Christie in London

At Bertram's Hotel - inspired by London

When Poirot first moves to London he shares accommodation with Captain Hastings at 14, Farraway Street before moving to Whitehaven Mansions. Although the novels are set in Whitehaven Mansions in London’s Mayfair, the television series is filmed at Florin Court in Charterhouse Square. The 1930’s Florin Court is the perfect setting for Poirot’s geometrical flat – it is one of London’s finest examples of 1930’s architecture and the scenery of Charterhouse Square makes a convincing double for the fashionable Mayfair.

Christie herself lived in London in for many years. She first moved to the city in 1918 and lived at 5 Northwick Terrace, in St John’s Wood, during the final months of the war. She later moved to Kensington before then living in Chelsea. Whilst living in fashionable Chelsea, at 48 Swan Court, Christie wrote Witness for the Prosecution and Crooked House. Chelsea was also the setting for One, Two, Buckle My Shoe and was the area in London Christie lived in for the longest. Christie lived in nine different residences in London and if you go to 58 Sheffield Terrace, London W8, you will see a Blue Plaque marking the home she lived in (Sheffield Terrace is the only house in which Christie had a room designated for writing).

No doubt her experiences of London would have influenced her writing. It has gone down in Christie folklore that At Bertram’s Hotel is based on Brown’s Hotel, off Piccadilly, a hotel she is said to have visited.

If you go to Cambridge Circus in London you will see the home of The Mousetrap – the longest continuously running play in history.

In Bloomsbury you can visit The British Museum which houses a carved figure discovered by Max Mallowan, Christie’s husband, on an archaeological dig. London certainly has something to offer all Christie fans!