“London opens to you like a novel itself… It is divided into chapters, the chapters into scenes, the scenes into sentences; it opens to you like a series of rooms, doors and passages.”
-Anna Quindlen
The city of London has been around for so long that it has been the setting of countless books and stories. Some of the Western world’s most well-known writers lived and worked in London. Come follow in their (and their characters’) footsteps, and visit the best places in London for book lovers. This list of literary London sites includes pubs, museums, statues, and bookstores.
Whether you enjoy Victorian-era fiction, such as the works of Charles Dickens or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or have a soft spot for childhood favorites, such as Mary Poppins or Paddington, there are nods to them all around London.
Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for circular blue plaques on historic buildings. These English Heritage plaques commemorate famous or influential Brits and can be found on buildings in which they lived or worked. If you’re interested in someone special, you can look them up here.
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Looking for things to do in London? Check out my two-day London itinerary here!
Best Places to Visit in London for Book Lovers
Mr. Fogg’s Tavern
One of the best types of places to visit in London for book lovers is a themed pub. If you’re a fan of Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, you should visit Mr. Fogg’s Tavern.
This Victorian tavern in Covent Garden is exactly what you want it to be: wood-paneled and dimly lit. However, the decor is particularly inspired by Around the World in Eighty-Days. The establishment is named for the novel’s protagonist, Phileas Fogg, who bets that he can travel the world in said amount of days. Mr. Fogg travels by train and steamship to complete his goal.
Mr. Fogg’s Tavern has a long list of specialty cocktails, most including gin, as well as a variety of punches.
In addition to the delicious food and drink, one of my favorite parts of Mr. Fogg’s tavern was the music. The playlist was what I would call “eclectic vintage.” To really enjoy some vintage music, visit the tavern on Thursday nights when they do a “Cockney Singalong.”
Cecil Court
Not far from Mr. Fogg’s Tavern is the pedestrian street, Cecil Court. The street is full of Victorian buildings housing independent shops. You can find antiques, art, and, of course, bookshops. In fact, since the 1930s, Cecil Court has been nicknamed “Booksellers’ Row.”
There’s a shop called Alice Through The Looking Glass, which specializes in the stories by Lewis Carroll, and Goldsboro Books, which specializes in signed copies of first-edition books.
Fun Fact: Young Amadeus Mozart actually lived in Cecil Court for a short time while he was visiting England!
Leicester Square
In the hustle and bustle of London’s West End is a small park called Leicester Square. If you look closely, you’ll find nods to London’s literary characters throughout the park.
In the middle of Leicester Square is a fountain with a statue of William Shakespeare. Then, all around the park you will find bronze statues of famous characters from popular books and movies, such as Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, and Paddington Bear.
Charles Dickens Museum
When writing about places to visit in London for book lovers, Charles Dickens’s house must be on the list. Victorian-era novelist Charles Dickens is most known for Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol. His works often advocated for the poor and working classes.
Located at 48 Doughty Street, Charles Dickens’s former house is now a museum open to the public. (In fact, this year marks its 100th anniversary as a museum.)
The author lived in this Georgian townhouse from 1837-1839, and the museum has recreated the space as it would have looked when he was in residence. It even has furnishings, decor, and other possessions that belonged to Dickens. Wander room by room to learn what life would have been like for the celebrated author and his wife.
Attached to the museum is a gift shop and its cafe, The Artful Tea Room (named after the beloved character, The Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist).
Looking for more Charles Dickens history in London? Check out the guided tours below!
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and Chop House
Speaking of Charles Dickens, he was a regular at several London pubs, including Ye Old Cheshire Cheese and Chop House. Dickens is said to have had “a favoured chair by the right of the fireplace on the ground floor” (according to London Literary Tours).
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire and it has remained much the same ever since. It’s a maze of different rooms spanning several floors, including the Cellar Bar, the Cheshire Bar, and the Chop Room, where you can enjoy signature dishes such as Ye Olde Steak & Kidney Pudding.
Over the years, the pub has seen many London literary greats. Not only did Dickens write “The Cheese” into A Tale of Two Cities, but Robert Louis Stevenson also mentions it in The Dynamiter. In the 1890s, W. B. Yeats and Ernest Rhys founded a group called the Rhymers’ Club, which would meet there to drink.
King’s Cross Station
If you are a Harry Potter fan, one of the best places to visit in London is King’s Cross Station. The railway station is famously where students catch the Hogwarts Express from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Since my first visit to London over ten years ago, King’s Cross has embraced its Muggle tourists by creating a photo opportunity in the station. On the wall near Platform Nine, you can find a long queue of folks waiting their turn to snap a photo with a luggage trolley, complete with a choice of House scarves. If you want to wait in line, go for it.
However! My favorite area of King’s Cross is actually between Platforms Four and Five. This is where Harry first runs at the barrier in the Warner Brothers’ movie. The lofty skylight ceiling is also reminiscent of the chapter in Deathly Hallows, when Dumbledore tells Harry he could board a train…if he wishes.
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Perhaps one of the most well-known fictional English characters is Sherlock Holmes, the consulting detective created by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While Sherlock may be fictional, his home at 221B Baker Street is a real building you can visit.
Technically, the building sits between 237 and 241, but the museum got special permission from the city to use the famous number 221B. The Sherlock Holmes Museum opened in 1990 and is decorated to look as it would have in the late 1800s, when the Sherlock stories took place.
As a costumed guide takes you through the house, including bedrooms, the study, and Sherlock’s “laboratory,” you can envision Sherlock, Watson, and Mrs. Hudson living and working there.
Looking for more Sherlock Holmes locations in London? Check out these guided tours for both book lovers and fans of the BBC show:
The British Library
Of course, one of the best places to visit in London for book lovers would be a library…but not just any library. The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and thus is massive, housing millions of books.
The British Library isn’t only a place to read or work. You can take a free tour of the “Treasures of the British Library.” The exhibit has a wide variety of literary artifacts, from the Magna Carta to Jane Austen’s writing desk. Fantasy lovers (like myself) will be particularly happy to see books illustrated by Lewis Carroll and J. R. R. Tolkien.
The library is free to visit and open every day.
Kensington Gardens
Whether you are a book lover or not, Kensington Gardens is one of the best places to visit in London. The large, peaceful park is perfect for a stroll.
Fans of J. M. Barrie will be interested to know that the author wrote his famous stories about Peter Pan in and around Kensington. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens was published in 1906, years before the well-known Peter Pan and Wendy story. In the early book, a young Peter galavants around Kensington Gardens with animals and fairies.
The Llewelyn Davies family of Notting Hill met and befriended Barrie in Kensington Gardens. Barrie even became guardian of the Llewelyn Davies children when their parents died. He named several characters after the young boys, including Peter, George, and Michael.
You can find a bronze statue of Peter Pan and his animal friends in Kensington Gardens.
Paddington Station
If you loved reading A Bear Called Paddington and the subsequent stories by Michael Bond, then one of the best literary places in London is the train station for which he is named.
After being found in the station by the Brown family, they give the polite little bear the name Paddington. Fond of marmalade sandwiches, Paddington often gets into trouble but works hard to put things right. He has become a beloved character worldwide, with the Paddington books translated into 30 languages.
The station itself, London Paddington, dates back to the mid 1800s. It’s a beautiful Victorian station with a glass ceiling train shed. You can find a bronze statue of Paddington Bear on Platform One. (I particularly love that his nose is affectionately rubbed so often it has stayed shiny.)
Notable Mentions
If you are interested in more literary London, here are some additional places to check out:
- The Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey: Within the famous London cathedral is a corner where writers, poets, and playwrights are either buried, like Charles Dickens, or memorialized, like Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.
- The George Inn: Another historic pub that Charles Dickens, and possibly William Shakespeare, frequented.
- Waterstones: The Piccadilly location of this mainstream retailer is the largest bookstore in Europe!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of places to visit in London for book lovers! Let me know who your favorite English authors and characters are in the comments below.
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