A HARRY POTTER LONDON TOUR IN WESTMINSTER.
HARRY POTTER LONDON TOUR - DIRECTIONS
On arrival on the other side of Parliament Street, turn right and cross Bridge Street via the next crossing towards the Houses of Parliament.
Go left on the other side and keep ahead on to Westminster Bridge to pause half way across and look to the right.
THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the order fly past the riverside Terrace of the Houses of Parliament (to your right) and under Westminster Bridge en route to 12 Grimauld Place.
HARRY POTTER LONDON TOUR - DIRECTIONS
Continue over Westminster Bridge.
LONDON TREASURE HUNT CLUE TWELVE.
See Who can find this very depressed looking lion.
ANSWER
He's on the left side of the bridge when you arrive on its other side.
THE COADE STONE LION
The Lion is made from Coade Stone, a tough, weather-resistant ceramic that was created and manufactured by the Coade family in the 18th century and whose premises stood nearby.
HARRY POTTER LONDON TOUR - DIRECTIONS
On arrival on the opposite side of the bridge turn right to descend the steps and keep ahead along the riverside walk way, with a wonderful view of the Houses of Parliament on the other side of the river.
Be sure to note the dolphins that are coiled around the lamps that line the riverside wall to your right.
As the riverside walk way opens out to your left is Lambeth Palace:-
LAMBETH PALACE - LONDON RESIDENCE OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.
Lambeth Palace has been the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury since 1207.
The red brick gatehouse that you can see to your left dates from 1495. To its right is the church of St Mary-at Lambeth which houses the Museum of Garden History. Those buried here include Captain William Bligh (1754 - 1817) of Mutiny on the Bounty fame; two John Tradescants, the elder (1570's - 1638) and the younger (1608-1662) both head gardeners to Charles 1st and both credited with introducing many species of plants into English gardens; and Elias Ashmole (1617 - 1692) founder of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
HARRY POTTER LONDON TOUR - DIRECTIONS
Just past the Thames Cruises Pier, go up the steps and turn right on to Lambeth Bridge.
LAMBETH BRIDGE AND THE KNIGHT BUS.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban this is the bridge on which the Knight Bus was filmed squeezing between two buses as it drives over the bridge.
On arrival on the Other side of Lambeth Bridge go right through the gates in to Victoria Tower Gardens.
Keep ahead until you arrive at the very colourful:-
BUXTON MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN - A COLOURFUL REMINDER OF A LONG AGO STRUGGLE.
The fountain was built to commemorate the emancipation of slaves that resulted from the passing of the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833. It was donated by Charles Buxton MP in memory of his father Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton and those who shared his struggle to abolish slavery in the British colonies.
IS THIS A DEMENTOR THAT I SEE BEFORE ME?
This might be my imagination playing tricks on me, but don't you think that the lion's head above the drinking bowl that looks towards the main road bears a chilling resemblance to a Dementor?
Go left and pass the fountain and exit the gardens on to the main road.
Turn right, and keep going past the Houses of Parliament to cross Bridge Street via the traffic lights.
Turn right on the other side and then go left in to:-
WESTMINSTER UNDERGROUND STATION.
The subway leads into the main booking hall of Westminster Underground Station. This is the station that Mr Weasley and Harry travel to en route to the Ministry of Magic.
You will be travelling from here to the next section of your Harry Potter Walking Tour so you will need to go through the ticket barrier.
It was one of these barriers that so confounded Mr Weasley as he tried to exit through it.
You will need to take an East Bound District or Circle Line train from here to Temple Underground Station where the next section of your Harry Potter London Tour will begin.
