Devil's Acre

The Westminster Pit was a well-known blood sport arena in nineteenth-century London, England. It reached a zenith of popularity between 1820 and 1830, and hosted such spectacles as dog-fighting, cock-fighting, bear-baiting, badger-baiting, monkey-baiting, and rat-baiting. A legal enterprise at the time, the Westminster Pit openly declared its activities, ushering notoriety on the district in which it existed. The Westminster Pit was located on Duck Lane, Orchard Street (since renamed St. Matthew's Street), and its dimensions were approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m). The gallery was 3 feet (0.91 m) above the arena and was capable of containing 200 people – or, by report of William Pitt Lennox, "perhaps a greater number of less refractory persons, for the common run of spectators were so obstreperous and so agitated by various emotions, according to the amount of bets depending, and the various turns of the conflict, that a decent orderly person would feel himself much incommoded by a considerably less number."Prior to the beginning of matches, the stakes would be formalised and the dogs weighed. It was common in the Westminster Pit (and other venues like it) for cheating to occur, often by way of covering a dog with substances – such as acid or pepper – that would deter his opponent from biting him. For this reason, it was compulsory that all combatants be washed in water or milk, and a participant was permitted to lick his opponent's dog as a precaution.Perhaps the most famous dog to perform in the Westminster Pit was a bull and terrier named "Billy", whose fame was his rat-baiting ability. The October 1822 edition of The Sporting Magazine describes his feat of killing 100 rats in six minutes and twenty-five seconds: almost six minutes faster than what was wagered. Billy's best time ever is recorded as five minutes, or slightly over "by a very few seconds". The name of Billy's owner is not consistently documented: some sources refer to a Charles Dew, some to Charley Westropp, and others to Charley Aistrop. Pierce Egan gives Billy's date of death as 23 February 1829. Later commentators have questioned the legitimacy of Billy's success; in particular, James Rodwell, in his 1858 The rat: its history & destructive character: With numerous anecdotes, stated: "let it be borne in mind, and I assert it on the testimony of living witnesses, that numbers of the rats were dead before the dog commenced, and that the whole had been poisoned with nux-vomica before being put into the pit . . . and when he did commence, several were thrown out as dead that were able to crawl away".In 1830, an indictment was lodged against the Westminster Pit by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Society charged the proprietor, John King, with a nuisance, while noting that it was "indebted to corporal Denny, of No. 17, Queen Square, Westminster, and to James Yewen, of No. 6, Horseferry Road, Westminster . . . for obtaining a sufficient number of witnesses, residing on the spot, to prove the case as a nuisance." King was convicted, and, according to The Cottager's monthly visitor, "the prosecution completely suppressed that notorious sink of cruelty and vice".

The Venue was a live music club at 160–162 Victoria Street, London, England, owned by Virgin Records. It opened its doors on 1 November 1978 and operated until 1984. The first act to play there was Graham Parker and The Rumour, followed by the last live performances by Alex Harvey before his death. Todd Rundgren played some dates there just before Christmas in 1978, as part of the tour to back up the Back to the Bars album; released for the Christmas market, at the time. Two shows were sometimes played per night, and the ambience was akin to a nightclub, where audience members sat at tables and could have drinks and meals while listening to the acts. It was also popular for use by record companies showcasing new signings to the music media.

The Big 4 is a sculpture made of steel bars located outside the headquarters of the Channel Four Television Corporation in London. It is designed to represent the logo of Channel 4 while providing a basis for a number of art installations. As of November 2012 seven installations have been made on the statue's steel framework, including those to coincide with the 2012 Summer Paralympics, covered with both newsprint and umbrellas, and a design to simulate the statue breathing. A further dressing to celebrate the devolution of Channel 4 from London to a series of regionally-based offices, alongside the Horseferry Road HQ has recently been approved and will be erected later in 2019.

124 Horseferry Road is the headquarters for the British television broadcaster, Channel 4. It is located in the City of Westminster, London and includes 100 residential apartments. The building was opened on 6 July 1994 and was designed by the Richard Rogers and Partners.

St Matthew's Church, Westminster, is an Anglican church in Westminster, London. Located in the heart of the capital, close to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Church House, St Matthew's has been closely associated with the recovery of the Catholic heritage of the Church of England from its early days. One of the foremost leaders of that movement, Frank Weston, Bishop of Zanzibar, served at St Matthew's from 1916-18.

Strutton Ground Market is a small street market held on weekdays near Victoria, London. The market is located on a narrow cobbled street - Strutton Ground - between Victoria Street and Greycoat Place/Great Peter Street. This market is one of the most centrally located street markets in London, being close to the Palace of Westminster and Victoria railway station. The market is open weekdays from 10:00 to 16:00. The market mainly caters for local residents and the office population in the immediate Victoria Street area, selling food, groceries, books and clothing, but is becoming increasingly popular with tourists.The market is organised and regulated by Westminster City Council. The coffee stall "Flatcap" won Westminster City Council's 2010 Market Trader of the Year award, voted for by customers.

The Office of the International Organization for Migration in London is the diplomatic mission of the International Organisation for Migration in the United Kingdom. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has offices in over 100 countries with over 10,000 staff globally. We are committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. Established in 1951, IOM works with migrants, governments and other partners to provide humane response to the growing migration challenges of today. By promoting international cooperation and dialogue on migration issues, we assist in the search for practical solutions to key issues facing migrants and societies alike. The United Kingdom joined IOM as a Member State in 1961 and our first liaison office was opened in the United Kingdom in 1992 to support refugee resettlement. IOM works closely with the UK Government- both in Britain and abroad - to protection migrants from violence, exploitation and abuse (including from modern slavery), and to support safer, orderly and regular migration. Together, IOM and the UK are working to build a stronger evidence base through data collection, research and analysis and to support local authorities, frontline professionals and others to support migrants, refugees and victims of human trafficking.

Broadway is a street in the City of Westminster in London that runs between Petty France, Queen Anne's Gate, Carteret Street and Tothill Street in the north and Victoria Street in the south. It is joined on the west side by St Ermin's Hill and Caxton Street, and on the east side by Dacre Street. Notable buildings on the street include: Metropolitan Police's former headquarters (1967–2017), known as New Scotland Yard, at No. 10 (now demolished); Falkland House at No. 14, the Falkland Islands Government office in London. Equal Opportunities Commission at No. 36; The MI6 or Secret Intelligence Service's former operating base at 54 Broadway; 55 Broadway, on the corner with Petty France and including St James's Park Underground station. Designed by Eric Gill and grade I listed. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, at No. 151. St Ermin's Hotel, on the corner with Caxton Street which had strong connections with the British intelligence community. Grade II listed.In March 1973, the Provisional IRA placed a car bomb outside the post office at No. 1, Broadway. It was defused before it exploded, but two other devices, one in Whitehall and another near the Old Bailey, exploded that day, killing one person who died from a heart attack attributed to the bombing, and injuring over 200.

The Horseferry Road drill hall was a military installation at 95 Horseferry Road, London.

The Falkland Islands Government Office in London is the representative office of the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands in the United Kingdom, also referred to as Falkland House. It was opened in 1983, one year after the Falklands War.

The Westminster Archives Centre is the archive centre for the City of Westminster, London, located at 10 St Ann's Street, London SW1P 2DE England.

The Grey Coat Hospital is a Church of England secondary school with academy status for girls in Westminster, London, England. In 2013, it had 1064 pupils including 40 boys in the Sixth Form. It is a specialist Language College.