Mannet Street.

Off of the Charing Cross Road, lies a road that had its name changed to the characters of a Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

 

House of St Barnabas.

The House of St Barnabas, at 1 Greek Street, is a Grade I Listed Georgian building near London’s Soho Square. The House of Charity, founded in 1846, moved from its home No. 9 Rose (now Manette) Street to the new premises at 1 Greek Street in 1861.

 

Charles Dickens and the House of St Barnabas.

In 1859, Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities was published and immortalized the garden and a plane tree beneath which Dr Manette and Lucy were portrayed entertaining. The tree still stands in the garden between the two buildings that the Charity has occupied.

 

The Golden Arm.

In a building at the back, attainable by a courtyard where a plane tree rustled its green leaves, church organs claimed to be made, and likewise gold to be beaten by some mysterious giant who had a golden arm starting out of the wall… as if he had beaten himself precious.

In the novel Dickens describes a giant golden arm sticking out of a building. The original ‘golden arm’ now resides at The Dickens House Museum but you can see a modern replica sticking out of the wall near the Pillars of Hercules pub at the western end of Manette Street.

 

Location.