Somerset House

Somerset House stands between the Strand and the Thames Embankment near Waterloo Bridge. Previously home to the General Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and then an Inland Revenue Tax Office, the recently renovated buildings contain a museum and art gallery. The courtyard has a wonderful fountain display in the summer, but over Christmas and the New Year 2000 was magically transformed into an Ice Skating Rink.

Somerset House doubled for the exterior of the Ministry of Defence in the James Bond film 'Tomorrow Never Dies'. 007 is seen driving his Aston Martin DB5 through the entrance and into the courtyard. The courtyard was also used in GoldenEye, in the sequence where CIA agent Jack Wade's car breaks down.

Waterloo Pier on the river in front of the House was where the Cigar Girls boat smashed into a pier in the boat chase for 'The World Is Not Enough'.

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