- Edgware Road Station -
Monday 6th July 2026 and I'm easily persuaded really - the mere mention of bookshops and historic pubs means this is far too good an opportunity to resist. Catching the 09:55 Chiltern service from Solihull sounds straightforward enough in principle, but a lorry has collided with a railway bridge in Gerrards Cross so we have to switch down via Oxford into Paddington, one of the great London terminals; I love the overhanging awning topped with GWR heraldic crest as evidence of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's original station design here. Exiting onto Praed Street, we quickly pass an attractive archway for St Mary's Hospital (founded in 1845) before further railway-related excitement presents itself courtesy of the frontage to Edgware Road Station complete with lettering for the Metropolitan Railway, London's original underground.
- The Wallace Collection -
With photocopies in hand, Bookworm Bygrave leads us on our walk proper which commences on Chapel Street immediately outside the aforementioned Edgware Road tube stop. It doesn't take long for the historic discoveries to accumulate: St Mary's Church has a lovely rounded portico and faces down Wyndham Place towards Bryanston Square, originally constructed as part of the Portman Estate. A memorial fountain dedicated to Morning Post newspaper editor William Pitt Byrne is pointed out, then we navigate via Portman Square and Fitzhardinge Street to happen upon the Wallace Collection galleries based on Manchester Square. Always keen for a cultural intermission, we browse inside this national museum within Hertford House, formerly the principal London townhouse residence of the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace. Elaborate French cabinets and decorative arts abound but it's the vast display of princely armour which has me transfixed - such extraordinary battle attire!
- Grinning in the Golden Eagle -
It's a warm day in the Big Smoke so we're thankful that the route contains plenty of suggested refreshment stops, including some rather special pubs. The Coach Makers Arms sits on the corner of Marylebone Lane and Bentinck Street, where it is part of the Cubitt House portfolio and has three levels comprising a first floor 'chop house' restaurant, ground floor pub and a speakeasy cocktail bar in the basement. We stay at ground level for Allsopp's Best Bitter and some televised Wimbledon tennis action, cooling off a little. Marylebone Lane is also where we find the Golden Eagle, advertising regular piano singalongs although they're spared any WME recitals of 'Roll Out The Barrel' or 'Down At The Old Bull And Bush'. A small but perfectly formed interior provides a timeless bolthole for sampling of Fullers London Pride, chatting to Emily about her preferred bits of the Capital (Kew Gardens being a firm Bygrave favourite).
- Daunt Books -
The deal is simple - if I can claim prized pubs, the Bookworm gets to fulfill her bookshop fix and there are a couple of unmissable ones on our itinerary. We briefly weave towards Oxford Street via St Christopher's Place (a former slum area that has been transformed into a street of desirable boutiques), then zigzag amongst the renowned medical establishments of Harley Street, noting the headquarters of the Royal Society of Medicine at 1 Wimpole Street. Emily's side of the bargain is upheld with thanks to Marylebone's Oxfam store - rumour has it I raided their stocks of Tottenham Hotspur programmes for a 1970s Wolves edition - although it's the Daunt Books premises which truly captures the imagination. Their store is organised along geographical lines with fiction, travel guides and non-fiction arranged together by continent, region or UK locality. Creaky floors and crammed shelves, its a magnet for literature lovers!
- Bookworm in the Barley Mow -
Happy with her haul, Emily next guides us to Paddington Street Gardens as a little oasis of green space which is an inviting spot for lazing on the grass or seeking out a shady bench. We're nearing the end of our circuit but there are a couple more must-visit pubs in the vicinity which we're eager to try. The first of these is the Barley Mow on Dorset Street, said to be the oldest pub in Marylebone having been built in 1791 and trading since 1793. The interior is heritage listed on account of many original features such as two private lockable drinking booths beside the main bar counter. Monkey Brewhouse's Tollhouse Bitter slips down very smoothly at 3.8% as we're amused by some of the darts team names - 'We're Sexy and We Throw It', 'The Tungsten Tossers' and 'Till Death Do Us Dart' all raising a chuckle.
- Chiltern Trains at Marylebone -
Our final drinks stop will therefore be the Angel In The Fields, a Samuel Smiths establishment on Thayer Street. It doesn't stand out as much as some in terms of its understated exterior but inside it comes alive with dark wooden panelling and floral stained glass, not to mention a nice cask pint of Old Brewery Bitter. I'm told the London arm of Sam Smiths can be slightly more relaxed as regards the brewery's digital detox rules and that does seem to be the case here, albeit the atmosphere still benefits from that focus on old-fashioned conversation. Gloucester Place is our direct means of getting to Marylebone Station where we stock up on train snacks and progress to Boarding Area A while waiting for the Snow Hill service to be prepared on Platform 6. London can be busy, intense even, but it rewarded these two intrepid explorers with a wonderful day of Marylebone mooching. Bookworm and I could well return for more!
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