Everyone wants to emerge themselves into the universe of our favourite characters. Whether this is associated with soap operas or cinematic masterpieces, we’ve become extremely familiar with the streets many of these people grew up on — but what are some of the most known?
Mary Poppins’ Cherry Tree Lane
If you’ve recently watched Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt, you’ll definitely feel inspired to learn more about Cherry Tree Lane. We were first introduced to the fiction street in 1934, when author P.L. Travers released the first book of her Mary Poppins series. The street is most notably home to the Banks family, who lived at number 17 and has been passed down to each generation.
Since Mary Poppins first entered the street, there’s been a lot of memories. What else makes this location supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is that it’s also home to Admiral Boom and Mr. Binnacle, who were once members of England’s navy and keep their house in ‘shipshape’ — with an actual ship on the roof which fires a cannon twice a day! As well as this, there is countless chimney sweepers and path illustrators!
It’s thought that the author took inspiration from Kensington townhouses. In fact, you could visit the exterior of her home on Smith Street in Chelsea which is now an English Heritage site.
Sherlock Holmes’ Baker Street
Sherlock Holmes is known to live at 221b Baker Street. Although you may need to wear your deerstalker cap to find it, as the building is strangely located between 237 and 241. Penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock has become one of the most influential literary characters associated with British culture.
If you’re in the capital, the venue is open every day and has low ticket prices. You’ll be able to explore the home Sherlock shared with his main companion, Dr Watson — including the sitting room, the laboratory, the iconic study and more.
However, there’s a lot more history to this building that you expect. You may be surprised to read that when the stories were first published, though the street itself wasn’t fictional, the address ‘221b Baker Street’ certainly was as the addresses in Baker Street did not go as high as 221 — but this was soon extended. The Abbey National Building Society occupied the addresses 219-229 from 1931 and had to employ a full-time secretary to answer mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes! There was a 15-year dispute on who should receive the letters though, the building society or the museum.
Harry Potter’s Privet Drive
There’s no denying that you’ve heard of this place, especially if you’re obsessed with the Wizarding World. Located in Surrey, this street was home to the Dursley family, which included Vernon, Petunia, and their son Dudley, who all lived at number four. In 1981, this perfectly normal street became slightly more interesting as Vernon and Petunia’s nephew, Harry James Potter, was left on their doorstep by one of the greatest wizards of all time, Albus Dumbledore, after his parents were tragically murdered by the Dark Lord himself, Lord Voldemort.
Described as ‘box houses’, every property on the street is almost identical. The name of the street came from a privet bush, which is a hedge that isolates houses as Rowling herself thought this linked quite well as the Dursley’s had a desire to segregate themselves from the Wizarding World — despite having strong family ties.
If you want to see it in person, the Warner Bros studio in London offers just that. Sometimes, the interior is open to the public so make sure you check ahead of visiting, although we know you’ll be just as pleased posing next to the vintage street sign. The actual home that was used in the first film recently made headlines after being put on the market for almost £500,000!
ITV’s Coronation Street
Everyone and their grandmother has heard of Coronation Street, after it first hit our screens in 1960. Created by Tony Warren, the street is thought to have been built in 1902 and compromised of a row of seven terraced houses with the iconic Rovers Return Inn and corner shop at each end.
Interestingly, it’s the longest-running soap opera in the world. Because of its popularity, writers had to introduce new characters and locations over the years to create a more representative environment for viewers at home to relate with. Today, you’ll still find the iconic Rovers Return Inn and D&S Alahan’s corner shop, but also be introduced to The Kabin newsagents, Roy’s Rolls café, and lingerie-making business Underworld as well as other communal areas.
How much can you remember? There are quite a few storylines you’ll might have forgotten from this show, from the ‘Free the Weatherfield One’ campaign where Deirdre Rachid was given an 18-month sentence for a crimes she didn’t commit to Hayley Cropper née Harold Patterson becoming the first transgender character on the show. There’re a lot of storylines that made a significant impact on the British public that still live on almost 60 years later.
If you’re around Manchester on the weekend, you could take a visit to the iconic street. Located at MediaCityUK in Manchester, the 80-minute tour also includes the set of Rosamund Street and the never-before-seen Victoria Street.
