We are excited to announce that we are moving from our Long Acre premises to 7 Mercer Walk which is just around the corner.
Here is a map showing directions from our Long Acre store to the new store on Mercer Walk.
This will not be our first move; we’ve been helping people plan their travels and adventures since 1853. Our first home in 26 Cockspur Street still bears our signature globes in its brickwork.
Long Acre has played an important part in the company’s journey. From here we’ve provided maps for royalty and other notable figures such as Frederick Lugard, Ernest Shackleton, Captain Scott and Amy Johnson to name just a few. We’ve featured in lots of books and were famously mentioned in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles after Dr Watson is sent to Stanfords to procure a map of Dartmoor for Sherlock Holmes.
Kenneth Williams worked at Stanfords as a mapmaker’s draftsman before his acting career took off and he found fame in the Carry On films. Among our current staff, a lot of us have been here for years (some for decades) and between us we have a wealth of expert experience. We truly believe that home is where the heart is and we will be bringing our expertise and Stanfords’ highest of standards to our new location.
Times are changing and more and more people are travelling. Our products are required all over the world and in recent years our website has grown significantly. Due to demand, we need to expand this area of our business and our current location doesn’t cater for this growth. Our move will allow us to expand our back office while giving our store a much needed refresh. 100 years is a really long time to be in one place and this building has been through a lot. Did you know that during the Blitz we survived a direct hit thanks to the cushioning of our maps? The thousands of Ordnance Survey maps stocked in tightly constructed stacks helped halt the path of the flames and saved the shop from destruction. We were selling maps with charred edges for years after. The new Stanfords on Mercer Walk is a sparkling new building and we are so excited about working somewhere where the air conditioning actually works and the rent is much more affordable.
We love how many of you tell us about your adventures that have started at Stanfords and we can’t get enough of the pictures you send us from far-flung places. We are so looking forward to sharing this next chapter in Stanfords’ history with you.
The new and improved Stanfords on Mercer Walk will officially open in January but we can’t wait that long to show you around so we will be opening the ground floor as a Christmas gift boutique in mid-November.
And for everyone who is asking, yes, our new store will have map flooring.
Here are some sketches from Caulder Moore that will give you an idea of how our new store will look:
How about a reference plan for access showing the location of the new store?
Hello David, a cartographer is making a bespoke map for us that we will share once it has been completed. In the meantime, I have added a link near the top of post showing directions from the Long Acre store to the new store.
When?
We will be trading from both stores from mid November and the Long Acre store will officially close in January. We have not got an exact date yet, but will share it as soon as we know.
Which number, Mercer Walk?
Hello Lynton, we are moving to 7 Mercer Walk. Can’t wait to show you around.
Looking forward to visiting the new premises, but how can I find my way without a Stanford’s map?
Good point Michael. A cartographer is making a bespoke map for us that we will share once it has been completed. In the meantime, I have added a link near the top of post showing directions from the Long Acre
Best wishes for a successful move.
When do you actually make the transition to Mercer Street?
Thank you,
Cameron Rose
Hello Cameron, thanks so much for the well wishes. We will be trading from both stores from mid November and the Long Acre store will officially close in January. We have not got an exact date yet, it depends on how fast we can move all our stock across the road. We will share the date as soon as we have a better idea.
What, Stanford’s didn’t include a map of the new site in their announcement?
Hello Peter, a cartographer is making a map for us that we will share once it has been completed. In the meantime, I have added a link near the top of post showing directions from the Long Acre store to the new store.
Which corner are you going around! Without looking it up, I’m not familiar with Mercer street,and although it is simple to find out, a little diagram would have been helpful!
Hello Pam, a cartographer is making a map for us that we will share once it has been completed. In the meantime, I have added a link near the top of post showing directions from the Long Acre store to the new store.
I only found out yesterday and was a bit sad, seeing the boarded up place where I’ve spent hours and hours rummaging through books and maps. I suppose the move makes sense though and am looking forward to continuing my exploration of the new shop