London's geographical centre
...it is the question on everyone's lips
The last two posts here on Unblogged London have been about maps, so for today I've decided to answer that burning question: Just where is London's centre?
First we could look at the capital's farthest reaches, where it extends to in the north, how far east it goes, going west young man, and unusually for a cabbie going South of the River for as far as possible.
I have the answers to those questions – combining some map study and consulting various online and offline resources I can give you the definitive run-down on London’s exact dimensions.
London’s northern-most point is in Enfield, on a rather unassuming stretch of the M25 between junctions 24 and 25. It lies just to the west of a feature on the map rather romantically called Tilekiln Osiers.
The eastern extent runs as far out as North Ockenden in the London Borough of Havering - due to Ulez it's outside the M25, but still within Sadiq Khan's authority - specifically, the boundary is about halfway along a charming narrow road lined with trees called Fen Lane.
Westbound London’s boundary is again marked by the M25 – to add some spice, however, the boundary actually runs around Junction 14. This spot lies just to the west of Heathrow Airport in Hillingdon.
London’s southern boundary can be found in the London Borough of Croydon, and if you want to visit the exact spot it is on Ditches Lane, just to the north of the village of Chaldon in Surrey. The nearest geographical feature happens to be Happy Valley Park – one can only assume that this is so named because you only have to walk a hundred yards further on and you’ll be blissfully happy that you’re no longer in Croydon!
In terms of miles, between its eastern and western extremities, London is 35.8 miles across as the crow flies, and 27.9 miles in length from north to south.
This brings us to the vexing question of where London’s centre is – in the strictest geographical sense it should be where lines are drawn between the four locations. The intersect which would, surprisingly, make the centre of London is the Shell Centre buildings on the Thames riverside just outside Waterloo station.
In 2014 Tom Hoban took up this vexing question using a more scientific method
Tom traced an electronic map in AutoCAD software. He was then able to find the shape's centre of gravity digitally, removing the imprecision of my intersecting line malarky.
He concluded that the centre is somewhere close to Lambeth North. Indeed, using a map with exact borders determined by Ordnance Survey, he's able to pinpoint the location to a claimed accuracy of 40cm.
For those who want it exactly, the point is at E 531331.025, N179645.831 Lat 51Deg,30' 1.806956" Lon -0Deg, 6' 33.458418".
So, congratulations if you live in Greet House, off Frazier Street: your home is at the very centre of Greater London. And if a cabbie tells you he's not going south of the River, tell them its not south, but the centre.
There’s a long-standing convention when it comes to the geographical point that marks the centre of London. When you’re driving along the motorway and a sign says ‘London – 10 Miles’, what it actually means is that there are 10 miles between your vehicle and the statue of King Charles I, who sits on horseback just off Trafalgar Square – this was the original site of the ‘Eleanor Cross’, or ‘Charing Cross’, which were a series of monuments that commemorated Eleanor of Castille, the wife of King Edward I.
In 1649 John Rivett, a brazier, was ordered to destroy the King’s statue by Cromwell, but he buried it in his garden and made a fortune by selling souvenirs allegedly from the metal. He gave it back to Charles II upon the Restoration of the Monarchy, and presumably, he was rewarded for his loyalty.
Today the Charing Cross is marked by a Victorian confection in the forecourt of Charing Cross railway station, although as we’ve established it isn’t in the right place.
Thanks to Pete Sean from Londoneer and Matt Brown at Londonist for some of this information.
My memoir, getting behind the now lost, intimidating byzantine world of training and testing to become a London cabbie is available here from Amazon.
