Lost London: An A-Z of Forgotten Landmarks and Lost Traditions

by Richard Guard

Lost London is the story of the city as told through the buildings, parks and palaces that are no longer with us. Places like the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, the leading venue for public entertainment in the city for over 200 years, or the Palace of Whitehall whose 1500 rooms made it the largest royal residence in Europe until it was destroyed by fire at the end of the 17th century. From bull rings to ice fairs, plague pits to molly houses, this is a fascinating journey through London's forgotten past, unearthing the extraordinary stories that lie beneath familiar streets as well as shining a light in the city's darkest corners.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, London, Travel, Historical, Reference, British Literature

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[nisie draws]

It was too depressing reading about all the things I can never see because they're gone!

[Marina]

** Books 206 - 2016 **

3,1 of 5 stars!

If you wanna know more the background of historical sites in London you should read this one! :*

Thank you Bookmate!

[Mell]

Not going to bother with finishing Lost London. This could have been great- but the book is more like an elementary school encyclopedia with very brief entries about some places that don't exist any more. With some additional effort and research, the locations addressed within could have become good short essays. Even 2 pages would have been interesting. Instead, they are less detailed (many just a paragraph or two) and much less interesting than an average Wikipedia page.

[Soo]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was well written, well referenced and gave a fascinating insight into the history of London. Having acquired it for only ninety-nine pence, from the Kindle Marathon Read, it was an absolute bargain. A real treasure trove for anyone interested in London's past.

[Louise]

Not my usual sort of read, am more of a fiction fan myself, but I kept picking this up between books and f found some interesting facts about places I knew well.

[Carolyn]

This was a good one! It's full of interesting (and horrifying) London lore. I LOVED how he included a quote from an author of the era for almost everything, even someone discussing how the Globe burned down last night. I think on balance it's more historic than not, as it aligns with other things I've read... and a lot showed up in the works of Terry Pratchett, one way or another, and there was a lot of "so that's where he got it." The items covered range from "Oh interesting" to "Good riddance and may its name be cursed" (the prisons, Bedlam hospital).

Content note: it gets gruesome. Also not shy about prostitutes.

[Aileen]

Very interesting A-Z list of former attractions in the city. Lots of theatres, pleasure gardens, rivers and other notable buildings that no longer exist. It also includes lists of former trades, slang, street cries and notable heads impaled on poles on London Bridge! It would have been good to see some of these places in their heyday.

[Sas astro]

I like a book to dip in and out of, this is just such a book. There's nothing in depth but there is a lot of fascinating information of areas of London that are no longer with us, though in some cases a plaque or a road name marks what had been there. An interesting read.

[Marianne Fox]

This is a fun and fascinating little compendium! I like the way it's laid out, too.

[Jbondandrews]

Quite an interesting little book.

[Duncan Ballard]

Lost London, the title describes the book very accurately. It is interesting but a shame that you can’t seen any of the places 97% of them don’t exist.

[Annette]

Interesting facts and snippets about lost London buildings and places. Glad I didn’t live in London back then!!! I would have loved more images and a location map for the entries.

[Dogeared]

In many ways this could have been fascinating. It just stops short. It will tell you about a place (sometimes suddenly throwing in a non sequitur, like say talking about the history and how it was burned down several times and then oh yeah by the way it was the site of where whatsisname did something). And sometimes he as more effusive and other times suddenly just stops short o explanation.

[Henna]

Lost London is full of interesting and detailed stories of forgotten landmarks and lost traditions. It fashinates me so much and I loved every story and every detail I get to learn about - but at the same time there was a sad undertone, for me at least. I mean, all these buildings lost mainly because of the fires in London during centuries or during World War bombings. It's sad to think how such horrible things destroyed so much history and so many traditions, and of course all the lives that were lost. However, Lost London is entertaining and full of funny stories about things that have been in London. One can also see how different times and eras have an influence on what is acceptable, what is preserved and what will carry on for hundreds of years.

I highly recommend this to everyone who is fashinated by London and/or stories about past.

[Katy]

A great, light read on lost pieces of London, from people who picked up dog poop for leather curing to the lost Whitehall Palace. Lots of interesting tidbits- I like how he included contemporary accounts from diarists and letters. One major drawback, at least for me, was the lack of maps, anywhere in the book. Even a grid map at the beginning to help you locate the general area, with a map reference below each entry, would have been nice. I basically had my AZ guide open and with me the whole time, to try and place things in perspective even though the buildings/gardens/ect weren't there anymore. Still, a fun read with interesting little bits of info not found in a lot of places.

[Emma]

Alphabetically collected selection of lost London buildings and landmarks. Each item gets a page or so of history, mainly 17th-19th century. There are some real gems in here that I'd never heard of, including some Gardens and a Bun shop selling some 240,000 buns on Good Friday 1839!

The Kindle version I had lacked a map with the locations, but read in conjunction with a computer with street view brought some of the areas to life - obviously it's called Lost London as none of them still exist.

An intriguing mix for jumping off to deeper explorations elsewhere.

[Steven]

Interesting (but very light-weight) resource on random (but alphabetized for easy reference) sites long gone from the city of London. A fun read, but not an in-depth or detailed source--lack of maps being one main complaint followed by the author's assumption that I know exactly where every neighborhood and locale is within the city. Thus a lot of asides lack necessary details for those of us not native to London.

Still, for gamers or people looking to fill out historical details in this or a fictional city, it's a goldmine of ideas and opportunities to add depth to a made-up place.

[ManicMyna]

some interesting bits, lets you know where things were, most of which seem to have vanished long ago, the most recent would be a street/cinema(Astoria) gone from Tottenham Court road within the last few years.
in terms of what things it details well they're all pretty ancient, there's basically nothing of more recent times (say 20th century, 60s/70s/80s) unless mentioned in relation to something much older

[Chantal E. R. H.]

It was an extremely quick, light and fun read. I've never been to London, but have always wanted to visit. This made me want to visit even more, even though most of the things mentioned in this book don't exist anymore. I didn't realize quite how 'new' a lot of London is. I always pictured it as a city with lots of extremely old buildings. That part made me a little sad.

[Jean]

It's lists various old places in an encyclopedia like format. Listed in alphabetical order with very brief history as well as the occasion literary reference. Each entry is just a short quick run- down of the history and significance. It is as in-depth as a travel guide.

[Ruth]

A quick and informative read. It's the kind of book that contains just enough information to inspire you to find out some more knowledge, look up a place on a map or be able to drop a morsel into a conversation. Recommended to the normal crew.

[Agadah]

An excellent little book ..... especially for people who live and know London, even those who has lived in London for many years. The back street and alley ways of London all have a story to tell. Highly recommended.

[Michael Dolan]

It only goes to W but it's still a great read. Want to know the location of Chippendale's original workshop, or what a Pure Gatherer was? (You actually don't want to know the last one). This book will tell you.

[Owl]

(to come)

[Lindsay]

An interesting look at some vanished places around London. I had heard of some of them, but not all.

[Jessica]

Awesome book! I plan on adding it to my Yule wish list. London is just such a fascinating city with a rich and varied history.

[Claire]

Short, pithy entries with surprising facts about London. I really enjoyed it.

[E.H. Walter]

Interesting, although more trivia would make it even better!

[Adele]

Utterly loved this, absolutely fascinating. Shame so much of the Old London has been lost by one way or another

[David]

A few revelations but mostly regurgitated information found in other London history books