UNITED KINGDOM – London, Castle Baynard Tunnel // Spectre (2015)
Castle Baynard Tunnel looks spectacular in the movie – but not that much in real life. That shouldn’t bother you: a great location is just around the corner!
Why Bond was here
In Morocco, James Bond (Daniel Craig) has finished off S.P.E.C.T.R.E, a secret megalomaniac organization run by Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christopher Waltz). Or at least he thought so: Back in London Bond gets abducted by Blofelds henchmen and trapped in the former MI6 headquarter at Vauxhall. The kidnapping takes place in the Castle Baynard Tunnel, when the villains drive a car into Bonds vehicle.
The car chase inside the Castle Baynard Tunnel
How you gonna get there
The Castle Baynard Tunnel is just within walking distance of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Just go south across Queen Victoria Street and then look out for Castle Baynard Street.
The best access into the tunnel is north from Peter’s Hill or Bennet’s Hill. You can easily access the tunnel, since it is barely used by traffic. The car crash had been filmed at the junction just down from St. Benet Metropolitian Welsh Church. And M – who can escape – later emerges at 138 Queen Victoria Street nearby.
Good to know
Scenes had been filmed inside the tunnel and on a nearby exit: M emerges at the stairs on White Lion Hill and Queen Victoria Street. The St. Benet Welsh Church is visible in the back.
While Castle Baynard Tunnel might not look that spectacular in the first place, another James Bond location close by sure is. Just some meters north on Queen Victoria Street is the College of Arms. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Bond goes there, to get trained in heraldry and later infiltrate Blofeld’s lair as a disguised herald. The Bond family arms also originate from the College – we’ll take you there right here.
Take your time not only to see the tunnel and the College of Arms, but to walk some meters south and marvel at the Millennium Bridge. And while you’re at it: Just across the bridge is the great, great Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
© 2015 Huntingbond (1,3), © 2015 Danjaq, LLC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. (2)