Part of the Rocola’s Guide to London series, this section of Rocola’s Guide to London serves as a quick-reference directory of major landmarks, railway stations, and historical sites. Although the A.B.C Gazetteer was a known separate directory of travel guides, it was often included in other guides and was structured alphabetically and offering practical details such as nearest stations, historical context, and public accessibility.
Rocola’s Guide was aimed at their customers visiting their main London store and making a day (or longer) out of their trip. The Travel Guide is split into Suggested Itineraries, A.B.C Gazetteer and Road Sense and Safety.
So what did it recommend in the 1950’s and are they still accessible today?
Notable Entries & Their Status Today
✅ Still Exists | ❌ No Longer Exists | 🏛️ Transformed
• Academy, Royal (Piccadilly) – Founded in 1768, this remains one of London’s most prestigious art institutions. ✅
• Admiralty Arch (The Mall) – The grand arch between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, built in 1912, is still standing, though it has since been converted into a hotel. 🏛️
• Albert Hall (Royal Albert Hall, Kensington) – Famous for concerts and events, still hosting the Proms and other cultural performances. ✅
• Alexandra Palace – Opened in 1873, still a major venue for concerts, exhibitions, and sporting events. ✅
• Bank of England – While the building remains, its role as a centre of finance has evolved, and the public can visit the Bank of England Museum. ✅
• Battersea Park – A 200-acre park created in the 1850s, still a popular green space. ✅
• Bethnal Green Museum (now V&A Museum of Childhood) – Originally part of the V&A, currently being redeveloped. 🏛️
• Blackfriars Bridge – The original 1769 bridge was replaced in 1869, and the modern version remains a key Thames crossing. ✅
• British Museum (Great Russell Street) – Still a world-renowned institution. ✅
• Buckingham Palace – Still the monarch’s official London residence. ✅
• Cenotaph (Whitehall) – The national war memorial, unchanged since its unveiling in 1920. ✅
• Charing Cross Station & Embankment – The station remains operational, but the Embankment has seen significant redevelopment. 🏛️
• Cleopatra’s Needle (Victoria Embankment) – The ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected in 1878, still stands. ✅
• Covent Garden Market – Originally a fruit and vegetable market, it is now a shopping and cultural hub. 🏛️
• Elephant & Castle – Still a key transport hub, but much of its original infrastructure has changed due to redevelopment. 🏛️
• Epping Forest – Still protected and managed as a vast public woodland. ✅
• Finsbury Park – Remains a major public park in North London. ✅
• Fleet Street – Once the heart of Britain’s newspaper industry, now mostly offices and legal firms. 🏛️
• Guildhall (City of London) – Still the historic seat of London’s government. ✅
• Hammersmith Bridge – Still in place, though often subject to structural concerns. ✅
• Houses of Parliament (Westminster) – Still the seat of the UK government, though undergoing renovation. ✅
• Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens – London’s most famous parks remain largely unchanged. ✅
• Piccadilly Circus – Still a key junction for tourists, though modernised with LED screens. ✅
• Regent’s Park & London Zoo – Both still exist, with the zoo remaining a key attraction. ✅
• Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) – Extensively modernised, but still London’s top opera venue. 🏛️
• St. Paul’s Cathedral – Still an active cathedral and major landmark. ✅
• Tower of London – Remains a major tourist attraction and home to the Crown Jewels. ✅
• Victoria Embankment – Still an important riverside route, though much of its function has changed over time. ✅
• Westminster Abbey – Still a working church and a site of national significance. ✅
• Hampstead Heath – A well-loved public space, still offering stunning views over London. ✅
• Hampton Court Palace – A Tudor-era palace, still a key historic site. ✅
• Holborn Viaduct – A Victorian bridge still in place, though modernised. ✅
• Horse Guards (Whitehall) – Still the entrance to the official Household Cavalry Museum. ✅
• Houses of Parliament & Big Ben – Still in use, but undergoing extensive renovations. ✅
• Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens – Unchanged and still a major attraction. ✅
• Imperial War Museum – Remains a key military history museum, with modern exhibitions. ✅
• Jewish Museum – Originally in Woburn House, later moved to Camden, but permanently closed in 2023. ❌
• Keats’ House, Hampstead – The home of poet John Keats, now a museum. ✅
• Kew Gardens – Still a world-famous botanical garden. ✅
• King’s Cross Station – Major railway hub, but has been completely redeveloped. 🏛️
• London Bridge – The old bridge was demolished; the current bridge dates from 1973. 🏛️
• London Hospital, Whitechapel – Now called The Royal London Hospital. ✅
• London Museum (Kensington Palace) – Was relocated and became the Museum of London, now undergoing another move. 🏛️
• Marble Arch – Still a major landmark. ✅
• National Gallery (Trafalgar Square) – Remains one of London’s top art galleries. ✅
• National Maritime Museum (Greenwich) – Still a major naval history museum. ✅
• Nelson’s Column (Trafalgar Square) – Unchanged. ✅
• New Scotland Yard – Has changed locations several times, now near Embankment. 🏛️
• Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court) – Still the UK’s major criminal court. ✅
• Paddington Station – Still a major railway terminus. ✅
• Primrose Hill – Still a popular spot for panoramic views of London. ✅
• Regent’s Park – Unchanged as a public park, still home to London Zoo. ✅
• Roman Bath (Strand Lane) – Still exists but has limited public access. ✅
• Rotherhithe Tunnel – Still in use as a road tunnel under the Thames. ✅
• Royal Academy of Music – Founded in 1822, still one of the UK’s top music institutions. ✅
• Royal Fusiliers Memorial (Holborn) – Still stands, commemorating soldiers of WWI. ✅
• Royal Horticultural Hall – Still hosts horticultural and trade events. ✅
• Royal Society (Burlington House) – Still one of the UK’s top scientific institutions. ✅
• St. Bartholomew’s Hospital (Smithfield) – One of London’s oldest hospitals, still operational. ✅
• St. James’s Park – A beautiful royal park, still popular today. ✅
• St. Paul’s Cathedral – Unchanged, though significant restoration has been done. ✅
• Science Museum – Still one of London’s major museums. ✅
• Smithfield Market – The historic meat market is being redeveloped into a cultural hub. 🏛️
• Somerset House – Now a centre for arts and culture. 🏛️
• Southwark Cathedral – Still a major historic church. ✅
• Spitalfields Market – Still a lively market, though now focused on food, crafts, and fashion. ✅
• Tate Gallery (now Tate Britain) – Still a leading art museum. ✅
• Tower Bridge – Still one of London’s most famous landmarks. ✅
• Tower of London – A major tourist attraction, home to the Crown Jewels. ✅
• Trafalgar Square – Unchanged as a key public space. ✅
• University College London (UCL) – Still one of the UK’s top universities. ✅
• Victoria Embankment – Still exists, though redeveloped over time. ✅
• Wembley Stadium – The original was demolished and rebuilt into a modern venue. 🏛️
• Westminster Abbey – Unchanged as a historic and religious site. ✅
• Westminster Hall – Still part of Parliament, used for major events. ✅
• Whitechapel Market – Still exists but has changed in focus over the years. ✅
• Zoological Gardens (London Zoo, Regent’s Park) – Still a leading zoo. ✅
Final Thoughts: A Guide for a London That Still Exists
Despite 75+ years of change, most of the landmarks listed in Rocola’s Guide to London are still there today. While some, like Fleet Street, have lost their original function, most of London’s core has stayed remarkably stable. Despite massive urban development, the majority of key landmarks remain. The city has grown around them, but they’re still central to its identity.
Most museums, markets, and institutions listed in the guide still exist but have adapted. For example, Smithfield Market is becoming a cultural venue, and the Tate Gallery expanded into multiple Tate museums.
War damage was still a visible concern in the 1950s as several entries mention sites bombed in WWII, showing how the city was still recovering. Today, most have been restored or redeveloped.
Many entries reference train stations, showing how key they were to navigating London. Today, the Tube and buses have taken over as the main way to get around.
This Gazetteer is a fascinating window into how 1950s visitors experienced the city, relying on railway stations, grand public buildings, and structured itineraries. Today, many tourists still follow similar routes, proving that while the world changes, London’s core remains remarkably stable.
