Where It All Goes Down
Victorian London and Strachan's Ghyll
Foggy London
The beginning of the story takes place in Victorian London, which is not the friendliest place to be. It's dirty, foggy, and oftentimes full of grimy and nefarious characters. Even Clara Wintermute—who is a rich little girl—isn't spared from the overall grayness of London. In fact, she considers the sight of a "wisp of blue sky" a beautiful day:
The view that greeted her was dismal enough. The trees in the square had shed their leaves, and the city was dark with grime. But the sky was white, not gray; there was even a wisp of blue sky between two clouds. It was a rare clear day. (1.5)
The London that Lizzie Rose and Parsefall know best is even worse; the streets are dirty and dangerous, and the homes aren't all that much better. Lizzie Rose and Parsefall consider themselves lucky to be living in a flat rented by Grisini even though it's often squalid and neither of the children have their own rooms:
What Lizzie Rose called her bedroom was in fact nothing of the kind. Grisini's lodgings consisted of two rooms: his private bedroom, and a large parlor. Parsefall slept in a nest of blankets before the parlor fire. When Lizzie Rose joined the household, Grisini—with the air of one offering the jewels of the Orient—purchased a straw mattress and invited her to share the hearth with Parsefall. (8.10)
From the way London is described in Splendors and Glooms, it's clear that it's not the prettiest place to be. In fact, it's pretty bleak overall for both the poor and the rich, which is fitting since both our rich and poor characters have a pretty hard time in life.
Strachan's Ghyll
Cassandra the witch lives in Strachan's Ghyll, a sprawling property in Windermere that is all hers. It's a huge and expensive home with plenty of servants and pretty things lying around, though it's not the warmest place in the world (both literally and figuratively):
When at last the trees parted, the children saw the house: a castle of red sandstone. The gatehouse had mimicked the larger building; this was the real Strachan's Ghyll, and it was forbidding, not picturesque. It stood in a circle of hollies, and the verdant green of the leaves made the stone look blood red. (29.12)
Strachan's Ghyll is a monument to everything Cassandra has achieved in her life. She has amassed plenty of wealth and goods, and everyone fears and respects her. But, like Cassandra's life, Strachan's Ghyll is devoid of love. It's an impressive enough property, but it's not exactly a home.