subject: Interesting Things About Marylebone [print this page] Marylebone is an area of London in the City of Westminster district. It is an interesting place full of history. It is situated in West London with nearby areas including as Mayfair, Regents Park and St. Johns Wood. Buckingham Palace is around a mile to the south of Marylebone. Below are some interesting facts and stories about this area of London.
The area got its name from a church originally known as St. Marys Church. This is situated on a stream, with streams once commonly referred to as Bournes. Due to this the wider area around the church became known as St. Mary at Bourne. This name developed into Marylebone.
The world famous Harley Street is situated in Marylebone. The medical profession is what it is known for due to the large number of private medical practices which have operated out of Harley Street over the years. There are currently believed to be more than 3,000 people working there related to medicine. It was named after the Harley Estate, the estate of the Harley family.
Marylebone is home to one of the four stations in the original Monopoly board game. The others are Kings Cross, Liverpool Street and Franchurch Street. The history of Marylebone Station goes back to the nineteenth century having been opened in 1899. It is the only terminal station in London to host only diesel trains.
The area has connections to the so-called home of Cricket, Lords Cricket Ground. Originally the ground was in Marylebone but the current ground, which was the third built, stands in nearby St. Johns Wood.
The area is mentioned in the Doomsday Book, although referred to as the Manor of Tyburn. The Doomsday Book states that the population at the time was less than 50 people.
Marylebone hasnt always been part of London; it was formally its own town. As London and Marylebone both grew, though, they eventually merged and Marylebone officially became part of the city of London.
The fictional character Sherlock Holmes lived at 221B Baker Street and Baker Street is in Marylebone. The 221B address didnt exist at the time of the stories being published as the numbers of Baker Street didnt reach 221. It has since expanded, though, and does now reach this number. Number 221 has been the address of the Abbey National Building Society, and they used to employ a secretary whose sole responsibility was to answer mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes. There is a plaque on number 221 describing it as Sherlock Holmess address with a museum in the characters honour nearby.
Many famous people have lived in this areas of London, which is a much sought after location. Charles Dickens lived at Devonshire Terrace and Jimi Hendrix lived in Brook Street and died in the nearby Samarkand Hotel. John Lennon and Yoko Ono had a home in the area while fellow Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have also lived there at one time or another. Other famous residents have included Madonna and the poet T.S. Eliot.
