Baker Street.

This is the 9th station travelling North on the Bakerloo Line. Baker Street has another four lines stopping here - Jubilee, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City. With 10, it has the most platforms of any London tube station.

219 Baker street known as Abbey House is now a residential block owned by Ability Parkview. Originally built in the 1920s, it was the headquarters of the Abbey Road building Society headquarters from 1932 to 2002. The art deco frontage has been kept by the new owners.


The site owned by Ability Parkview also includes 221B, the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes. However the address only came into existence when Baker Street was extended in the 1930s long after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the books.


       

Just across the road is Regent's Park

Madame Tussauds is a wax museum on Marylebone Road displaying wax figures from the world of music,sport, film to the Royal family and famous historical figures. It was started by the wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in London.The domed building next door used to be the Planetarium but is now part of the wax museum. The only Planetarium in London is a new state of the art one at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The very busy road junction outside Baker Street tube station.

This is St James's Church with a view of the Manchester Mews in the foreground. Mews are converted stables and in this area they are numerous. The church is always referred to as St James's, Spanish Place although it is not in Spanish Place.

The unusual association with Spain dates back to the reign of Elizabeth I when the bishops of Ely let their Palace and chapel to the Spanish Ambassador and representatives of the Court of Spain. Until the reign of Charles I the chapel was used by English Catholics and became a sanctuary for them. Hence the Spanish connection.

Octavia Hill (1838-1912) who was the co-founder of the National Trust started her work here in Gabutt Place.

Around the corner in Grotto Passage is one of the Ragged Schools built in 1846. A ragged school was for the poorest of children in London and were built in the slum areas. Founded by entrepreneurs of the 19th Cent, approximately 300,000 children attended these schools duing the mid 1800s.

Paddington Street Gardens were formed during the 18th cent as an additional burial ground for the Marylebone Parish Church. There are probably around 80,000 graves in this small garden and so is still consecrated ground. A list of names taken from the tombstones  can be found in the Westminster City Archives. In 1885 the gardens became a recreation ground and the tombstones were removed

but this mausoleum was left due to its excellent design.

Next door to  Baker Street Station  is the Lost Property Office for London Transport. This is where you will find your lost item if it has been found on a tube, bus or black cab. In 2013, 246,241 items were handed in, including 12,000 umbrellas, 11,000 sets of keys and 35,000 articles of clothing. If unclaimed after 3 months they are sold at auction.

                                           Statue outside Baker Street station.

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