Fantastic Tales of Bloomsbury (4K)
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- This London walking tour takes us around the fabulous squares of Bloomsbury with its fantastic tales. Thanks to my supporters on Patreon / johnrogers
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Our walk starts with the incredible story of Oliver Cromwell's body being kept in the cellar of The Red Lion pub in Holborn in 1661 and its possible secret burial. Then in Red Lion Square, we investigate the story that the square is haunted by three ghostly cloaked figures. There's also Conway Hall and the house inhabited by members of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
We move on to Queen Square with the Italian Hospital, Mary Ward Centre, Queen Charlotte, The Queen's Larder and the Devil's Dyke. Our Bloomsbury walk passes the Horse Hospital into Russell Square, once the site of a Parliamentarian fortification during the English Civil War. Next we walk along Bedford Way to Gordon Square which is heavily associated with the Bloomsbury Set (Virginia Woolf etc.). The walk ends with a spooky story in Woburn Square.
Music:
Endurance - Aerian
Lamna - Lo Mimieux
Utakata - Sayuri Hayashi Egnell
from Epidemic Sounds
Maps:
Open Street Map “© OpenStreetMap contributors” using data available under the Open Database Licence
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My girlfriend and I spent many beautiful days at Russell Square. Beautiful 80s memories. Thank for the videos, John.
I MOVED HERE 22 YEARS AGO, I swear I am learning today of history of my area
Russell Square, one of my favourites...would sit there on the grass among those Grande London Planes and down between three to four tins of London's finest, before moving on to another Square, soak in the beers and the History....Love London Love Life.
I'm from Waterford City (the oldest city in Ireland) and the more I visit London, the more I'm falling in love with your amazing city. I stumbled across your channel looking for a history of London. What a treasure trove! I love your videos - so interesting, so relaxing! We in Waterford have our own history with Cromwell, as you can imagine. The phrase, "By Hook or by Crooke!" comes from Cromwell himself, insisting that he would take the City of Waterford "By Hook" (Hook Head - on one side of the Waterford Estuary) or "By Crooke" (An old Knights Templar hamlet on the other side of the estuary.) Thank you John - really appreciate your wonderful work!
Very interesting to learn the meaning behind the phrase, thanks!
Catching up on the videos I missed. This one was lovely. I have read Virginia Woolf and it was nice to see part of the city that influenced her. Thank you 😊
6:24 John Harrison and his invention were the subject of the book 'Longitude', later turned into a Channel 4 mini-series in 2000 with Michael Gambon in the lead role as Harrison. It dramatises the long development of his invention and the struggle for recognition of the effectiveness of the chronometer which was invented to try to solve the problem of finding out the longitude whilst at sea.
‘Let’s go and look for the head of Oliver Cromwell’. What a phrase. Thanks John. One of my absolute favorite London areas.
Ah my old stomping ground! I worked at 90 High Holborn for 8 very happy years. I ate many lunches (and assembled for quite a few fire drills) in Red Lion Square, oblivious to who was buried underneath! Thanks for the reminder John!
I did my history of art degree at UCL and SOAS in the 80s and so spent much time wandering around this area and loved all the squares and the interesting buildings. Great memories of that time. Thanks John for another wonderful video
My ‘ home’ turf as a student at Central School of Art in the 80s. What a joy to return there with you John
glad I could take you back there Mark
From new zealand but my fiancé and i lived in holborn for 3 yrs in 1994-1997. Lived and worked at Calthorpe Arms on grays inn road. Amazing experience. Great memories
Really enjoying your videos John. I'm a Brummie but plan to have more days out in London.
Thanks for sharing our British History i learn so much.👍🏻
I’m watching this for the first time and was pleasantly surprised when you ran into a couple from Calgary Canada 🇨🇦. This is where I’m from as well and it made me smile. Thanks for the videos. They make me feel like I’m there 😊
My area, queen Sq .. Corams fields, lambs conduit st. Lived in Holborn / Bloomsbury from 1973 upto 1996. Best times ever growing up.
Love the serenity of Russell Square, compared to the nearby bustle of the Euston Road.
Russell Park is beautiful, classless, non judgemental. My favourite location in central London.
Russell Square...
The squares are a welcome oasis in a bustling city full of history and legend. Lovely walk as always John 👍🏻
cheers Ian
Fantastic! Min 18.03 was my home in 1994, we were squatting both houses, what a fantastic place to live, we made one room a sauna & used to show movies in the back yard, hired a 35mm projector that had to come with the projectionist to show the silent version of either King Kong or Nosferatu, I ding recall which but we had live music.
Great memories Simon - thanks for sharing
Absolutely fascinating video John - quite superb. As a Magician, Conway Hall takes me back to being a young lad in the late 1970's/early 80's. It was both the venue/clubhouse of the London Society of Magicians (LSM) - and I've seen many a superb act tread those hallowed boards.
Whenever I visit London, I stay in Bloomsbury. Beautiful area. Thank you, John.
Thank you John, this video was just crammed with interesting history. I lived in Bourne Estate Holbourne from 1961 my Dad still lived there until he died in 1992. All these Squares were ways of walking home in the 60's for me from various directions. You mentioned you lived in Barnsbury Estate, I watched them knock down the old houses of which some were beautiful old Georgeon houses plus some derelict ones. Then start to finish building the Barnsbury Estate. I moved to Holborn from Malvern Terrace in 1961. There is so much history in these squares that never gets told. Thank you for the memories. 💕🇦🇺
All of your videos are fascinating and I’m an avid fan. I’m drawn the most to the central London walks, where history meets the modern day. Just has a lovely feel to it. And I do like a ghost story. With the autumnal feel, makes the atmosphere sumptuous. Thank you for another great video John!
Another fascinating video. The Cromwell story was new to me proving that you're never too old to learn
conway hall, blast from the past for me , early 80s.. thanks for all the info.. I used to live just around the corner from where cromwells daughter is buried . .
I like Bloomsbury a lot partly because it has a somewhat different vibe to the rest of the area. I also feel it has something of the countryside about it. Great film John and I really enjoyed it.
I have been in the Red Lion many many times but I have never been aware of the Oliver Cromwell link. As always something new from you even in areas that I know well.
A terrific, terrific, walk, John! What a journey through the past, the present, and with a glimpse (not entirely encouraging) into the future of central London. It was great! Cheers, Ash
Thanks very much Ash
I remember going to Procter Street just in front of Red Lion Square to what was City Sounds a record shop that sold 80's soul and jazz records, oh those were the days.
HELLO from RUSSELL SQUARE /BRUNSWICK CENTER John merci, just found your channel, today, I am denefetly a new follower
My family owned in1840 most of the property here !
never realized a short walk can be so interesting, thanks John
No matter where you take us in London, it's always fascinating. Thanks.
I live in Bloomsbury/holborn. Truly a beautiful place to live.
Thanks for that wonderful walk in a beautiful and historic area. I envy those folks who get to meet you while out walking. Please keep the marvelous videos coming.
Oh amazing my old haunts. Thanks John again such a wonderful and educational video around Bloomsbury.
All the best Pete 👍
Really like your videos. I have been inspired to do many of your walks.
So enjoying watching your fabulous London Walks. You are a great source of London knowledge and impart that knowledge in such an easy manner,it is relaxing to listen. The videos are an ideal accompaniment to me as I sit cosy and warm in my kitchen and sew, on a cold wet Glasgow evening. Thanks Maggie
Many thanks Maggie
Superb. The President Hotel I always consider my London residence! Loved the Joolz Guides reference. I've often mused on the thought of you bumping into Joolz as you are talking to camera, and a fight a la Python's Rival Documentaries sketch ensuing.
Thanks for another great walk John! Russell Square is indeed lovely. More like a little park than a square really. Nice one! 👍🌟
After that teaser on Patreon, I am super keen to watch this. We have stayed in those hotels you featured around Russell Square, and coincidentally watched a couple of your films from there. I stumbled across the Horse Hospital while out getting a coffee one of the mornings. What an intriguing place. Thanks for another magical film John.
hope you enjoyed it Steve
Wow! what an opening. "Sublime" as a member of the Bloomsbury Set might say.
@14:41 you can see the spigot from the well on the gaslamp. I propose it was a lighted well. it would be interesting to know why it was disabled from its primary purpose ? Free clean water 24-7. Nice ! Thanks John. Brilliant work as always
Thank you John for these wonderful video's you concoct! I do so enjoy the peaceful narratives and history you bring to life..I must confess, I start to wander in my mind while you speak.. wondering if my Mother, who drove an ambulance during the war, ever trundled along some of these interesting places during her time there...I bought a book about the ladies who drove during this time, it was called 'The forgotten service " My mother was stationed at Weymouth Mews, and I have been there via Google Earth...So little is available about this ambulance service, and all records were destroyed for some reason..However ..Some were found at the back of a set of drawers and guess what ..My mother's name and another of her friend was listed ..This is so rare as to be impossible to find now...When I told my father before he died, he was very interested..I treasure this book .. I only wish I had pestered my mum to take me on a tour of her wartime experiences ..I am not surprised that she never spoke of it ..She did not live in the past as I am apt to do ...Thank you for taking me back in time, I appreciate it more than you will ever know..xxx
...
Thank you so much for sharing that Anne - your Mum performed a great service
Great John! It's become a habit of mine, as I walk about Los Angeles, to see it as you might, and fully appreciate the history and sites even more as you most certainly would.
Thanks for sharing your knowlege again John. I worked in a photographic studio in Eagle street back in the 70's and had no idea at the time of the history I was walking over every day.
Worked round there around 93, my first job in London post Uni. I had no idea about Cromwell, learn and keep learning so much from your videos.
I always enjoy your clips John, but this one was particularly intriguing for me because I have a real fascination for Civil War era history but I had no knowledge of these final dramatic and mysterious moments of Cromwell's journey.. Thank you so much, really interesting!
great video as always john, thank you ...R.I.P. brian catling an amazing artist
Was in Bloomsbury on Wednesday xxx
great place to be Morrigan
@@JohnRogersWalks at the British museum looking at Goddesses and Daemons xxx fab
What a wonderful video, John, this is a lovely time of year to be wandering about London, when I worked in london, I enjoyed doing just that in early autumn!
i used to live in Hanwell W7 before i emigrated to Canada in 1967. My best friend who told me to watch your excellent videos lives in Cheam. It would be great to see you walk these parts of London that were once little villages. Keep up the good work John Tony Gibbs now of London Ontario.
I thank you for bringing history to life. Please keep up the good work.
A great tale of Oliver Cromwell and a shot of John Harrison's abode. Now there's a fascinating story.
That was a great video. I used to spend a lot of time sitting in Red Lion square sitting munching my sarnie whilst waiting for my Girlfriend to get out of her studies over the road. If i'd known all those stories i might have been less bored.
Thanks John, again fascinating new layers of information as you walk streets familiar to many of us.
Yes those were Plane Trees in Russell Square, favored in Victorian times for absorbing the inevitable fumes from the industrial revolution and its inventions. The square now abutting many governmental buildings, like the once Ministry of Aviation.
Did you know there is another Faraday House?
A right turn off Fleet Street at about the site of the Screen in St Paul's, leads downhill towards the river to a Victorian building on the right with massive rooms of built-in rosewood telephone exchange positions for hundreds of operators.
In the 70's I worked there between jobs as at that time it served as the UK's International telephone exchange, where all calls in and out of the UK were manually connected.
I haven't been there in 50 years, so it may be gone.
Your talks are always interesting to me, well done on the research and then presentation, where research does not overwhelm the existent life in that corner of the world.
and so, i am all caught up! it was a wonderful experience, watching all of your videos so far, and i can only say i look forward to the future walks! thanks very much, once again!
I am glad not to be the only person from Calgary to watch your videos. 😊 What an interesting walk. The search for Cromwell's grave coincides with a lot of talk in the press in the Commonwealth whether the ties with the British monarchy needs to be severed. I enjoy your walks because you cover the history of London's region that are not touched by other walkabout presenters. Thank you.
Fellow Calgarians!
Lovely part of town Red Lion Square worked on a building right on it about 12 years ago but confess I didn’t know the Cromwell history, used to go to Becks cafe a great little place and the butchers McKanna,s, must revisit thanks for another great video 👍🏻
thanks John, enjoyed this so much. My Home Town , I had heard of most of these places, so nice to see then.
Hi John I studied Ancient and Near Eastern history at UCL and started an MA at the Institute of Archaeology which is on Gordon Square in the early 80s. I then later taught Ancient Egyptian history at the Mary Ward centre ...in the early 90s ...it's an Adult Education centre for undergraduates under the umbrella of the University of London.
This square was designed by one of my current interests, Humphry Repton.
More magic ! Thank you John.
Thanks Cee Jay
Thank you John for the lovely walk through the Bloomsbury squares!
Loved this thanks..I regularly walk Euston to via Holborn to Southwark its a fascinating part of town.
We have a wonderful pub here in Indianapolis named Red lion grog house! Pays an ode to history
John. I’ve adopted an expression you once said in an earlier video, ‘There’s worse things in life than a wet shoe’. I’d definitely buy a mug with that on it, would even stretch to a T shirt!
Ha, yes that’d be great thanks
i find myself researching all the pubs you come across in your videos, and make time to go have a pint in them
great video mr rogers till next time
Cheers John, always a pleasure.
Hi John, I'm a little bemused this time, you missed out the Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel, one of my favourite buildings, the architecture is astonishing. Hope to see you one day on one of your walks, take care
Great video John. Wonder if ground penetrating radar i Red Lion Square would find Oliver Cromwell's body.
It’d be interesting to see what they find
@@JohnRogersWalks Probably more of the Cold War Phone Exchanges ? !
I read somewhere that Crom's daughter, Elizabeth, stole his head at some point and kept it in a special bag of waxed canvas. I expect it kept for quite a while as it would have been boiled after his humiliating 'second death'.
A great video, how surreal is that for that couple to head back to their hotel to watch one of your videos then bump into you !
Absolutely wonderful.
Great ramble around a fascinating bit of London where I spent many a happy time...quite a bit involving visits to a mythical magic shop on Southampton row called Alan Alan's Magic Spot a unique place run by a quirky character...
Thank you once again John for a most informative walk around Bloomsbury.
Yourself and Joolz in a joint video. Could by hysterically funny. Could end up in an argument. 🤣 I'll claim a point for spotting the TS Eliot plaque right at the end 🙂
Nice one John - I like that Russell Square....you can imagine top hats and parasols promenading through it back the day.
Fascinating and thoroughly entertaining. How I miss these parts of London. I eagerly await your next walk, thank you.
being stuck in Canada, i really enjoy there vids, thanks
Great to hear Graham Dunning getting a mention, a real legend of the London music scene!
A beautiful part of London, I can remember once I did a walk from the embankment, going through trafalgar Square, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, through to Warren Street onto Fitzroy Square and onto Camden Town.
John love your walks around Holborn all my family live around there I live in deal Kent now but it’s Great to watch my manor I grew up in
Ahhh our ‘home’ in London is the Tavistock Hotel and I so long for this neighbourhood. Thank you for the lovely walk around it
Hello, today I discovered one of your videos on Bloomsbury, I thoroughly enjoyed it . I've been to London a few times but not for longer than a day but I would love to see so many parts of the city 😊
As usual John, excellent...👍.
Thank you. I did not know these details about my ancestor Bradshaw. Strange to think I worked at 26 Red Lion Square back in the 90s without knowing about that connection.
Oh that evoked childhood memories of playing in Russel Square. My mother & father both lived in Herbrand st as children and young adults. My best friend at school lived in those flats over the shops in Red Lion St. As a young adult I lived and worked nearby in Judd St. Oh my. I could go on andon ... Thank you once again.
Enjoyed another of your walks John. Ilive in the Lincolnshire countryside it amazes me how many parks and squares there are in London and beautiful historic buildingsJohn Brackenbury
i could watch you for hours… and lucky for me i’m new here, and have lots of videos to binge on…. ❤
Thanks very much Catherine, glad you’re enjoying the videos
The one day I ever had in London, this is where I went. Thanks for the memories.
Red Lion Square was mostly Cable and Wireless buildings when I worked for them decades ago.
Yes me too!
I used to be estate manager for the Council flats in Red Lion street. There was rumors that it haunted but no tenants ever reported seeing ghost or odd events. However the rumors may have been due to part of Red Lion Square was once used a cemetery.
It is a very nice area. My mum and her mum were born in Bloomsbury.
Hi John, it's been months since I followed your channel and commented but I jumped in here and loved every minute.
Red Lion Square is bursting with stuff as I'm sure you know. Cromwell's corpse could well be unacknowledged below your feet right there, much like Richard III was discovered below the tarmac two miles or so from where I sit right now.
John Harrison gave us a way to accurately determine longitude - pretty much laying the foundations for the likes of Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Captain James T Kirk and their cohort to build upon.
The name associated with Red Lion Square that resonates mostly with me is that of Kevin Gately (who he?), a 20 year old kid who in 1974, was the first person to die in a public demonstration in England for fifty odd years. Perhaps it's time a memorial was placed there in his memory?
Cheers 👍🏼
Very interesting I love these intriguing stories or indeed facts John your facts amaze me ,Your knowledge is incredible thanks for another brilliant video .
THANKS,, DES IN BELFAST, IRELAND
I love watching your videos. You are so very interesting and your stories take my mind off of my problems and help me relax. Thank You, Mr Rogers. I look forward to watching more. 🙂
I lived in Bloomsbury for 10 years on Marchmont Street and even though I don't live in London now it's still the place I go to get a hotel and feel at home. I wonder if the Devil Conduit also had something to do with the source of waters ar the Turkish baths at the Imperial Hotel.. I'll have to look in one of my books on the area. The history of the Imperial Hotel is quite fascinating as it was intended to be built in three phases, only two got built, much grander than Hotel Russell, and then it was demolished, the plan for the third final wing forgotten.
Aah I forgot to mention Hotel Russell! Thanks for those notes on the Imperial Hotel
Fascinating walk John, such rich and varied history there 👍🏼
It's a great area Paul
Thanks John!
Cheers Mark
Just ordered your book. Thank you for all the videos they are much appreciated.
Many thanks Richard
Wonderful stuff as ever, sir!
Cheers Phil