This walk passes places where the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope lived, and places referred to in his many novels. It starts at Baker St and ends in Trafalgar Square.

It is a long walk - about 4.3 miles in all. If you are interested in Victorian literature, you should find the readings fascinating. If not, the walk is a splendid one, passing through fine and varied neighbourhoods, grand and royal buildings, and wonderful shopping of all kinds.

If you want to read Trollope for yourself, having taken part in this walk, why not check out the Trollope Reading List. It is a friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable group. This walk is dedicated to my friends on the Trollope Reading List.

Anthony Trollope was born in 1815 at 6 Keppel St, Campden Town near British Museum WC1. In 1882 when staying at 14 Suffolk St SW1 he quarrelled so violently with group of noisy street musicians that he had a stroke and died a few days later in Welbeck St (near Portman Sq). So he was very much a Londoner.

Trollope became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. His first major success came with The Warden (1855) — the first of six novels set in the fictional county of "Barsetshire" (often collectively referred to as the Chronicles of Barsetshire), usually dealing with the clergy. The comic masterpiece Barchester Towers (1857) has probably become the best-known of these.

Trollope's other major series, the Palliser novels, concerned itself with politics, with the wealthy, industrious Plantagenet Palliser and his delightfully spontaneous, even richer wife Lady Glencora usually featuring prominently. He also wrote penetrating novels on political, social, gender issues, and conflicts of his day.

Trollope's popularity and critical success diminished in his later years, but he continued to write prolifically, and some of his later novels have acquired a good reputation. In particular, critics generally acknowledge the sweeping satire The Way We Live Now (1875) as his masterpiece. In all, Trollope wrote forty-seven novels, as well as dozens of short stories and a few books on travel.

Anthony Trollope died in London in 1882. His grave stands in Kensal Green Cemetery, near that of his contemporary Wilkie Collins. See my Kensal Green Walk.

References to Trollope and his works in this walk

Marylebone Rd

Location of realities Institute in Is He Popenjoy?

Luxborough St (Northumberland St)

Home of Meager family – Yosef Meager (Revd Joseph Emelius) lodged here after separation from Lizzie Eustace Phineas Redux

Trollope lodged here as junior clerk in GPO

Baker St

The Rowleys stayed at Greggs Hotel in He Knew He Was Right

Home of Mr and Mrs Low Phineas Redux

Mr Slope’s church before he was Bishop Proudie’s chaplain Barchester Towers
“He had been a sizar at Cambridge, and had there conducted himself at any rate successfully, for in due process of time he was an MA, having university pupils under his care. From thence he was transferred to London, and became preacher at a new district church built on the confines of Baker Street. He was in this position when congenial ideas on religious subjects recommended him to Mrs Proudie, and the intercourse had become close and confidential.”

York St

Trollopes lives at 20 1838-40 after AT’s father died

Wyndham St

Lady Anna and her mother lived here before their right to the title had been established in Lady Anna

Bryanston Sq

AT’s sister Cecilia married to John Tilley in church here

Montagu Sq

No 39 plaque AT lived here 1876-80

Portman Sq

London home of earl of Brentford, father of Lady Laura Standish Phineas Finn

De Courcey’s London house Small House at Allington

Greshams town house Dr Thorne

Orchard St

Phineas Finn first spotted garrotters Phineas Finn

Park St

Phineas saved Mr Kennedy from garrotters

Green St

Mildmays London house Phineas Finn

Mr and Mrs Harold Smith at Park Lane end Small House at Allington

Frank Houston’s aunt Rosina Houston Ayala’s Angel

Brook St

London home of Marchesa Baldoni – here Ayala Dormer met Col. Stubbs

Boncassons had house here The Duke’s Children

Home of Lady Linlithgow Eustace Diamonds

Hanover Sq

George Vavasour speculated on murder of his grandfather Can you forgive her?

Burgo Fitzgerald was kind to a prostitute here in spite of his own terrible problems ibid

Great Marlborough St

Phineas lodged in house or Mr & Mrs Bunce Phineas Finn & Redux

George Vavasour’s attorney Mr Scruby has office here Can you forgive her?

Conduit St

Tailor Neefit’s shop Ralph the Heir
“Mr Neefit was a breeches-maker in Conduit St, of such repute that no hunting man could be said to go decently into the hunting field unless decorated by a garment made in Mr Neefit’s establishment. His manipulation of leather was something marvellous, and in his latter years he had added to his original art – an art which had been perfect rather than comprehensive – an exquisite skill in cords, buckskins and the like.... Mr Neefit had actually lived over the shop in Conduit St but was now the proud possessor of a villa residence in Hendon, two miles out in the country beyond Swiss Cottage.”

Bond St

Ralph the Heir has rooms Ralph the Heir

Booby & Moggs boot makers ibid

Harter & Benjamin jewellers The Eustace Diamonds

Bruton St

Town house of Sir Harry Hotspur Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite

Longstaffes lived here The Way we Live Now Chapter XIII
This conversation took place in the drawing−room of the Longestaffes' family town−house in Bruton Street. It was not by any means a charming house, having but few of those luxuries and elegancies which have been added of late years to newly−built London residences. It was gloomy and inconvenient, with large drawing−rooms, bad bedrooms, and very little accommodation for servants. But it was the old family town−house, having been inhabited by three or four generations of Longestaffes, and did not savour of that radical newness which prevails, and which was peculiarly distasteful to Mr Longestaffe. Queen's Gate and the quarters around were, according to Mr Longestaffe, devoted to opulent tradesmen. Even Belgrave Square, though its aristocratic properties must be admitted, still smelt of the mortar. Many of those living there and thereabouts had never possessed in their families real family town−houses. The old streets lying between Piccadilly and Oxford Street, one or two well−known localities to the south and north of these boundaries, were the proper sites for these habitations. When Lady Pomona, instigated by some friend of high rank but questionable taste, had once suggested a change to Eaton Square, Mr Longestaffe had at once snubbed his wife. If Bruton Street wasn't good enough for her and the girls then they might remain at Caversham. The threat of remaining at Caversham had been often made, for Mr Longestaffe, proud as he was of his town−house, was, from year to year, very anxious to save the expense of the annual migration. The girls' dresses and the girls' horses, his wife's carriage and his own brougham, his dull London dinner−parties, and the one ball which it was always necessary that Lady Pomona should give, made him look forward to the end of July, with more dread than to any other period. It was then that he began to know what that year's season would cost him. But he had never yet been able to keep his family in the country during the entire year. The girls, who as yet knew nothing of the Continent beyond Paris, had signified their willingness to be taken about Germany and Italy for twelve months, but had shown by every means in their power that they would mutiny against any intention on their father's part to keep them at Caversham during the London season.

Lady Lufton’s town house Framley Parsonage

Bishop Proudie’s London house Barchester Towers

Berkeley Sq

Lady Baldock lived here Phineas Finn

Sir Hugh Clavering’s town house The Claverings

The Houghton residence in Is he Popenjoy?

Lord Nidderdale lived here at house of his father Marquis of Auld Reekie The Way we live now

Hill St

Universe Club may have been here, west of Chesterfield Hill. Phineas Finn quarrelled with Mr Bonteen shortly before he was murdered Phineas Redux

Curzon St

Louis Trevelyan’s home He knew he was right
“As it was time for him to have his leave of absence, he and sundry of the girls went to England with Mr Trevelyan, and the marriage was celebrated in London by the Rev Oliphant Outhouse of St Diddulph in the East who had married Rowley’s sister. Then a small house was taken and furnished in Curzon St Mayfair, and the Rowleys went back to their seat of government leaving Nora, the second girl, in charge of her elder sister.... For nearly two years this little household in Curzon St went on well, or if anything was the matter no one outside was made aware of it. And there was a baby, a boy, a young Louis, and a baby in such a household is apt to make things go on sweetly.”

Half Moon St

Lizzie Eustace lodged here after being turned out by Mrs Bonteen when her supposed husband had been found to be Mr Bonteen’s murdered Phineas Redux

Clarges St

Lord Fawn took this route from the Universe Club to Piccadilly and then to his lodgings in Victoria St.  At the N end of Clarges St he saw someone hurrying by whom he later thought to be Phineas Finn. Phineas Finn

Lady Ongar desired to stay here after Lord Ongar’s death in Florence The Claverings chapter 5
Harry said nothing, but went on reading. "I shall only want two sitting-rooms and two bedrooms--one for myself and one for Clara--and should like to have them somewhere near Piccadilly--in Clarges street, or about there. You can write me a line, or send me a message to the Hotel Bristol, at Paris. If anything fails, so that I should not hear, I shall go to the Palace Hotel; and, in that case, should telegraph for rooms from Paris."

Bolton St

Lady Ongar’s lodgings The Claverings

Hay Hill

Passage opposite bottom of Hay Hill was where Mr Bonteen’s body found Phineas Redux

St James’s St

George Hotspur’s lodgings Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite

Mr Monk lived here Phineas Finn

Lord Chilton dines at Mooney’s Restaurant Phineas Redux

The Bear Garden is near here The Way we live now; The Duke’s Children

Carlton Gardens

Altringham House, home of Earl of Altringham Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite

Carlton House Terrace

Town house of Duke of Omnium The Prime Minister [Phineas Redux Carlton Gardens]

Suffolk St

John Grey’s lodgings, where George Vavasour tried to kill him Can you forgive her?

No 14 – Gardants Hotel – AT stayed here in his later years

Eleanor Arabin and Johnny Eames stayed at a quiet hotel near here on their way back from the continent Last Chronicle of Barset

Dean Lovelace stayed here Is He Popenjoy?
This was not in itself satisfactory; but such as it was, it did for a time make Lord George believe that Popenjoy was Popenjoy. It was certainly true of him that he wished Popenjoy to be Popenjoy. No personal longing for the title or property made him in his heart disloyal to his brother or his family. And then the trouble and expense and anxieties of such a contest were so terrible to his imagination, that he rejoiced when he thought that they might be avoided. But there was the Dean. The Dean must be satisfied as well as he, and he felt that the Dean would not be satisfied. According to agreement he sent a copy of his brother's letter down to the Dean, and added the assurance of his own belief that the marriage had been a marriage, that the heir was an heir, and that further steps would be useless. It need hardly be said that the Dean was not satisfied. Before dinner on the following day the Dean was in Minister Court. "Oh, papa," exclaimed Mary, "I am so glad to see you." Could it be anything about Captain De Baron that had brought him up? If so, of course she would tell him everything. "What brought you up so suddenly? Why didn't you write? George is at the club, I suppose." George was really in Berkeley Square at that moment. "Oh, yes; he will be home to dinner. Is there anything wrong at Manor Cross, papa?" Her father was so pleasant in his manner to her, that she perceived at once that he had not come up in reference to Captain De Baron. No complaint of her behaviour on that score had as yet reached him. "Where's your portmanteau, papa?" "I've got a bed at the hotel in Suffolk Street. I shall only be here one night, or at the most two; and as I had to come suddenly I wouldn't trouble you." "Oh, papa, that's very bad of you."

Paul Montague had lodgings here The Way we live now

A bonus walk lasting about an hour. It's for when you have time for a stroll and find yourself in the vicinity of Holborn or Covent Garden.

We start at Holborn Underground on the Central and Piccadilly Lines in Zone 1. After acending the long escalator, go straight through the barriers out to Kingsway. Turn right and cross over High Holborn to see the 1950's tram underpass which unaccountably remains in Southampton Row. Then cross over and take a seat in the Sicilian Ave precinct (pictured) whilst I tell you all about Holborn and Covent Garden.

There's lots of history on this walk, but nothing heavy. Just snippets about the origins of the present look and feel of the place mainly dating back to the 1600's. After the chat we continue down Kingsway and turn right into Great Queen St, names after James I's queen, Anne of Denmark. You can visit the enormous imposing Freemasons' Hall where there are public exhibitions associated with the Masons. You can also see the site where the Football Association was founded and where they argued about the rules. Plus ca change.

Drury Lane signals the start of Theatreland and then Covent Garden. The highly fashionable houses of the early 1600's gave way to rowdy, brawling and seedy streets as the aristocrats moved West.

Bow Street is the heart of the walk. Here we see the old Bow Street Magistrates Court, recently closed. Here the Bow Street Runners, forebears of every police force in the world took over from the early volunteer 'thief takers.' Here a blind magistrate claimed to be able to distinguish up to 3,000 different miscreants by the sound of their voices alone. Here Oscar Wilde was arraigned for gross indecency, and an 89 year old Bertrand Russel with other supporters of CND was bound over to keep the peace in the 1960's. Fascinating history.

Then the highlight of the stroll if you are lucky - a visit to the Royal Opera House and the old Floral Hall. A refurbished gem of a place not to be missed. Try and get there between 10am and 3pm Monday - Saturday to gain admittance. The Paul Hamlyn Hall as it is know known (that's corporate sponsorship for you) is a must-see.

Finally you can cross the Covent Garden Piazza with its street entertainers, market stalls, eating places and other attractions to St Paul's Church. The walk finishes with a stroll along Floral Street and its shishi fashion shops and tiny alleys and courtyards. From Long Acre you can either brave the deep lifts down to Covent Garden Underground (Piccadilly Line Zone 1) or spend a few minutes retracing your steps back to Holborn.