London’s Alleys and Passages - Archive Articles

London’s Alleys: James Court, W1

This is a fairly new open courtyard and alleyway that replaced a small sealed off cul-de-sac as part of a large redevelopment of the former Foyles bookstore.

London’s Alleys: Sicilian Avenue, WC1

This avenue in Holborn is a modern addition to the area - by London's standards that is, as it dates from 1910. Before that, the area was a conventional block of shops and houses having been developed by the 1670s.

London’s Alleys: Bleeding Heart Yard, EC1

This is a cobbled yard in Holborn surrounded on most sides by old warehouse buildings and may have been named after an old pub, or a murder.

London’s Alleys: Stanhope Mews East, SW7

This is a former stables mews that's now expensive homes a stones through from South Kensington's museums.

London’s Alleys: Sedley Place, W1

This is a modern looking alley next to Oxford Street, that thanks to ancient debts, is owned by the City of London, but is also the site of possibly the most expensive clerical error in human history.

London’s Alleys: Langthorn Court, EC2

This is a short alley hidden around the back of city offices that has a very confusing history over the roughly 400 years it has existed.

London’s Alleys: Cloth Court, EC1

This is an ancient narrow alley that slips around the backs of buildings in Smithfield, and was for many years, a townhouse for Sir John Betjeman.

London’s Alleys: Gutter Lane, EC2

This is an alley in central London that's not named after the sort of gutter you're thinking about.

London’s Alleys: Marion’s Way, SE1

This is a pedestrianised street close to Southwark tube station that was renamed a year ago as Marion's Way after the local resident and campaigner, Marion Marples, who died in 2019.

London’s Alleys: Flitcroft Street, WC2

This may be called a street, but it's undeniably alley-like in appearance, snaking around the back of shops at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street.

London’s Alleys: Thomas More Walk, SW3

This is a fairly new alley that came into existence in late 2017 due to a large redevelopment of several sites in close proximity to each other.

London’s Alleys: Little Turnstile, WC1

A narrow winding passage snakes behind the streets of High Holborn and is a relic of a time when the area was mostly fields.

London’s Alleys: Little Green Street, NW5

This is a charming little passageway in north London that is famous for the row of Georgian houses that line it with their bow windows and cobbled street.

London’s Alleys: Carey Lane, EC2

A short passageway close to St Paul's Cathedral which is dominated by offices on one side and a nearly 200-year old livery hall on the other.

London’s Alleys: Archibald Mews, W1

This is a short mews in posh Mayfair with a posh pub and grand flats on the entrance and squalor behind.

London’s Alleys: Ludgate Square, EC4

Despite its name, this is not a large square but a narrow passageway that leads off from Ludgate Hill in front of St Paul's Cathedral and winds around the back of buildings to a cluster of narrow streets.

London’s Alleys: Penton Grove, N1

This is a tiny stump of an alley to be found in Islington that used to be much longer than it is today.

London’s Alleys: George Yard, EC3

This is a former alley that's now a large courtyard space surrounded by City offices and a Wren-built church, and sits in the centre of a cluster of smaller surviving alleys.

London’s Alleys: Clarges Mews, W1

This is a curiously mixed mews just to the north of Piccadilly that ranges from charmingly narrow and cobbled to wide open and yard-like spaces.

London’s Alleys: Churchway, NW1

This is a short alley halfway between Euston and St Pancras station that offers a convenient link between two busy roads.

London’s Alleys: Virgil Place, W1

This is a short alley in Marylebone that used to be a lot longer and lead to lots of terraced housing that no longer exists.

London’s Alleys: Broad Street Avenue, EC2

This is a tiny dead-end alley just around the corner from Liverpool Street station with a broad name, but narrow countenance.

London’s Alleys: Leigh Place, EC1

This is a modest alley that can be found in the back streets of Holborn, and is notable apart from the varied history for having one of the few remaining painted road signs in the City.

London’s Alleys: Old Fish Street Hill, EC4

This short rather plain-looking passageway is actually a remnant of a longer alley that can be traced back at least to medieval London, at a time when there was a large fish market next to where the alley's northern end is today.