Category 

Routes start

00 34 Pentonville Road

51.531921, -0.107857 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Stage 1

33 Sicilian Avenue

51.518571, -0.121611 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Colonnade at the north-western end of the avenue. Black CCTV sign on one of the columns
Penultimate line
HOLBORN LINKS LIMITED
111 42 Northampton Road

51.525543, -0.107085 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Red stand across the road from the eastern wall of the building
Who is wearing sunglasses?
Sunflower / cherry / tomato / bee
144 White Conduit Street

51.533753, -0.108758 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Group of signs next to the ‘Costumier’ shop
What does the sign with the black cat advertise?
Cigarettes
148 3 Torrens Street  

51.532088, -0.105357 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Cafe with a horse figure on the façade. Stencil print in the bottom right corner of the gate to the left of the figure
First line
www.myspace.com

Historical background

Closed Tube Stations
// London underground holds the seventh place in the world by the number of stations — there are 270 stations. And if you add to this list 77 stations that no longer exist or have left the subway, London will quickly jump to the third place, this says something about how much the land is dug under the British capital. Why so many stations were closed? About a half of them are closed due to low passenger traffic. The fifth part was unnecessary, because other stations were opened nearby, almost as much — due to various technical reasons and reconstructions. Four stations were closed during the war, but never returned to service. And with one station came just the opposite, it returned from oblivion during the war, and was closed again five years later. Not all of these stations have been demolished, some of them are abandoned, some filled with shops, and thirty stations are still working, but now they work with the common trains. The closed half of the Charing Cross station is most fortunate — movies are often being shoot on it. In addition, somewhere in the parallel imaginary London 62 stations live, which were conceived, but never built; it's the whole city, the amount comparable to the entire network of stations in St Petersburg! It is notable that the most frequent reason for abandoning these stations is that the company failed to raise funds and the construction permission expired. Fourteen stations remained on paper because of it.
183 36A Camden Passage

51.535652, -0.102932 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Pub opposite. Window with the ‘Fish & Chips’ inscription
Year below the inscription
1860
916 Riddle

51.527216, -0.109992 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

In the books about his young confrere who lived much later, his beard or his name are mentioned more often than him personally. Find his street.
Street sign at the southwest end of the street.
Top right word

Detailed answer

The riddle is about the “Merlin’s Beard!” exclamation from the Harry Potter series. Merlin Street.

Answer: Finsbury


Finsbury
923 Riddle

51.522817, -0.112975 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

What you want is not the one before Christmas but the one on a certain street. A soon-to-be captain also started his career there. Mosaic 50 metres southeast from the eastern end of the street.
Quantity of birds

Detailed answer

It is about the films The Nightmare before Christmas and A Nightmare on Elm Street, the latter features the first appearance of Johnny Depp. Elm Street.

Answer: 3


3
926 Riddle Checkpoint picture 926

51.536079, -0.101538 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

See image. The first building from the northwest end on the odd side of the street. Graffiti on the door adjacent to that street.
Animal in the author’s signature

Detailed answer

To get Peter and Paul’s Cathedral (which is in St Petersburg), one has to add St Peter to St Paul. You need St Peter’s Street (Peter Street does not have a northwest ending).

Answer: Pegasus


Pegasus
70 64-68 Kingsway  

51.516835, -0.119584 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Shakespeare’s Head pub
Signature of an official
Signature

Historical background Checkpoint picture 70

Oxford Street
// The famous Oxford Street in London remembers the Roman conquerors. In those days the Londinium has not reached its current size, there was a rural area instead of the Westminster district, and instead of the Oxford there passed the Roman Road Via Trinobantina, one of the most important routes to and from the town. Romans were gone, London was rising, and the road gradually grew into the city. It was called the Tyburn Road, the Uxbridge Road, the Worcester Road, the Oxford Road, and finally acquired its current name. It also was the way of hanged, marching at Tyburn to the end of their lives, was filled with slums, and because of this, the richer people didn't love to settle there. By the end of the XVIII century the gallows were removed, and a variety of entertainment options — the Pantheon, theatres, pubs began to appear on Oxford Street, and then wealthy people caught up and began to build houses there.
Trade at the Oxford Street has flourished and almost superseded the ordinary life in the XIX century. At the end of the XIX century there were traffic jams on the road already!
Now it is the busiest shopping street in Europe. On it's two kilometres fits about three hundred shops, markets and supermarkets, there are inconspicuous points of sales, hidden coffee shops, secret passages and viewing points. In short, this is a magical place. Take care of your Galleons!

Stage 2

69 31­­­–32 Soho Square  

51.514792, -0.13256 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Soho Square entrance. Commemorative plaque on the wall to the right of the entrance
Last word in the fourth line
BOTANISTS

Historical background Checkpoint picture 69

London Theatres
// Until the latter half of the XVI century, the British public was entertained by troupes of actors, who traveled across the country. They loved performing in the capital, because there was always a lot of spectators. The city government did not liked them a lot — sometimes plays were not religious enough, sometimes people were distracted from work or the crowds were too large. In short, there was no problem to find some trouble. The actors, in order not to, mostly played in inns, courtyards and in the homes of wealthy people, including the Queen. By the middle of the XVI century, the actors began to think about their own buildings, in order not to share profits with taverns and, correctly selecting a plot of land, to get out of the control of the City Council. The first theatre, ‘The Red Lion’, was built in 1567 in Whitechapel. It had no success and was closed in a year. The second theatre with a simple name ‘The Theatre’ appeared nine years later in Shoreditch, and it had success. Further theatres began to grow like mushrooms after a rain — ‘The Curtain’, ‘The Swan’, ‘The Rose’, Shakespearean ‘The Globe’ and others. When Puritans led by Cromwell came to power, they closed all the theatres. The ban was lifted only with the restoration of the monarchy after eighteen years. At the same time the Royal theatre on Drury Lane was built. Charles II favoured the theatre. It was him who issued the royal decree that from now on female roles must only be play by women as he felt disturbed looking at bearded ‘female’ characters. Theatres continued to multiply and develop. There are about one and a half hundred theatres now in London. Not counting concert halls and sports arenas.
88 Archway to Neal’s Yard from Monmouth Street

51.514636, -0.126724 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Graffiti
Label on the bag
Harrods
132 Swiss Court

51.51045, -0.131422 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Pillar with signs in the western part of the court
All words that contain diacritical marks
Genève, Zürich, Graubünden, Neuchâtel, Liberté
173 Junction of Broadwick Street and Carnaby Street

51.512722, -0.13822 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Large mosaic mural on the wall. Sportspeople holding a cup
How many sportspersons are standing in row?
5
908 Riddle Checkpoint picture 908

51.513336, -0.129293 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

This picture shows the relationship between these two places that are just 900 metres apart. The eastern of the two. Bus stop D
Time for the last N29 bus

Detailed answer

This is about the famous annual rowing competition between Oxford and Cambridge universities. However, since those are clowns who are rowing, the riddle hints to Oxford Circus and Cambridge Circus that are about 900 metres apart. Cambridge Circus.

Answer: 0605


0605
914 Riddle Checkpoint picture 914

51.514966, -0.121365 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

See image. If these people decided to meet, they would likely do it in this building. Plates at the ground floor level
Quantity of lions

Detailed answer

Franklin, Churchill, Wilde, Bezukhov: each of them was a free mason. Freemason’s Hall.

Answer: 18


18
920 Riddle

51.513857, -0.140231 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Its history starts in the second half of the XIX century. During the first decade, it had been rapidly expanding, and received its current distinguishing look about 50 years later.
The initial parts of its American namesake (more famous by far) were put together the same year but the whole structure was completed and opened to the public only 11 years later. It took several more decades for it to receive its current distinguishing look due to oxidation.
Quantity of stone lions in front of the entrance

Detailed answer

As can be easily guessed, the American namesake is Liberty Statue. One of the most famous London’s shops is Liberty Department Store, which was rebuilt in the early XX century with the wood recycled from two decommissioned ships.

Answer: 3


3
928 Riddle  

51.507374, -0.127587 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

China – Tiananmen Square, Beijing
France – Notre Dame cathedral, Paris
Hungary – Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest
Indonesia – Weh Island
Italy – Capitoline Hill, Rome
Malaysia – General Post Office, Johor Bahru
Russia – Iberian Gate, Moscow
Sweden – Gustav Adolfs torg, Stockholm
United Kingdom – ?

Plate on the ground north of the equestrian statue
First word of the second last line

Detailed answer

Those places are used as the origins of the road distances in their respective countries. In the UK, it is the location of the original Charing Cross, which is right behind King Charles’ equestrian statue.

Answer: MILEAGE


MILEAGE

Historical background Checkpoint picture 928 Checkpoint picture 928

London Noses
// In 1997, the unknown placed on London attractions' walls 35 alabaster noses.They appeared on the walls of such crowded places as the Tate gallery, St Pancras and others. Most of the noses were seen and shot down in the first months, but almost a dozen of them survived and became part of the urban environment. Gradually they began to acquire legends. One of them promised a fortune to anyone who will find the seven noses in Soho. As another legend goes, there is a spare nose for Admiral Nelson's statue on Trafalgar Square. The third legend has it that there is an impression from the nose of Napoleon, glued on the wall so passing cavalrymen could pinch Napoleon's nose. The secret was revealed only fourteen years after. The noses' author revealed himself, it was Rick Buckley, the artist. He said he protested against the increasing proliferation of CCTV monitoring, that poked its' nose into people's privacy. The form of protest was partly inspired by Gogol's story about the escaped nose of major Kovalev. Subsequently, the British edition of Gogol's Nose illustrated with photos of Buckley's noses was published. Of course, Buckley had followers. Designer Tim Fishlock placed a few ears on the walls of London, not in protest, but just like that. And now everyone has a chance to talk to the wall, it's the perfect listener.

// //Sherlock Holmes
// Sherlock Holmes got into the Guinness book of records as the most filmed character in the world. There are more than two hundred films about the famous detective, and much more theatrical productions, radio plays and other signs of worldwide fame! The very first film adaptation was the American silent film of 1900 ‘Sherlock Holmes Baffled’. It lasted only forty-five seconds. Who played the burglar and the detective, and where had the stolen stuff been gone, the history doesn't record. The first series of the first British film Holmes adaptation came in 1931, it was 'The Sleeping Cardinal'. Only five series were filmed. One of them did not not survive, the rest can be viewed on YouTube. Sherlock Holmes was played by Arthur Wontner and Dr. Watson was played by Ian Fleming. Unfortunately, we will not see the old England the films, all filming took place in the pavilion. The action of the most postmodern film adaptation, ‘Sherlock’ TV series, is happening nowadays.
The most recent film adaptation, the English-American animated film ‘Sherlock Gnomes’, shows us the secret life of the stone inhabitants of London.
The authors of the movies saw their characters in different ways, but one thing remains constant — the address is 221B Baker Street. And now the question is this! From what kind of a phone booth model the garden gnomes company, led by Sherlock Gnomes, called? It's elementary, isn't it? ;)
50 36 Riding House Street  

51.518961, -0.139512 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The Green Man pub
Signature of an official
Signature

Historical background Checkpoint picture 50

Red telephone box
// Standardisation of telephone communication and country's telephony in Britain was considered at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was especially difficult and expensive telephonise the countryside because of the long distances, and the way out was a system of telephone booths for public access. The First World War stopped this process for a long time, and the first standard K1 phone booth in Britain was created only in 1921. It was an elegant concrete construction with a pyramidal roof and a remarkable door sign ‘Open Always’. Only five remained, and just two on the streets. The following models made by G. G. Scott had a domed roof and were made of iron, with the exception of concrete K3. Plywood K5 was not put into production, no true copy exist even in museums. But the biggest success of sir Scott was the K6 model, everyone's favorite English red telephone booth, one of the British symbols. It was created in 1935 by the 25th anniversary of King George's V reign and had been produced for thirty-three years. Despite the appearance of more modern models and the overall reduction of the street telephone network, there still remain more than ten thousand K6 booths in the streets. Written-off booths are not necessarily thrown away, many of them are turned into art objects, mini-libraries or something else unusual, for example, shower cabins. Paddington bear called Browns from K6 booth. Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley went to the Ministry of Magic via the telephone booth K2. Now you know that too.

Stage 3

28 33 Queen Square  

51.521481, -0.121676 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Sign on the corner of the building, starting with ‘THIS CORNER STONE’
Last word of the fifth line
Honourable

Historical background Checkpoint picture 28

The Cabmen's Shelters
// In a time when horseless carriages had not been invented, there was a law in Britain, forbidding drivers to leave their cabs on the streets. This deprived them of the opportunity to relax and have a snack between trips. Tired cabmen gathered at pubs where someone could look after cabs for a small fee, and had a rest there, not always keeping sobriety. In 1875, cabmen were decided to be taken care of, and a special charitable Fund was founded, which sponsored the building of 61 ‘Cabmen's Shelters’ in London. ‘Shelters’ nicknamed ‘Green Cabbie Huts’ had a length no bigger than a horse and a cart and stood on the busy roads. Despite the small size, they had a small kitchen, a lounge room for 10-12 people, and sometimes a toilet. There it was inexpensive to get hot food and drinks and read a newspaper. Alcohol, gambling and profanity were strictly prohibited.
With the advent of cars ‘Green Cabbie Huts’ gradually lost actuality, and most of them were demolished. But thirteen of them survived, one of the ‘huts’ had to move from Leicester Square, which was transformed into pedestrian, to Russell Square. It is still possible to buy cheap coffee and snacks to take away there. But to be lowered inside to take a rest, you, as before, have to be a cabman!
36 25 Howland Street

51.520827, -0.138885 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Signs with musical notes
Word that is mentioned twice on the westernmost row of the signs
of
63 25 Gordon Street

51.525564, -0.133145 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Round commemorative plaque
Copy the line that follows ‘OF’
TROPICAL MEDICINE
66 Pearson Square  

51.519212, -0.138273 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Sculptural arrangement ‘The One and the Many’. The inscription on the stone. The bottom line of the inscription
Words crossed by the white lines
WAS NO TIME MATTER

Historical background Checkpoint picture 66

Red telephone box
// Standardisation of telephone communication and country's telephony in Britain was considered at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was especially difficult and expensive telephonise the countryside because of the long distances, and the way out was a system of telephone booths for public access. The First World War stopped this process for a long time, and the first standard K1 phone booth in Britain was created only in 1921. It was an elegant concrete construction with a pyramidal roof and a remarkable door sign ‘Open Always’. Only five remained, and just two on the streets. The following models made by G. G. Scott had a domed roof and were made of iron, with the exception of concrete K3. Plywood K5 was not put into production, no true copy exist even in museums. But the biggest success of sir Scott was the K6 model, everyone's favorite English red telephone booth, one of the British symbols. It was created in 1935 by the 25th anniversary of King George's V reign and had been produced for thirty-three years. Despite the appearance of more modern models and the overall reduction of the street telephone network, there still remain more than ten thousand K6 booths in the streets. Written-off booths are not necessarily thrown away, many of them are turned into art objects, mini-libraries or something else unusual, for example, shower cabins. Paddington bear called Browns from K6 booth. Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley went to the Ministry of Magic via the telephone booth K2. Now you know that too.
97 Langham Street to the west of Hallam Street

51.518748, -0.143015 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Memorial opposite BBC Radio 1 entrance. Inscription on the pedestal to the right of the right shoe
Second line
Jennings
905 Riddle

51.516494, -0.144989 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

This Londoner became famous after he managed to measure the mass of a specific object. Ironically, the garden on the square that shares the name with him is shaped as the object he ‘weighed’. Stone slab in the middle of the square.
Second-to-last word of the second-to-last line of the engraving

Detailed answer

Henry Cavendish, among other things, managed to estimate the mass of the Earth. The garden on Cavendish Square has an unusual round shape (similar to the projected shape of the Earth).

Answer: Publick


Publick
912 Anagram

51.524205, -0.144024 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

1 Adorable Romney.
Entry to the church. Plaque left of the stairs. Last word of the first line

Detailed answer

Anagram for 1 Marylebone Road

Answer: PULPIT


PULPIT
913 Riddle

51.521882, -0.128102 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

That person was English; no wonder he chose a tea related metaphor to describe a theory that is impossible to disprove. Find his square.
Entrance to an art gallery on the street touching the western corner of the square. White plate right of the entrance
First word of the last line.

Detailed answer

Bertrand Russell proposed a concept of a teapot orbiting the Sun. It is left to contenders to disprove its existence!

Answer: APPROVAL


APPROVAL
30 31 Marchmont Street

51.524445, -0.124991 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The Marquis Cornwallis pub
Signature of an official
Signature

Stage 4

42 Percy Circus

51.529185, -0.11475 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The house between Great Percy Street and Vernon Rise. The round commemorative plaque on the façade
Second line
Ilyich Ulyanov
46 4 Britannia Street

51.530069, -0.117357 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Letterboxes to the left of the entrance
Sign on one of the letterboxes that does not contain numbers
LANDLORD
115 London House, Mecklenburgh Square

51.524565, -0.118106 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Mecklenburgh Square entrance. Plaque in the leftmost archway
The hyphenated word
re-naming
116 Marchmont Street

51.524554, -0.124622 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Plate describing the art installation on the pavement 30 metres to the left of the Brunswick Centre entrance
The latest year
2009
152 Caledonian Road

51.534954, -0.116955 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Bridge across Regent’s Canal. Metal decorations of the bridge
Inscription on the back of one of the figures
THE CALLY
153 Granary Square

51.534748, -0.125039 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Stairs towards the canal in the southern part of the square. Round information sign across the canal from the stairway. The top one of the curved metal signs nearby
First name on the sign
Andrew (Andrew Storm)
155 St Pancras railway station  

51.530263, -0.125034 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Giant sculpture on the first floor in the southern part of the station. Man leaning against the ear and reading a newspaper
Year on the newspaper
2009

Historical background

Kings Cross
// The Kings Cross has seen almost everything. There was a crossing over the river Fleet, the church of Roman missionaries, a market, roads, hot spots, hospitals, industrial area and a railway. A furious army of Boudicca fought the Roman invaders here (presumably). Some said here, on the territory of present-day Kings Cross terminal, Boudicca was buried (actually not), and there is a boarding the Hogwarts Express in the same terminal (and that's the truth). Kings Cross station was built in the middle of XIX century on the same place where a monument to king George IV was, this monument gave a name to the area and the station. The monument was demolished, but the name remained. The terminal was built with two platforms. Progress does not stand still, and a century later, when Donald Bisset overheard the quarrel between Kings Cross and St Pancras, the number of platforms became ten. Now there are twelve of them, but you will not find the platform number 12, because the numbering of platforms at Kings Cross station now starts from zero, to the delight of programmers.

// St Pancras
// St Pancras station, almost the same age as King's Cross, stands nearby to it. Both railway stations played an important role not only for passenger transport but also for freight transport. Carried coal, fish, potatoes and much more. Since its construction, St Pancras has taken also special beer trains at least three per day. It is now surprising to hear that half a century ago it was considered unnecessary, and plans to demolish this beautiful building and its adjacent hotel and to transfer trains to King's Cross and Euston were seriously discussed. Fortunately, thanks to the leak of this information from British Rail, the idea of the of St Pancras demolition became known, and it caused public outrage. St Pancras was recognised as an architectural monument. Since 2007, after a long renovation, it has been receiving international Eurostar trains. A monument to the main activist against the destruction of St Pancras, poet John Betjeman, stands at the railway station.
907 Riddle   Checkpoint picture 907

51.530877, -0.123462 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

See image. Statue to a moustached person in the building.
Quoted words on the plaque

Detailed answer

You can see Martin Luther King holding a cross. Загадан вокзал King’s Cross.

Answer: FLYING SCOTSMAN, MALLARD


FLYING SCOTSMAN, MALLARD

Historical background

TFL Lost Property Office
// Do you have any idea where lost in London's transport things go? Sometimes, of course, immediately to their new owners. And the others? No, not to scrap! To the Baker Street, to Sherlock himself!
Nearby to the house of the famous detective there is a TFL Lost Property Office. It turns 85 years old this year. Everything found in transport is brought there, all things are carefully classified and their data is entered in the computer system ‘Sherlock’. Findings are stored for three months and, after this period, the Office will dispose them at its discretion. Something will go for recycling, something — to charity or for sale in favour of the Office, something goes to the museum. A plush full-size gorilla was named Eddie and remained in the Office to please its' employees. During the war, people often forgot helmets and gas masks in transport. And now the list of founding is headed by books and documents, this is almost a third of everything found. With some gap they are followed by handbags, clothes and phones. Passengers forget ten thousands of umbrellas in a year, and this is only 3% from the forgotten. Sometimes Office's staff return umbrellas in a circle, handing them out to the subway on a rainy day. Passengers often surprise Office's staff not by lost things, but by the fact of losing. How can you not notice that you came out of the subway without five-foot figure of Spider-Man? Turns out this is possible. And without skull in the bag. And without false teeth. And without a fourteen-foot boat. By the way, is your control book in place?
922 Riddle

51.52829, -0.113425 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

You may find the entire biography of this person on the map of London. The road of his birth place is in Peckham. He went to the school named as a street in Clerkenwell. To get the place where he lives now, take a street in Mayfair and replace r with u. Even his last name matches a street in the City. Find the street in Clerkenwell. Round commemorative plaque right of the door 19
Longest word

Detailed answer

The participants of the «Lion-Pro» track of our 2017 game might remember a riddle about the connection between Trump Street and Russia Row: www.runcity.org/en/events/london2017/routes/cp917/ . Indeed, Donald Trump was born in Queens, NY, attended Wharton School, and lives in the White House. Wharton Street.

Answer: Egyptologist


Egyptologist

Routes finish

99 73 White Lion Street

51.532916, -0.109118 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The Three Johns pub