall Mall. (Each member must have trav elled at least 500 M. from London.) Turf Club, 47 Clarges Street, Piccadilly. Union Club, Trafalgar Square, corner of Cockspur Street. United Service Club, 116 Pall Mall; 1600 members. (Members must not hold lower rank than that of major in the army, or commander in the navy.) United University Club, Pall Mall East, corner of Suffolk Street. White's Club, 38 St. James's Street. (This club was formerly celebrated for its high play.) Windham Club, 11 St. James's Square. The Royal Colonial Institute, Northumberland Avenue, founded in 1868 for the purpose of 'providing a place of meeting for all gentlemen connected with the Colonies and British India', offers many of the advantages of a good club. 23. Preliminary Ramble. Nothing is better calculated to afford the traveller some insight into the labyrinthine topography of London, to enable him to ascertain his bearings, and to dispel the first oppressive feeling of solitude and insignificance, than a drive through the principal quarters of the town. The outside of an omnibus affords a much better view than a cab (fares, see p. 28), and, moreover, has the advantage of cheapness. If the driver, beside whom the stranger should sit, happens to be obliging (and a small gratuity will generally make him so), he will afford much useful information about the buildings, monuments, and other sights on the route; but care should be taken not to distract his attention in crowded parts. Even without such assistance, however, our plan of the city, if carefully consulted, will supply all necessary information. If ladies are of the party, an open Fly (see p. 28) is the most comfortable conveyance. Taking Hyde Park Corner, at the W. end of Piccadilly, as a convenient starting-point, we mount one of the numerous omnibuses which ply to the Bank and London Bridge and traverse nearly the whole of the quarters lying on the N. bank of the Thames. Entering Piccadilly, we first pass, on the right, the Green Park, beyond which rises Buckingham Palace (p. 257). A little farther to the E., in the distance, we descry the towers of Westminster Abbey (p. 193) and the Houses of Parliament (p. 184). In Regent Street on the right, at some distance off, rises the York Column (p. 219). Passing Piccadilly Circus, we drive to the right through the Haymarket, at the end of which, on the left, is the theatre of that name (p.40), and, on the right, Her Majesty's Opera House (p. 40). We now come to Trafalgar Square, with the Nelson Monument (p. 145) and the National Gallery (p. 147). On the right, in the direction of Whitehall, we observe the old statue of Charles I. Passing Charing Cross, with the large Charing Cross Hotel (p. 7) on the right, we enter the Strand, where the Adelphi, Lyceum, Gaiety, and other theatres lie on our left, and the Savoy, Terry's, and Strand theatres on our right (p. 41). Through Salisbury Street, on the right, a glimpse is obtained of Cleopatra's Needle (p. 114). Farther on, on the left is Southampton Street, leading to Covent Garden (p. 180), and on the right Wellington Street, with Somerset House (p. 142) near the corner, leading to Waterloo Bridge (p. 143). Near the middle of the Strand we reach the churches of St. Mary le Strand (p. 142) and St. Clement Danes (p. 141). On the left we see the extensive new Law Courts (p. 139). Passing the site of Temple Bar (recently removed; see p. 140), we now enter the City proper (p. 66). On the right of Fleet Street are several entrances to the Temple (p. 136), while on the left rises the church of St. Dunstan in the West (p. 135). At the end of Farringdon Street, diverging on the left, we notice the Holborn Viaduct Bridge (p. 93); on the right, in New Bridge Street, is the Ludgate Hill Station. We next drive up Ludgate Hill, pass St. Paul's Cathedral (p. 81) on the left, and turn to the left to Cheapside, noticing the monument of Sir Robert Peel (p. 90), a little to the N. of which is the General Post Office (p. 90). In Cheapside we observe Bow Church (p. 101) on the right, and near it the Guildhall (p. 98) at the end of King Street on the left. Quitting Cheapside, we enter the Poultry, in which the Mansion House (p. 102) rises on the right. Opposite the Mansion House is the Bank of England (p. 103), and before us is the Royal Exchange (p. 104), with Wellington's Statue in front. We then drive through King William Street, with the Statue of William IV., observing the Monument (p. 110) on the left. We now quit the omnibus, and, after a walk across London Bridge (p. 109) and back, pass through part of Gracechurch Street on the right, and follow Fenchurch Street to the station of the London and Blackwall Railway. A train on this line carries us to Blackwall, whence we ascend the Thames by one of the Greenwich Steamers, passing London Docks (p. 126), St. Katherine's Docks (p. 126), the Tower (p. 117), the Custom House (p. 112), and Billingsgate (p. 111), to London Bridge. Here we may disembark, and take an omnibus back to Hyde Park Corner, or, continuing in the same boat, may pass under the Cannon Street Station Railway Bridge, Southwark Bridge (with St. Paul's rising on the right), the Chatham and Dover Bridge, and Blackfriars Bridge. Between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster runs the Victoria Embankment (p. 113). On the right are the Temple and Somerset House (p. 142). The steamer then passes under Waterloo Bridge (p. 143), beyond which, to the right, on the Embankment, stands Cleopatra's Needle (p. 114). We alight at Charing Cross Pier, adjacent to the Charing Cross Railway Bridge, and re-embark in a Chelsea Boat, which will convey us past Montague House (p. 184), Richmond Terrace, Westminster Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament (p. 184), behind which is Westminster Abbey (p. 193). On the left is the Albert Embankment, with St. Thomas's Hospital (p. 297); and, farther on, Lambeth Palace (p. 297) with the Lollards' Tower, Lambeth Bridge, and, on the right, Millbank Penitentiary (p. 292). We then reach Vauxhall Bridge. From Vauxhall the traveller may walk or take a tramway car to Victoria Station, whence an omnibus will convey him to Oxford Street. In order to obtain a view of the quarters on the right (S.) bank of the Thames, or Surrey side, we take a light-green Atlas omnibus (not a City Atlas) in Regent Circus, Oxford Street (Plan R, 23), and drive through Regent Street, Regent's Quadrant, Regent Circus (Piccadilly), Regent Street (continued), Waterloo Place (with the Crimean Monument and the York Column), Pall Mall East, and Charing Cross to (right) Whitehall. Here we observe on the left Scotland Yard, the chief police-station of London, and Whitehall Chapel (p. 181), and on the right the Admiralty, the Horse Guards (p. 183), and the Government Offices. Our route next lies through Parliament Street, beyond which we pass Westminster Abbey (p. 193) and the Houses of Parliament (p. 184) on the right. The omnibus then crosses Westminster Bridge, with the Victoria Embankment on the left, and the Albert Embankment and St. Thomas's Hospital on the right. Traversing Westminster Bridge Road, we observe at the end of it, on the right, Christchurch and Hawkstone Hall, occupying the site of the recently removed Orphan Asylum. In Lambeth Road we perceive the Church of St. George's, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Southwark, and, opposite to it, Bethlehem Hospital. On the W. side of Circus Place, with its obelisk, rises the Blind Asylum. A little to the S. of this point, we arrive at the Elephant and Castle (on the right), where we alight, to resume our journey on a blue Waterloo omnibus. This takes us through London Road to Waterloo Road, to the right of which are the Surrey Theatre (Blackfriars Road), Magdalene Hospital, and the Victoria Music Hall (p. 43), and on the left the South Western Railway Station. We then cross Waterloo Bridge, drive along Wellington Street, passing Somerset House, and turn to the left into the Strand, which leads us to Charing Cross. Our first curiosity having thus been gratified by a general survey of London, we may now devote our attention to its collections, monuments, and buildings in detail. 24. Disposition of Time. The most indefatigable sight-seer will take at least three weeks to obtain even a superficial acquaintance with London and its objects of interest. A plan of operations, prepared beforehand, will aid him in regulating his movements and economising his time. Fine days should be spent in visiting the docks, parks, gardens, and environs. Excursions to the country around London, in particular, should not be postponed to the end of one's sojourn, as otherwise the setting in of bad weather may altogether preclude a visit to the many beautiful spots in the neighbourhood. Rainy days had better be devoted to the galleries and museums. The following list shows the days and hours when the various collections and other sights are accessible. The early forenoon and late afternoon hours may be appropriately spent in visiting the principal churches, many of which are open the whole day, or in walking in the parks or in the Zoological and the Botanical Gardens, while the evenings may be devoted to the theatres. The best time for a promenade in Regent Street or Hyde Park is between 5 and 7 o'clock, when they both present a remarkably busy and attractive scene. When the traveller happens to be near London Bridge he should take the opportunity of crossing it in order to obtain a view of the Port of London and its adjuncts, with its seagoing vessels arriving or departing, the innumerable river craft of all sizes, and the vast traffic in the docks. A trip to Gravesend (see p. 345) should by all means be taken in order to obtain a proper view of the shipping, no other port in the world presenting such a sight. The following data, though carefully revised down to 1889, are liable to frequent alteration. The traveller is therefore recommended to consult one of the principal London newspapers with regard to the sights of the day. Our list does not include parks, gardens, and other places which, on all week-days at least, are open to the public gratis. |