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LONDON: CITY OF GATES
North London
West London Central London East London
South London
WEST ESTATES
THE 8th ESTATE, THE RAVENS COURT
 THE SHADOW COURT

HAMMERSMITH

KEW GARDENS

HEATHROW

CENTRAL WEST ESTATE
 GWYDION TERRITORY

Hyde park in Westminster covers more than 340 acres and was formerly a royal hunting preserve. It was opened to the public in the early 17th century. In 1851 it was the location of the Great Exhibition, which was held in the newly constructed Crystal Palace, a massive greenhouse-style exhibition hall that incorporated many of the park's trees under its roof. In the park's northeastern corner, near Marble Arch, is Speakers' Corner, which has long been a centre of free speech for soapbox orators. Also in the park are the Hudson Bird Sanctuary, the Serpentine lake a bandstand, large fountains, a ranger's lodge, and, in the southeastern corner of the park, the statue of Achilles, which recalls the duke of Wellington's victories. Not far from the statue, and nearly adjoining the park, is the Wellington Museum. Nearby starts a celebrated riding track, Rotten Row, which traverses the park westward. The park accommodates one of London's more remarkable monuments, the 19th-century Albert Memorial. In the western portion of the park is Round Pond (1728), where expensive model boats are often sailed while kites fly overhead. There are large fountains at the northern end of the Serpentine, not far from the statue of Peter Pan and Speke's Monument.

CRYSTAL PALACE
The Crystal Palace was a giant glass-and-iron exhibition hall in Hyde Park, which housed the Great Exhibition of 1851. The physical structure was taken down (1852-54) and rebuilt at Sydenham Hill, at which site it survived until 1936, but the Dream structure remains within the Dreaming. The exhibition opened in the Crystal Palace on Beltaine (May 1), 1851. The event showed a significant profit, and a closing ceremony was held on October 15, with a later party held by the Fae on Samhain (October 31st). After the building was taken down, it was rebuilt at Sydenham Hill in Upper Norwood, overlooking London from the south. For a number of years the Crystal Palace was the site of shows, exhibitions, concerts, football (soccer) matches, and other entertainments. On the night of Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 1936, it was virtually destroyed by fire; the towers that survived were finally demolished in 1941 because they were deemed a conspicuous landmark for incoming German bombers.

The Crystal Palace, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, was a remarkable construction of prefabricated parts based on the design of a lily. It consisted of an intricate network of slender iron rods sustaining walls of clear glass, and its design and manufacture was later repeated in the building of skyscrapers. The main body of the building was 1,848 feet long and 408 feet wide; the height of the central transept was 108 feet. The construction occupied some 18 acres on the ground, while its total floor area was about 990,000 square feet (or about 23 acres) the same area as the Millennium Dome now sprawls across. On the ground floor and galleries there were more than 8 miles of display tables.

More than six million visitors attended the exhibition, which was open to the public until October 11. The wonders on display to the public were the catalyst for a thousand Reveries and Glamour was so free flowing that it was felt across the city and into the near Dreaming. Heralded as a great success by the Nockers, whose Kith actually exhibited several works; all of the Changeling Nation had cause to celebrate that summer. In the Dreaming that overlaps the site of Hyde Park the Crystal Palace still stands and its fantastical splendour shines like a beacon which the Firchlis can have no effect. As Park of the Nockers Estate, the Crystal Palace was a place of display and examination; the Kith would house exhibitions of their own and opened its doors to Nockers from across the British isles. House Fionna held countless Balls and parties within the gleaming structure for which the Nockers delighted in playing the da Vinci role and created countless mechanical and magical spectacles to wow the guests.

(THE INN AT) THE WORLDS END FREEHOLD
As long as the City of London has stood there have been seven gates, seven portals that link the severed realms to our own waking world, but once there were more. Scholars pour over the myths and legends of the Gates, scrutinising the Bardic songs and poems, hoping to discern how many gates there truly was when the world was young but try as they might, they can never agree on a final count. They do agree however, that there are more to find, and those who call the Worlds End home know the location of at least one. The Tuatha de Danu and the Fomorians all knew the proclamation made by the Morrigan about this Gate, the final gate, the gate to the Worlds end. All tales claimed that its true worth would not be felt until the final days when the light of the world guttered and failed, and when they placed a permanent dwelling upon the field of gates they placed it around this gate.

Serving as a halfway house for those who walked the ancient Trods, the Worlds Inn has hidden behind many facades but the Inn that now stands in the waking world has served it for well over three centuries. If any of the current movers and shakers in London even suspects the existence of this ancient Freehold, they have yet to move on that knowledge, and such a resource is too important to ignore.

(Plagiarised from an idea in Neil Gaiman's Sandman Comics, specifically 'The Wake' - Spike)
After the Resurgence war the Sidhe of House Gwydion controlled the Palace and their allies among house Dougal continued to use the site in much the same way as the Commoners did. Until hostilities broke out between London's Kith House Dougal continued to allow balls to be hosted at the Palace and rather than denying Nockers to exhibit there have actively encouraged it.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE
Located south of Hyde Park and northwest of Belgravia, in London's West End, Knightsbridge is the site of stately houses and clubs, famous department store Harrods, Ltd, The Natural history Museum, the Brompton oratory, the Victorian and Albert Museum, the Geological Museum, the Imperial college of science, technology and medicine and the Science Museum. From the 17th century the area was known for its taverns, including the Swan, the Fox and Bull and the World's End, the first Freehold to stand upon the Field of gates. (see Sidebar)

In the Middle Ages (mid 11th Century) it was a village called Cnihtebricge ("Bridge of the Young Men") and it served as a duelling ground, a tilting yard and a site for the drilling of Knights and squires. Exuberant Wilders would meet here to satisfy matters of honour, or simply to let off steam while being cheered on by Childlings. Even until recently Knightsbridge served as a place for rivals to meet and for old hatreds to be quenched. So far the tradition had been respected even throughout the civil war and House Gwydion have allowed those wishing to use the Bridge safe passage. The knowledge that to violate this tradition would lose them all support from their loyal trolls, not to mention countless other Fae has no doubt helped their decision.

THE WHITE CITY MOTLEY
Harlsden's Trolls had taken up residence in an artists commune in White City Freehold years before the Sidhe returned and the Western Estate was shared with Nockers and Caribbean Eshu before the resurgence, but it took the strange fortunes of War to make bedfellows between Harlsden and the Redcap Brixton Steel jaw. Granting House Gwydion the return of their old territory at the end of the Accordance war was the final bauble that ensured peace, but the territory came with sitting tenants. Two Motleys, both formed in the crucible of the War, were granted the right to maintain the freehold within the Western estates. The White City Motley sat on the Border between the Barons court and the Ravenscourt.

While the Commoners at first seemed happy to remain within their small freehold, the Trolls could not ignore the Barons lack of honour and Nobility forever. Even if they could, the Redcaps would not let them. From within the Barons court the young Sir Uthden struggled to remind his Master of his Duty but to no avail, only when the Troll champion was transferred into the Regency Oathcircle did all pretence at civility fail. Had Baron Goldhawk been a more capable Noble he might have eventually embraced these Commoners and have immersed them into his court, but instead he lost most of his estate to them over time. The final nail in his coffin came when he lost control of the Notting Hill Gate to the Troll and Redcap Veterans.

The name Notting Hill (Knottynghull, 1356) is probably of Anglo-Saxon origin and held a special place in the hearts of the Troll soldiery. In the mythical past when the Trods all stood open the gateway was a fount of delight, as fantastical Chimera and Nevers spilled out to dance among the trees. As the Shattering approached no one could deny that the Gate on the Hill was still a direct connection with the Dreaming and Glamour was not in short supply until the gate closed.

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