London’s Alleys and Passages - Archive Articles

London’s Alleys: Matrimony Place, SW4

Part of the busy Wandsworth Road sits at the bottom of a steep slope, and to get to the top, in one place is a steeply sloping alley, with the charming name of Matrimony Place that leads up to an old church.

London’s Alleys: Oldbury Place, W1

This is a quiet set of low-rise mews houses and offices that can be found just off bustling Marylebone.

London’s Alleys: Albany Court Yard, W1

This is a small courtyard leading off from busy Piccadilly, but one with an exceptional building at the end.

London’s Alleys: Snow Hill Court, EC1

This tiny very well-hidden alley in Holborn has existed ever since the church it wraps around the back of was built in Norman times.

London’s Alleys: Ladbroke Mews, W11

This is a short mews in Holland Park a short walk from the tube station, and another architectural gem for the area, the Cosmic House.

London’s Alleys: Hanover Place, WC2

This is an alley in Covent Garden that seems to have slipped through history barely leaving a mark, but it's also an alley that's had many names over its long life.

London’s Alleys: Hyde Park Gardens Mews, W2

This is one a classic of the posh mews style prevalent in parts of London as former cheap stables near Hyde Park were turned into expensive homes.

London’s Alleys: Crossrail Path, SE18

Not one of my usual dives into the history of an ancient alley as this is a brand new alley that only came into existence thanks to the arrival of the Elizabeth line station at Woolwich.

London’s Alleys: Talbot Yard, SE1

This is a narrow alley leading off Borough High Street in Southwark with a link to one of England's most famous stories.

London’s Alleys: Savoy Buildings, WC2

This is an alley that's owned by The Queen and comes with its own unique London Underground tube roundel.

London’s Alleys: Lamont Road Passage, SW10

This is a posh-looking alley to be found in Chelsea's World's End that has a link with the brutalist architects that designed the Barbican estate.

London’s Alleys: Bow Lane, EC4

This narrow lane in the City of London is famous for being lined with shops and cafes and is also one of the oldest surviving lanes in the City on its original layout.

London’s Alleys: Durweston Mews, W1

This is a small back of flats courtyard mews that can be found just around the corner from Baker Street.

London’s Alleys: Bennett’s Yard, SW1

This is a short well-used alley to the south of Westminster Abbey that has been home to spies and politicians in its long life.

London’s Alleys: Bath Court, EC1

This is a Clerkenwell alley that has survived many attempts to remove it and today snakes between a posh hotel and into a private car park.

London’s Alleys: Lombard Court, EC3

This is a slightly winding passage that has been around for a few centuries and yet left little history in its wake.

London’s Alleys: Green’s Court, W1

This is one of those notorious Soho alleys for the ladies of the night, although in recent years, as with the rest of the area, it's more cafes than carnalities these days.

London’s Alleys: Peary Place, E2

This is a cobbled passage just off Roman Road in East London that's recently seen run down workshops being converted into loft-apartment style flats.

London’s Alleys: Hunt’s Court, WC2

This is a short grim dank smelly alley behind Leicester Square more notable for the rubbish bins pilled up inside it, and yet, it has a long and sometimes unexpected history.

London’s Alleys: Counter Court, SE1

This very shabby dirt ridden little alley near London Bridge is a legacy of judicial power, being named after an early prison on the same location.

London’s Alleys: The Watford Way subway, NW7

This is a subway under a busy road in Mill Hill Broadway that has two claims to fame, and the most obvious is that it's decorated with images of the solar system.

London’s Alleys: Bear Gardens, SE1

This is an alley in Bankside that's charmingly cobbled, but has a bloody history.

London’s Alleys: St Dunstan’s Court, EC4

This is a small alley and courtyard off Fleet Street probably more noticed today for the game of Space Invaders in the pavement.

London’s Alleys: May’s Court, WC2

This is a wide alley just to the north of Trafalgar Square and sits between the St Martins Lane Hotel to the north and the London Coliseum to the south.