by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:3rd May 2019
Rubbing shoulders with the Royals
The district of St James’s in London’s West End is actually quite small, but, having said that, it has to be one of the wealthiest too, which isn’t surprising if you’ve got Buckingham Palace on your doorstep.
Just within a stone’s throw of each other, you have St James’s Palace, exclusive membership clubs and charming shops you’d expect to see in a Charles Dickens tale.
St James’s runs from Piccadilly in the north to Haymarket in the east, then skirts around by Trafalgar Square. It runs along The Mall and St. James’s Park in the south and then up by Green Park in the west. So, it’s petite and perfectly formed.
Why not Pin it for later?
The Afternoon Tea Bus Tour heading along St James's street
Where is St. James?
How to get to St. James
- By Public Transport
You are in 'Zone One', and your nearest tube stations are Green Park on the Piccadilly line, and Piccadilly Circus on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines, also close-by is Charing Cross Tube on the Northern line and the overland station.
Don’t forget if you have a contactless bank card, or a card assigned to your phone you tap and pay with that. (For more check out the TFL site(Transport for London))
Historic London
St. James’s PalaceSt James’s Palace is still a royal residence for a few royal family members, including the Princess Royal.
St James’s Palace entrance
St James’s Palace is still a royal residence for a few royal family members, including the Princess Royal.
Within the grounds of St. James’s Palace is Clarence House, once home to King Charles and Queen Camillia.
So, quite prestigious neighbours.
Royal London
Did you know?One of the courtyards in St James’s Palace is the Friary Court. It is from the Proclamation Gallery, which overlooks the yard, that the announcement is made of the new sovereign by the Garter King of Arms, following the death of the previous monarch.
You may have seen it after the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Friary Court
I didn’t know this; you find out something new every day.
Halt, who goes there?
Just to let you know that not all the streets around St James’s Palace are accessible to the public, you may get stopped by a friendly armed policeman!
A hidden gem in London
Queen’s ChapelJust across Marlborough Road from Friary Court is the Queen’s Chapel, designed by Inigo Jones in 1623. It was completed in 1627 for Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I.
The Queen’s Chapel
Before her lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, the chapel was used to lay the body of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. You can’t peek in as the chapel isn’t open to the public.
Tube Station Walks
We love to explore London on foot; a great way to break it into bite-sized pieces is to pick an underground station.
Why not browse our posts on tube station walks to find out what we uncovered in different districts?
A must-see in London
Pall MallDuring the 19th century, the area of St. James’s, and particularly along Pall Mall, was synonymous with Gentlemen’s Clubs and became known as “Clubland”. Many of these clubs still exist and are frequented by the higher societies in life.
Pall Mall
A fairly hefty membership fee and specific credentials and referrals are prerequisites. The buildings that some of these clubs are within are kept immaculately and a credit to their surroundings.
The Oxford & Cambridge Club
A few that we spotted were the Oxford & Cambridge Club at 71-76 Pall Mall, established in 1821.
The Royal Automobile Club at 89-91 Pall Mall, which opened in 1897, and at 107 Pall Mall was 'The Athenaeum Club' dating from 1824.
The Royal Automobile Club
When we reached the Athenaeum Club, filming was taking place on a period drama, and signs were put on the club naming it the “Princess Theatre”. We’ll have to look out for this on the “silver screen”.
The Athenaeum Club in disguise
We have a little book on our shelves that we sometimes delve into when we're about to hit an area of London.
Packed full of historical facts, and broken down into the different regions of London, it's a great resource to help you see what's hidden in plain sight.
Available in Kindle & Hardback editions, it's an excellent addition to anyone's collection who loves London.
Exploring London
Coffee is callingThere are some pretty unique and exclusive shops around here; along Jermyn Street, you’ll find some quirky boutiques.
Franco’s Café
Also, an excellent Italian café named Franco’s, it is believed that Franco’s was one of the first Italian restaurants in London.
Go on, treat yourself to a coffee!
Cappuccino at Franco’s Café
Where to stay in London
If you want to stay around St. James's, there are many options. This can be your base for discovering more of the West End of London.
There are plenty of choices, why not check out Booking.com for something that suits your requirements?
London's little treasures
A little bit of shoppingAfter your well-deserved refreshment at Franco’s or your afternoon tea at The Ritz, head down St James’s Street. Along here are some “fine” establishments and a reminder of the English gentlemen’s prerequisite attire.
Emma Willis- Jermyn St
Perhaps not where you or I will shop; however, these old businesses are a little piece of our history.
Tale of two cities
Did you know that London contains two cities: the City of Westminster, which St. James’s is in, and to the east is the City of London, the financial district? Then there's the rest of London.
The quirky side of London
The Bowler HatLock & Co. Hatters at no. 6 was established in 1676 and is the oldest hat shop in the world. They also created the Coke hat in 1849, now known as the Bowler hat.
Lock & Co. Hatters sign
Lock & Co. Hatters
Lock and Co. Hatters, like many establishments in St James, are Royal warrant holders; therefore, they can publicise that they supply their goods to the Royal family.
Shopping in London
A few more storesAt no. 71 are Trueffit & Hill, established in 1805, are a fine traditional gentlemen’s barbers and perfumers.
They are also by Royal Appointment and, over two centuries, have catered for all men’s grooming needs.
Trueffit & Hill Barbers
John Lobb - boot and shoemaker
John Lobb, at no. 9, is a boot and shoemaker and has supplied footwear globally to the rich and famous, it was established in 1866, and of course, to the Royal family as it also has Royal Appointment, but historically to actors, singers, politicians and maharajahs.
Kingsman at Mr Porter
Kingsman (Mr Porter) at no. 4 St. James’s is not to be confused with the Huntsman store on Saville Row.
The Huntsman was used as the inspiration for Matthew Vaughn’s blockbuster movie Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Berry Bros & Rudd
Just next door at no. 3 in a Grade II listed building is Berry Bros & Rudd Ltd. wine and spirit merchants. This family-run business was founded over 300 years ago, in 1698 and is Britain's oldest wine and spirits merchant.
It's a lovely old shop with wooden wine crates stacked all around. And yes, you guessed it, Berry Bros & Rudd can also display the 'By Royal Appointment' crest.
Berry Bros & Rudd in Pickering Place
If you stroll through Pickering Place, the alleyway next to it, you’ll come to a tranquil courtyard beyond.
If you've yet to discover London and its ancient history, then let's start planning. I find these DK Eyewitness Travel Guides invaluable. They're extremely informative, easy to follow, and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more of those fascinating sites.
You can now grab a recently revised copy of this guidebook, so you won't miss a thing.
A walk through London's history
A little bit of knowledgeAlso, along Pickering Place is a brass plaque erected by The Anglo-Texan Society for the Texas Legation.
It was here between 1842 & 1845 that a diplomatic mission was established.
The Texas Legation plaque
While we were wandering around, we came across various blue and green plaques you so often see dotted around the streets of London.
Along St. James’s Place was a green plaque for Sir Winston Churchill, showing where they lived between 1880 and 1883.
Childhood London home of Sir Winston Churchill
On the same street was a green plaque to where Sir Francis Chichester, KBE, lived from 1944 to 1972. Sir Francis Chichester was a pioneering British aviator, sailor and author, and he single-handedly circumnavigated the globe in 1966-67.
Plaque to Sir Francis Chichester KBE
Blue Plaque to Frederic Chopin
Still within the same road was also a blue plaque for the Polish composer Frederic Chopin. On the 16th of November, 1948, Chopin made his last public appearance at London's Guildhall.
Explore London on foot
If you enjoy finding out a little more about London's districts, take a look at the articles we created for the different regions we've explored, all easily discovered on foot.
Have You?
Visited any of London’s fascinating districts with so much history, we’d love to hear about them?
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