UNITED KINGDOM – London, Smithfield Market // Skyfall (2012)
In “Skyfall”, the MI6 sets shop in an underground car park next to the Smithfield Meat Market. The place may seem inconspicuous. But look closely, London’s blood-soaked history shines through at every corner.
Why Bond was here
In “Skyfall” terrorists attack the MI6 building at Vauxhall. Thus Bond (Daniel Craig), after a little downtime in Turkey, gets back into active service. Accompanied by Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear) he heads for an underground safe house, where the MI6 made camp after the attack. The entry to the secret base is quite public: A winding road down to Smithfield Car Park in West Smithfield.
How you gonna get there
Smithfield Car Park is in Farringdon in the London city center. It is within walking distance of Millennium Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Barbican Center, another Bond location from “Quantum of Solace”. Close tube stations are Farringdon and Barbican (Circle Line, Hammersmith Line) and Chancery Lane (Central Line). You can easily walk to the car park from any of the tube stations within minutes.
Good to know
The entry to an underground garage might not be that spectacular. But the surrounding is: Right north of the Smithfield Car Park is the famous Smithfield Meat Market. The notorious place was one of England’s first live meat markets, established over 800 years ago. Animals were brought in alive, butchered and sold. Nowadays, it’s a dead meat market. The stalls open at 3 am and most already finish their business between 9 and 10 am. Thus you have to be early, if you want to shop there. Besides your regular pork, beef and chicken you’ll also find exotic meats like camel or crocodile.
Right next to the Smithfield Meat Market was a lot of butchering done as well. Above the car park is a small encircled garden. Back in the days this was London’s top execution spot. In medieval times, Smithfield was a rough, but jolly area. The borough was infamous for prostitutes, fun fairs, the meat market and your execution entertainment industry.
Types of execution ranged from burning at the stake to the traditional beheading and the infamous drawn, hanged and quartered for those convicted of high treason. The last method was exceedingly cruel: The convicted was fastened to a hurdle and first drawn by horse to the place of execution. Then the executioner hanged the victim until almost dead, emasculated and disemboweled him, then beheaded the poor soul. Afterwards the hangman chopped the dead body into four pieces – with the pieces put on display across the country as a warning.
Probably the most famous victim at the Smithfield execution ground is Scottish patriot William Wallace. He died here in 1305. Wallace got the drawn, hanged and quartered treatment. Then his head was cut off and set on London Bridge. Afterwards hangmen burned his entrails and cut his corpse into four pieces. If you walk across the street south of the little park you’ll find a monument dedicated to William Wallace – though it spares the gruesome details of his death.
© 2024 Huntingbond (1,3), © 2012 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation and Columbia Pictures (2)