Most people know James Bond (a Londoner!) through the films, but it all started with the novels written by a former naval intelligence officer (also a Londoner!) Ian Fleming.
London, as the home of MI6 (James Bond’s headquarters), has often been part of the storylines in the series and has been frequently featured in James Bond movies.
Below, you will find 10 spots in the UK’s capital that played an important role in the amazing story of 007 and its creator, Ian Fleming.
Enjoy the read and the walk!
Click here to see the MAP of this walking tour
Distance to cover: 3.2 miles (5.1 km)
In need of a private tour guide…?
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James Bond & Ian Fleming – London Walking Tour
1. The Old War Office building (OWO)
It is hard to pinpoint the exact moment when an idea is born in an author’s mind, but some places and events often serve as inspiration.
The Old War Office building at Whitehall in London is often cited as the birthplace of James Bond.
Firstly, it was here that the decision to create MI5 and MI6 was made.
Secondly, Ian Fleming, the author of the initial 12 novels about James Bond’s adventures, frequently visited this location while working as a naval intelligence officer during WWII.
The OWO building itself has been featured in several James Bond movies.
Click here to see precise location
2. Mansfield Cumming Blue Plaque
Mansfield Cumming, also known as ‘C‘ (from Chief), was the founding father of modern espionage as the first head of MI6.
He revolutionized intelligence operations, employing secret agents and innovative techniques to gather vital information during World War I.
At 2 Whitehall Court (located behind the OWO building), you can find a blue plaque dedicated to him.
He lived and worked here for 11 years.
City legend goes that Ian Fleming chose to name James Bond’s chief ‘M‘ after Cumming’s first name, Mansfield!
Click here to see precise location
3. National Gallery (Skyfall & Fighting Temeraire painting)
Would you like to recreate a famous scene from one of the Bond movies?
Simply walk (like Daniel Craig in Skyfall) through Trafalgar Square, past the fountain with the lion statues, and up the stairs towards the National Gallery to see Turner’s Fighting Temeraire, a painting discussed by Bond and Q in the movie.
Q: “It always makes me feel a little melancholy. Grand old war ship, being ignominiously hauled away to scrap… The inevitability of time, don’t you think? What do you see?”
James Bond: “A bloody big ship.”
The painting depicts the final journey of HMS Temeraire, a warship that played a crucial role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and you can find it in the room 34.
The painting was voted the nation’s favorite in 2005 and is also featured on the £20 note!
Click here to see precise location
4. Leicester Square’s Odeon Cinema
Leicester Square’s Odeon Cinema has hosted most of the pre-Craig Bond premieres, drawing crowds of fans, celebrities, and members of the UK’s royal family.
When you visit this spot, remember to look up—on the lower roof of this cinema, you can find the statue of Batman. In the nearby square, you can find a couple more iconic movie statues (sadly no statue of James Bond). You can read more about it here.
Click here to see precise location
5. Aston Martin DB5… made of Lego!
The iconic Aston Martin DB5, first introduced in the third James Bond movie, Goldfinger (1964), appeared in several subsequent Bond films, becoming one of the most recognizable symbols of the franchise.
In the Lego Store in London at Leicester Square, you can find a life-size Lego model of it.
Made of 347,954 bricks, it took the team of Lego builders 1,366 hours to construct!
And yes, the registration plate does rotate!
Click here to see precise location
6. EoN Productions
Eon Productions, initially formed by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, produced the first James Bond film, ‘Dr. No,’ in 1962.
Eon has been responsible for the production of Bond movies ever since.
Its current headquarters are located above the Hard Rock Cafe in London, near the Hyde Park Corner tube station.
Click here to see precise location
7. Where Sean Connery landed his role as the first 007
In the 60s, the office at No. 3 Audley Square was used by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman while working on the very first James Bond movie, Dr. No.
It was here that Sean Connery, against all odds, won the chance to be the first 007 on the big screen.
Initially, Ian Fleming was against casting the relatively unknown Scotsman in the role, but he became fond of Connery after seeing his charm on the screen.
KGB Spy Lamp Post
The area around No. 3 Audley Square was frequently visited by real-life enemy spies! Near this address, you can find a lamp post that, from the 50s throughout the Cold War years, was used by KGB spies as a dead drop—a secret place to leave their reports for their superiors. British Intelligence only discovered this in 1985!
Click here to see precise location
8. London’s Red Square and former flats of Sean Connery and Roger Moore
At the back of Buckingham Palace Gardens, you can find Eaton Square – a pleasantly green square with elegant houses lining all the streets around it, often considered to be one of the best addresses in London.
The long list of famous people who have lived here includes Margaret Thatcher (No. 93), Neville Chamberlain (No. 37), and two great actors who played James Bond:
Sean Connery (No. 6)
… and Roger Moore (No. 22).
Eaton Square is also known as London’s ‘Red Square’ because many of its residents are Russian billionaires!
Click here to see precise location
9. Ian Fleming’s blue plaque
Ian Fleming spent a significant part of his life in London.
He was born here and lived in various properties around the city.
You are about to see his bachelor pad, a house he lived in between 1936 and 1941.
In 1996, Desmond Llewellyn (the actor who played ‘Q’ in many Bond films) unveiled a blue plaque on this building with the author’s name.
Click here to see precise location
10. MI6 Headquarters in London
At 85 Albert Embankment in Vauxhall, you can find Bond’s London offices – the real headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
One of the most interesting and certainly one of the best-protected buildings in London.
And an absolute must-see for all fans of 007!
The building was featured in The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Skyfall, and Spectre.
To get there from Ebury Street, I recommend you jump on a double-decker bus from outside Victoria Station (numbers 2, 36, 185, or C10). Be sure to double-check the official timetable and route of buses on the day.
Click here to see precise location
Well, you’ve reached the end of this post! I hope you enjoyed it.
Before you go, I have a surprise for you.
Just in case you missed this fine chapter of Bond’s history: during the London 2012 Olympics opening, James Bond escorted Her Majesty the Queen to the ceremony!
🙂
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