The Day the Earth Caught Fire Filming Locations

Rapidly developing Battersea centres on its namesake park, home to fountains, a boating lake, and a Japanese-style Peace Pagoda overlooking the River Thames. The retired, art deco Battersea Power Station, with 4 towering chimneys, dominates the skyline. Battersea Arts Centre, in the 1890s town hall, presents comedy, music, and drama, and New Covent Garden is a huge wholesale market that sells flowers and produce.

St. James’s is an exclusive area near Buckingham Palace, with many fine-dining restaurant options. The Theatre Royal Haymarket and Her Majesty’s Theatre stage West End plays. Art dealers surround Christie’s auction house, while the Royal Academy of Arts draws crowds to Piccadilly. Upscale shops include Fortnum & Mason, with its posh food hall, and Jermyn Street’s tailors. St. James’s Park is popular for picnics.

Westminster is the bustling government area near Buckingham Palace. Tourists head to Trafalgar Square’s monuments and to see the changing of the guards at Horse Guards Parade while politicians mingle in Whitehall’s pubs. At the Houses of Parliament, by the River Thames, the Big Ben bell rings out from its iconic clock tower. Medieval Westminster Abbey contains the graves of historical figures such as Charles Darwin.

As London’s historic law district, Holborn is a bustling mix of legal buildings and offices, such as the imposing Royal Courts of Justice and nearby Inns of Court. Small museums here include Sir John Soane's Museum, filled with architectural drawings. Jewellery shoppers browse Hatton Garden’s diamond boutiques, while gastropubs and casual cafes cater to a post-work crowd and students from nearby universities.