Mosaic’s walking groups regularly gets together to explore some of London’s better, and lesser, known areas.
One of our recent walks was a Mosaic Walk in Literary London
Samuel Johnson wrote: “If you wish to have a just notion of the magnitude of this great city, you must not be satisfied with seeing its great streets and squares, but must survey its innumerable little lanes and courts.”
It was a chilly afternoon in March when six Mosaic walkers set off on the first walk of 2016. It was inevitable that our route from Holborn to Chancery Lane would once again follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and some of his literary creations.
Our first stop was 58 Lincoln Inns Fields, referred to in Bleak House. Passing Lincoln’s Inn and the chapel where John Donne was inaugurated, we walked through Carey Street and onto Fleet Street before turning into Johnson Square and 17 Gough Square, the only surviving residence of Dr Samuel Johnson.
A short diversion from Gunpowder Square, and we arrived at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, believed to be the model for the tavern where Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay ‘enjoy a good plain dinner and good wine’, as described in A Tale of Two Cities. Retracing our steps to Gunpowder Square, we eventually turned into High Holborn and the redbrick building on the site of Furnival’s Inn, where John Westlock had chambers in Martin Chuzzlewit.
Turning into Furnival Street, we reached Took’s Court, the Cook’s Court, where ‘Mr Snagsby, Law Stationer, pursues his lawful calling’ in Bleak House. We crossed Chancery Lane and soon arrived at Staple Inn, a delightful garden referenced in Bleak House and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Crossing High Holborn and entering Brook Street, we turned into Brooks Court, then Gray’s Inn Road, before crossing Chancery Lane and finding a welcome cup of coffee at a nearby hostelry.
“While the young Charles Dickens was crossing Chancery Lane one morning, “a big blackguard fellow … knocked off my cap and said “Halloa sojer”, which I couldn’t stand, so I at once struck him and he then hit me in the eye”.
John Ashmele
See below for our latest planned walks:
Numbers are limited for these walks, so please contact us as soon as possible. There is no fee for the walks, but a suggested donation of £5 pp to a Synagogue charity would be appreciated for our Central London walks.
Disclaimer: We hope you will enjoy taking part in these walks, but please remember that everyone takes part at their own risk and that Mosaic and its representatives are not responsible for any injuries, loss or damage that may occur during the walk.
