Location Detectives - Lexham Gardens Safe House

One of the delights about a series shot entirely on location is that we can follow in the film makers footsteps if we choose. At least, that’s true in theory, assuming we can find the locations to begin with! In this new series of articles we’ll highlight some of the locations we are still trying to track down from either Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Smiley’s People. 

First up it’s one of the most important locations in Tinker Tailor - the Lexham Gardens safe house where Guillam lures Esterhase so that Smiley can interrogate him. On the face of it this would seem to be one of the easier locations to find as the street name is right there on the railing next to the house…the only trouble is that sign is a BBC prop. We know from Paula Span’s article Tinker, Tailor, Soldier…Tourist that Le Carre identified the location of the actual safe house as 88 Lexham Gardens and you can see photos of that location below, courtesy of A Smiley Walk.

It’s clear from just a cursory survey of the Lexham Gardens area that the location used in the series was situated elsewhere. There are no leads at the BBC Written Archives Centre and despite an extensive search we‘ve had no luck yet pinning the location down, so perhaps you can help us. Do you recognise the street Toby walks up? Or the unusual entrance to the house with steps up to a covered porch on the other side of the railings? (If it helps, the number on the door is 45.)

If you have any idea at all where this might be please do get in touch at guinnessissmiley@icloud.com