Covent Garden Trail Extra Hints
From Leicester Square tube station, walk down Cranbourne Street. At the corner with Great Newport Street:
For 20 points, find the policeman’s coat hook.
This is a historic coathook on the wall of Great Newport Street just near the junction. It dates from when junctions like this were controlled by Policemen, and this is somewhere for the Policeman to hang his greatcoat.
Walk south St Martin’s Lane:
For 15 points, stand underneath the Green Man
This is a green man with horn high on the wall of number 54 St Martin’s Lane. I assume it was an old pub? (anyone know?)
Turn right into Cecil Court
For 30 points, find “1894”
This is immediately on your left on Cecil Court, high up on the first building
Turn left at the end and cross the road.
For 20 points find a statue erected by English actors and actresses
This is the statue of Henry Irving. It’s outside the back of the National Gallary, behind the circular ticket booth. The inscription reads “HENRY IRVING. ACTOR. Born 1838. Died 1906.(sic) Knight, B.Litt. Dublin. D.Litt. Cambridge. LL.D Glasgow. Erected by English actors and actresses and by others connected with the theatre in this country.”
Turn left down the side of the National Portrait Gallery and cross the road again.
For 15 points, run in a circle round “air”, “earth”, “sky" and 50 other words
This refers to the lightwell of St Martin-in-the-Fields church, just to the north of the church itself. As you can see, the lightwell has a poem by Andrew Motion written round it, which includes these words. For the points, the kids must run all the way round it!
Continue to the Strand and turn left.
For 15 points, find the secret passage to the white house with clock and flagpole
This refers to the very narrow Exchange Court which opens off the Strand to the north. 1 Exchange Court is a rather lovely house with, indeed, a clock and flagpole
Turn left onto Maiden Lane and straight across down Chandos Place
For 10 points, find London’s narrowest street
OK, I admit this is controversial. Some people say Brydges Place isn’t London’s narrowest street at all. But it’s definitely very narrow and it opens off Bedfordbury just on the corner of Chandos Place
Turn right at the end.
For 25 points, point to the spinning ball
This is a tricky one as the spinning ball is at the vary top of the Coliseum. You can see it in the picture - it’s the ball at the top of the spire and it rotates constantly. You can also see the entrance to Brydges Place in the photo, squeezed next to the Coliseum. The kids will need to walk past the Coliseum and then look back in order to spot the spinning ball. Aren’t I horrid!
Continue along St Martin’s Lane. Keep looking to the left
For 15 points, spot the lion and the unicorn
There are a number of lions and unicorns along here. But the easiest to spot are above the entrance to Browns
