skyscraper One Blackfriars. For a short arc north-west of the small gyratory around the large station complex (with Bridge House, office and retail buildings) stretches back the Crowne Plaza London – The City hotel, a conversion from Spicers Brothers papermakers headquarters, of 1916 facing a few mature trees on a hardscaped small "square" or piazza. Southeast of this circle is Blackfriars Millennium Pier, a stop for river-bus services on London River Services. The Victoria Embankment stretches along the north bank of the river west from Blackfriars to Westminster Bridge. Notable buildings include the large Art Deco Unilever House, and also facing the station's gyratory, the Art Nouveau Black Friar pub. Further clockwise, facing, are the Bank of New York/Mellon building and the Mermaid Theatre, now a conference centre. The forerunner station stood south of the river, Blackfriars Bridge railway station, no major trace of which remains. It was closed to passengers in 1885 when the current station opened, as "St Pauls" for some decades. Listed buildings One or two elaborate streets of Blackfriars were well repaired after the City was heavily bombed in the Blitz (1940 to 1945). These, of genuine Victorian or city Georgian architecture, are frequently sets for film and television series. These include Sherlock Holmes and David Copperfield. Burials at Blackfriars, London Elizabeth de Badlesmere, Countess of Northampton Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings Robert St. Lawrence 3rd Baron Howth Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent Neighbouring parts of London North bank, clockwise: Temple Fleet Street Ludgate Hill/City Thameslink St Paul's Mansion House (south-east of above) South bank: Bankside Gallery See also List of monastic houses in London References Further reading Walter Gumbley, G., On the name Blackfriars, Spirituality Today, (1986) Nick Holder, The Friaries of Medieval London: From Foundation to Dissolution (2017); chapter 2, pages 27–56 Areas of London Districts of the City of London Districts of London on the River Thames 1276 establishments in England