Locations Children of Earth: Day Four

 

Children of Earth: Day Four was broadcast 9 Jul 2009 

Due to the current pandemic, it would be unwise to travel out to any of these places. Best wait until everything has returned to relative normality…. whenever that is. 

West Bute Street, Cardiff 

Jack and Ianto are on their way to Thames House when they hit traffic and walk.

 

Heading out from the Millennium Centre again, this is a 4-minute walk. Heading west towards Bute Place/A4119 turn left onto Bute Place and turn right onto Bute Street. Take a left where you'll pass Bumpybox Animation Studio. At the end of the road, turn right and you have reached your destination. There's a coffee and wine bar along this road, might be needed after your stroll - all of 4 minutes!!! Unsure in these times, if it will be open though.

Ship Lane, Cardiff 

The narrow alleyway that takes Jack and Ianto onto Thames House, to face down the 456.

 

It's interesting when you look at online maps, that lead you a right merry dance to the location, especially as this one is one click less than West Bute Street, and doesn't take you round the houses, literally. 

This is on the same route as you take for West Bute Street, so follow those instructions above but instead of heading up Bute Street, travel a little further along the A4119 and turn right onto Ship Lane, which will take you along the road, near the Bute Docks Post Office. Ship Lane appears to hold one large building with a car parking facility and some little shop fronts, including a little church. 

It could be, that this is a one way system and so that’s why you can’t reach this any quicker by car. 

Abingdon Street, London 

Frobisher makes his journey back to MI5. 

By car it will take 3 hours and 9 mins and there are tolls. By train it will take 2 hours 45 mins and there may be delays due to maintenance. 

By Car

Take the usual route out of the City by following the Cardiff Bay Link Road/Eastern Bay Link Road/ A4232, Rover Way, A4232 and Eastern Avenue/A48 to A48 (M). Follow the M4 to Great West Road/A4 in London for 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

Keeping right to continue on the A48(M), follow the signs for M4/Newport/Casnewydd. Keep to the left and stay on A48(M) before merging onto M4 after 0.4 miles. 

Continue on A4. Drive to the A3212 for 28 minutes. Continue onto Great West Road/A4, continue to follow the A4. Take a slight right towards Earls Court Road/A3220. Use any lane to turn right onto Earls Court Road/A2330, continue following the A3220 for 1.5 miles.

Continue onto Cheyne Walk/A3212. You are entering the toll zone area in 2 miles at Bessborough Gardens/Peckham - Camberwell - Vauxhall - Westminster Hwy/A202 in 2.8 miles. 

Abington Street is in Westminster, London. Lots to see and do for sure. Although, perhaps wait till after this pandemic has calmed down to a regular zero.

By train

You would need to check the Schedule Explorer to be exact on your train times, as these may vary at the moment.

On a typical normal day, take the C8 Nantgarw bus from Millennium Centre bus stop which will take 7 minutes, and 8 stops before reaching Central Station JN. It's a 4-minute walk to the train station and you need the GWR London Paddington train which will take 1 hour and 54 minutes, with 5 stops from Platform 2. 

When you reach Paddington Station, you've a 4-minute walk to reach Paddington Underground and get on the Bakerloo Elephant & Castle train which takes 4 minutes with 3 stops. There are some delays on this route due to improvements on the Tube Station at Paddington. Who knows, by the time we're all free to travel, these delays might have been reduced. 

While riding this train, you'll pass Edgware Road and Marylebone. 

Get off at Baker Street Station and walk 4 minutes till reaching the Underground level of Baker Street Station. You'll need the Jubilee line and Stratford which will take 6 minutes, and 3 stops before arriving at Westminster. A five-minute walk will get you to Abingdon Street. 

Chelsea Bridge, London 

This scene was also Johnson and her convoy on their journey towards the location of Torchwood. 

By Car 

Follow the same instructions for getting into London using the Cardiff Bay Link Road route, then after Continuing on A4. Take the A3220 to Chelsea Bridge/A3216 

To do this - Continue onto the Great West Road/A4. At the Hogarth Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Great West Road Chiswick/A4. Keep following the A4. Take a slight right towards Earls Court Road/A3220. Use any lane to turn right onto Earl's Court Road/A3220, continuing to follow the A3220. Continue onto Cheyne Walk/A3212 while continuing to follow the A3212. Turn right onto Chelsea Bridge/A3216. Chelsea Bridge is on your right. 

By Train 

Taking the C8 Nantgarw bus to the Central Station JN from the Millennium Centre, Take the GWR London Paddington train on Platform 1, which will take 1 hour and 50 mins with 5 stops, which will get you to Paddington Station. You'll need to walk to Paddington Underground which will take about 3 minutes. You'll need the Circle Line via Victoria train which has 6 stops and takes 11 minutes. 

When you reach Sloane Square, you'll need to walk to Lower Sloane Street (Stop M) for the 452 Vauxhall train. This will take about a 2 minute walk. The train itself will take 3 minutes with 2 stops. 

Be aware that there are currently disruptions in place at the underground stations due to improvements on the line, so these may delay your journey. 

Next stop, Lister Hospital (Stop CB). From here, walk for about 0.1 mile, or 3 minutes and you will reach your destination. Chelsea Bridge Road, Battersea, London. 

Queens Circus, Battersea, London

This was used for the scene where Johnson and her convoy of troops head towards the location of Torchwood. 

This route will take you 3 hours and 6 minutes and is 151 miles from Cardiff. 

By car 

Follow the same route as before to London but after turning right onto Chelsea Bridge/A3216, enter the roundabout. The Queen's Circus is the Roundabout. So, you may need to plan where you're going to go from there because I doubt you can circle there for the whole day, without seeing blue flashing lights behind you!!! 

By train 

Depending on what time you set out, take number 6 Cardiff Bus to the Central Station JN which will take 7 mins and 5 stops. I think the C8 is before 10am, after then it's the Number 6. You'll need the GWR London Paddington train which will take 1 hour and 51 minutes with 5 stops along the way, and will be on Platform 1. 

When you reach Paddington Station, walk to Paddington Underground station and take the Circle Line via Victoria, which will take 11 mins and has 6 stops. It will take you to Sloane Square. From there, walk to Lower Sloane Street (Stop M) and catch the 137 Streatham Hill train which takes 10 mins and has 5 stops. 

This takes you to Battersea Park Station (Stop C). From there walk towards Queen's Circus which takes a matter of a minute or two. 

Western Leisure Centre, Caerau Lane, Ely, Cardiff, CF5 5HJ 

Back in Cardiff again. There are two scenes used in this Centre. The bodies of the dead in Thames House, laid beneath red blankets. .

And the cafeteria scene where Gwen sat away from Jack, Spears and Frobisher after Ianto’s death.

Head South-west on Cardiff Bay Link Road/Queens Gate Tunnel/A4232. Use the left lane to take the A48/A4050 slip road onto Cardiff West/Gorllewin Caerdydd/Barry/Barri. At the roundabout, take the 4th Exit onto Cowbridge Road W/A48. Soon after this, turn right onto Heol Trelai, then turn left onto Caerau Lane. Turn right after 56 ft and then turn left and after 184 feet, you'll have reached the Western Leisure Centre. 

Stay safe, and see you back here for the final COE Locations guide in February 2021