Welcome to Kingsbourne House Holborn

Welcome to Kingsbourne House Holborn

Our location Kingsbourne House Holborn (pronounced / hoʊbɚn/ HOE-bərn) is an area of Central London, England. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running from St Giles's High Street as High Holborn to Gray's Inn Road to Holborn Viaduct, crossing the borders of the City of Westminster, London Borough of Camden and the City of London (Wikipedia) 2

Contents Holborn History Transport Links Eating and Drinking Museums Other Useful Information 3

Holborn History

Holborn History / 1 The area's first mention is in a charter of Westminster Abbey, by King Edgar, dated to 959. This mentions "the old wooden church of St Andrew" (St Andrew, Holborn). It was then outside the City's jurisdiction and a part of Ossulstone Hundred in Middlesex. In the 12th century St Andrew's was noted in local title deeds as lying on "Holburnestrate" Holborn Street. The name Holborn may be derived from the Middle English "hol" for hollow, and bourne, a brook, referring to the River Fleet as it ran through a steep valley to the east. The 16th century historian John Stow attributes the name to the Old Bourne ("old brook"), a small stream which he believed ran into the Fleet at Holborn Bridge, a structure lost when the river was culverted in 1732. The exact course of the stream is uncertain, but according to Stow it started in one of the many small springs near Holborn Bar, the old City toll gate on the summit of Holborn Hill. Other historians, however, doubt that in view of the slope of the land. The original Bars were the boundary of the City of London from 1223, when the City's jurisdiction was extended beyond the Walls, at Newgate, into the suburb here, as far as the point where the Bars where erected, until 1994 when the border moved to the junction of Chancery Lane. In 1394 the Ward of Farringdon Without was created, but only the south side of Holborn was under its jurisdiction with some minor properties, such as parts of Furnival's Inn, on the northern side, "above Bars". The rest of the area "below Bars" (outside the City's jurisdiction) was organised by the vestry board of St Andrew's parish. Thus the original part of Holborn was never incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn. The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn was created in 1899. It was abolished in 1965 and its area now forms part of the London Borough of Camden. In the 18th century, Holborn was the location of the infamous Mother Clap's molly house but in the modern era High Holborn has become a centre for entertainment venues to suit more general tastes: 22 inns or taverns were recorded in the 1860s and the Holborn Empire, originally Weston's Music Hall, stood between 1857 and 1960, when it was pulled down after structural damage sustained in the Blitz. The theatre premièred the first full-length feature film in 1914, The World, the Flesh and the Devil, a 50-minute melodrama filmed in Kinemacolour. Source: Wikipedia 5

Holborn History / 2 Charles Dickens took up residence in Furnival's Inn, on the site of the former Prudential building designed by Alfred Waterhouse and named "Holborn Bars". Dickens also put his character "Pip", in Great Expectations, in residence at Barnard's Inn opposite, the current home of Gresham College, and Staple Inn, notable as the promotional image for "Old Holborn" tobacco. The three of these were Inns of Chancery. The most northerly of the Inns of Court, Gray's Inn, is in Holborn, as is Lincoln's Inn: the area has been associated with the legal professions since mediaeval times. Subsequently the area diversified and become recognisable as the modern street. A plaque stands at number 120 commemorating Thomas Earnshaw's invention of the Marine chronometer, which facilitated long-distance travel. At the corner of Hatton Garden was the old family department store of Gamages. Until 1992, the London Weather Centre was located in the street. The Prudential insurance company relocated in 2002. The Daily Mirror offices used to be directly opposite it, but the site is now occupied by the J Sainsbury head office. Further east, in the gated avenue of Ely Place, is St Etheldreda's Church, originally the chapel of the Bishop of Ely s London palace. This ecclesiastical connection allowed the street to remain part of the county of Cambridgeshire until the mid 1930s. This meant that the Mitre Tavern, located in a court hidden behind the buildings of the Place and the Garden was subject to the Cambridgeshire Magistrates to grant its licence. St Etheldreda's is the oldest church building used for Roman Catholic worship in London, but this became so only after it ceased to be an Anglican chapel in the 19th century. Hatton Garden, the centre of the diamond trade, was leased to a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Christopher Hatton at the insistence of the Queen to provide him with an income. Behind the Prudential Building lies the Anglo-Catholic church of St Alban the Martyr.[10] Originally built in 1863 by architect William Butterfield it was destroyed in 1941 and a new church was built in the Victorian Gothic style. The current vicar is the Venerable Howard Levett. On the southern side lie Chancery Lane and Fetter Lane. On Holborn Circus lies the Church of St Andrew, an ancient Guild Church that survived the Great Fire of London. However the parochial authority decided to commission Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild it. Although the nave was destroyed in the Blitz, the reconstruction was faithful to Wren's original. In the middle of the Circus there is a large equestrian statue of Prince Albert by Charles Bacon (1874), the City's official monument to him. It was presented by Charles Oppenheim, of the Diamond Trading Company De Beers, whose headquarters building is in nearby Charterhouse Street. In the early 21st century, Holborn has become the site of new offices and hotels: for example, the old Pearl Assurance building near the junction with Kingsway has been converted to an hotel. These exploit the excellent public transport links (Holborn underground station is the junction of the Central and Piccadilly lines) and the strategic location between the City of London and the West End. Source: Wikipedia 6

Transport Links

Tube Holborn underground is in Travel card zone 1 It is on the Piccadilly and the Central line. Travel to Main Line Train Stations Paddington: Central Line changing at Oxford circus for Bakerloo line (16minute journey). Alternatively central line to Lancaster Gate plus 7 minute walk Kings Cross: Piccadilly Line (5 minute journey) Waterloo: Piccadilly Line changing at Leicester Square for Northern Line (15 minute journey) (see bus also) London Bridge: Central Line changing at Bank for the Northern Line (15 minute journey) Charing Cross: Piccadilly Line changing at Leicester Square for Northern Line (11 minute journey) Moorgate: Central Line changing at Bank for the Northern Line (11 minute journey) 8

Buses Buses heading in all direction across London Waterloo: 10 minutes by bus from bus stop M on Kingsway (first bus stop from office) 9

Walking Russell Square is 10 minute walk up Southampton Row Tottenham Court Road is a 10 minute walk, with Oxford Circus a further 10 minutes. Head down High Holborn past Sainsbury's and bear right onto New Oxford Street 7 minute walk down High Holborn to Chancery Lane 12 minute walk down Kingsway to Temple (useful for Circle and District Lines) Covent garden is a 7 minute walk, and Leicester square a 12 minute walk. Follow signposts outside of the tube station. Weave your way through Covent Garden or head down Kingsway to the Strand for Charing Cross (15 minute walk) 10

Eating and Drinking

For Lunch The Usuals Other favourites Café Moko On every street! Few doors down on the right out of the office Closest is a few doors down on the right out of the office On corner by tube Great salads, also serve sandwiches, breakfasts, jacket potatoes (and marmite on toast!) Left out of back exit to office Great thai food to eat in or take away Hatch for takeaway next to entrance to Bar Polska (Little Turnstile) Few doors down on the right out of the office On Kingsway On Kingsway Opposite Office on High Holborn Good hot food for lunch and sandwiches / salads On Little Turnstile, alley by Ship / behind Pret Lincoln s Sandwiches Expensive but great food. Serve BBQ burgers in the summer! On Gate Street, towards Lincoln s Inn Fields (on right) Holborn Lily Café Opposite Office on High Holborn Eat in or take away On Kingsway, on corner out the back of office There are also a number of café s on Sicilian Avenue, left off Southampton Row Sandwiches and salads On Gate Street, on the way to Lincoln s Inn Fields (on left) The cheap café. Good for fry up! On Little Turnstile, alley by Ship / behind Pret 12

The Locals THE Local! Great fish finger sandwiches, sausage and mash, home made pork pies and ales. The world s best pub (Mark Long) Great service. Good value set menu for lunch. Great for Post Christmas party hangover cure (Mark Long) evening meal too 1 1 Good for group bookings. Food can be touch and go but fine if just want a burger. Good outdoor space for smokers (A Smoker) 2 2 Again good for big groups, can book whole room for about 20. Food good value and often offers on drinks They sell beer here! (Ben Markham) 3 4 1 Great atmosphere. Great value tasty Thai food. Gets busy on a Friday Chilled atmosphere with funky lampshades (Katie Vosper) 4 5 6 3 Good happy hour and food ok and reasonably cheap. Dance floor downstairs for those who have stamina! Great beers and mussels. Good cheap lunchtime menu Cheap cocktails and pitchers during happy hour (Bethan Cooke) Good mussels with a great selection of beer (Heike Immich) 5 6 13

Other Restaurants and Bars Other bars Bar Polski Other restaurants KEY: Good for clients Coopers Farringdon Little Turnstile, alley behind Ship Kingsway Sicilian Avenue, left off Southampton Row Lincoln Inn Fields Covent Garden Bountiful Cow Covent Garden Kingsway High Holborn Eagle Street Princess Louise Great Queen Street, on route to Covent Garden Great Queen Street, on route to Covent Garden High Holborn High Holborn Kingsway High Holborn Covent Garden 14

Museums

Museums / 1 16

Museums / 2 17

Museum Map 18

Other Useful Information

Banks and ATMs Closest ATMs In Holborn tube station and outside Sainsbury s (although always very busy at lunchtimes) 20

Parking Bloomsbury Square Car Park NCP NCP Those cycling to BDRC either park their bikes by the Ship / Pu s Brasserie or in the pedestrian triangle between Eat and Gym Box There is a motorcycle bay at the back exit to the office 21

Other Useful Shops Mish Mash* Police Station, 10 Lambs Conduit Street, WC1N 3NR, 0300 123 1212 A&E, University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU, 0845 155 5000 *Mish Mash is good for presents and cards 22