In London for the day, and trying to cram in as much as possible, we crisscrossed the city by bus, the Tube, and on foot. From the London Mithraeum in the depths of the City to the dizzying views from the 50th floor of the Lookout, we made the most of this wonderful city.
We had arranged to meet a friend for a late afternoon coffee near her office in Bloomsbury. It was the perfect location for us, because I wanted to visit Denmark Street.
Denmark Street runs from Charing Cross Road to St. Giles High Street, right on the edge of the West End, and it’s a short walk from Tottenham Court Road station.
Although it is not a designated English Heritage property, some buildings are listed, like 6 Denmark Street. This Grade II listed terraced house dates from around 1690. According to English Heritage, the reasons for its designation include the “the graffiti of John Lydon in the outbuilding to the rear is a rare example of the cultural phenomenon of Punk Rock, captured in the physical fabric of a building; it is also a wider testament to Denmark Street’s C20 history at the heart of British popular music production during one of its most creative and influential periods.”
At the height of its popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, Denmark Street was the epicentre of the British music industry. It was the place to be for publishers, songwriters, producers, and artists. Local studios hosted the likes of Jimmy Page, The Sex Pistols, and The Kinks. David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix hung out in local bars and cafes.
Nowadays, the surviving 17th-century terraced houses rub shoulders with later additions and house music shops, cafes, and offices.
However, the real reason I wanted to visit Denmark Street had nothing to do with the music industry and everything to do with TV. I’m a huge fan of the BBC series Strike, based on Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike books. (Robert Galbraith is J.K. Rowling’s pen name.)
Cormoran’s office is located on Denmark Street. The office interiors were shot at a film studio, but the outside shots were taken on location. It was fun to try and guess which facade they chose and to imagine Tom Burke, the actor playing Strike, walking in and out of the door dozens of times for each take.
As it turns out, I wasn’t the only fan. I saw a few tourists posing in front of the building we all think is the one.
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