Bywater Street

Bywater Street is a quiet, dead-end lane tucked away just off the busy King's Road in Chelsea. Despite its name suggesting a location near the river, the street was likely named after a local property owner named Thomas Bywater who held land here in the mid-nineteenth century. Its most distinct feature today is the row of pastel-colored terraced houses that make the street look like a brightly painted village hidden within the heart of London. The street holds a unique place in literary and television history as the home of George Smiley, the famous intelligence officer created by author John le Carré. Le Carré specifically chose this location for his spy to live because it is a cul-de-sac. He noted that such a layout is a constant headache for anyone attempting to conduct surveillance, providing his fictional character with a distinct tactical advantage over those watching him. While number nine Bywater Street serves as the official address for the fictional George Smiley in the novels, the 1979 television adaptation used the exterior of that house for filming, but opted for the interior of the house next door, number ten, for its shots. The street remains a tight-knit community today, and residents have long maintained a tradition of hosting an annual summer party where the road is closed to traffic, allowing neighbors to gather in the space that once guarded the secrets of a cold war spy.