London Uncovered (New Edition)

Book excerpt: A follow-up to the hugely successful Unseen London, London Uncovered is a unique London guidebook that opens the doors to more than sixty of the capital's most intriguing places, all visitable but not widely known. From museums of the unusual to places of worship; palaces of entertainment to historic and ornate shops; city houses and hostelries, take a trip through the capital's hidden treasure and discover a picture of a London which is strange, gaudy, grand and inventive. Describing the history and the character of each place, the book uncovers a wealth of stories about an endlessly fascinating world city with its own unique character. This fresh edition includes over a dozen new locations, including the Dennis Severs House, Les Ambassadeurs Casino and Sir John Soane's Museum. See a glimpse of uncovered London with this unique guide to the city's buildings. The buildings: Introduction: Cleopatra's Needle; St Pancras Renaissance Hotel; Isabella Plantation; Leake Street. Historical Homes: Syon House; Charles Dickens Museum; Apsley House; Eltham Palace; Leighton House; Two Temple Place; Kew Palace and The Royal Botanical Gardens; Freud's House; Kenwood House; Dennis Severs House; Handel & Hendrix House. Drinking and Dining: Beefeater Distillery; Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese; Bibendum; L. Manze; Smeathfield Meat Market; The Ivy; The Black Friar; Berry Bros. & Rudd. Palaces of Entertainment: The Rivoli Ballroom; Wilton's Music Hall; Normansfield Theatre; Wigmore Hall; Gala Bingo Club; Repton Park Pool; The Royal Automobile Club; Les Ambassadeurs. Places of Worship: Westminster Cathedral; London Peace Pagoda; Masonic Temple at Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel; St Bartholomew the Great; St Mary-le-Bow; Shri Sanatan Hindu Mandir. Remarkable Shops: LassCo Salvage; L. Cornelissen & Son; Lock & Co. Hatters; Steinway & Sons; James Smith & Sons; John Lobb Ltd. Education and Technology: The Charterhouse; Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret; The Ragged School Museum; London Museum of Water and Steam; Royal Institution of Great Britain; Rail Mail. Inns of Court: The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn; The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn; The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple; The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple; The Temple Church. Unusual Museums: The RAF Museum; Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms; HMS Belfast; The Monument; Wimbledon Windmill; Design Museum; Sir John Soane's Museum. Praise for Peter Dazeley and Mark Daly's previous book Unseen London: 'A thrilling tour behind the closed doors of the capital city's buildings.' Daily Telegraph 'Dazeley captures the atmosphere of each building to perfection.' Daily Express 'Fascinating.' Fabric magazine 'A joy' Evening Standard