London’s Alleys and Passages - Archive Articles

London’s Alleys: York Place (formerly Of Alley), WC2

Welcome to York Place, for that's its modern name, yet it used to be curiously called Of Alley, and why it was so called is just as curious as the name itself.

London’s Alleys: Blue Anchor Alley, TW9

One of the ancient paths that used to slip between fields when all around Richmond was fields and Palaces.

London’s Alleys: Devereux Court, WC2

This is a passageway that wavers from wide open court to narrow rubbish filled alley, and is named after a traitor.

London’s Alleys: Tyler’s Court, W1

This barely noticeable crack in the tall buildings on Wardour Street is Tyler's Court, home to werewolves and vampires.

London’s Alleys: White Horse Alley, EC1

This short little alley certainly brings home the bacon, as conceals a vast modern courtyard, which was until recently the old Danish Bacon warehouse.

London’s Alleys: Lovat Lane, EC3

A ancient winding path down a slope lined with cobbles in the City with a "famous wren church" in the middle, what's not to love about Lovat Lane?

London’s Alleys: Herbal Hill, EC1

A fairly steep little passageway that's wide enough to be a road, was originally an extension of Saffron Hill to the south.

London’s Alleys: Hat and Mitre Court, EC1

One of the joys of London are the alleys with wonderful names, and this is perfect example of one that can be found near Clerkenwell.

London’s Alleys: Greenhill Rents, EC1

A sanitized road that was once much less posh and an awful lot longer.

London’s Alleys: Passing Alley, EC1

When all around Clerkenwell was fields and churches, a path ran through the cornflowers. Today where all is built up, that ancient path still carves a narrow path through the buildings.

London’s Alleys: Bull Inn Court, WC2

This is the story of an alley called Bull Inn Court which is today most famous for containing a pub, which is not called the Bull Inn.

London’s Alleys: Gwynne Place, WC1

This might not look like much, but this little place and set of steps are rich in history, and deep in subsidence.

London’s Alleys: Warwick Passage, EC4

A covered alley that runs underneath the Old Bailey court rooms with a concealed entrance for the public to go inside, this is Warwick Passage.

London’s Alleys: St Augustine’s Path

A narrow alley that provides a convenient link between two parallel roads, and which as far as I can tell, has never been used by St Augustine.

London’s Alleys: Amoy Place, E14

If this alley sounds vaguely Chinese, then it's no surprise as it's part of the old Limehouse Chinatown before Chinatown migrated to Soho.

London’s Alleys: Hen and Chicken Court, EC4

This modest and in its own way pleasant little back alley is notable not just for its curious name, but for being associated with the infamous Demon Barber, Sweeney Todd.

London’s Alleys: Castle Court, EC3

This is one of those seemingly ancient alleys that the City of London is so rich in, yet almost impossible to find anything about.

London’s Alleys: Harringay Passage, N4

At just under a mile in length, this is the longest alley in London, and predates the area which is today known as the Harringay Ladder due to the way the street layout looks like a ladder.

London’s Alleys: Priest’s Court, EC2

This is an alley in two halves, with a narrow older half full of character and a very modern wider half that, well, lacks much to say about it.

London’s Alleys: New Bell Yard, EC4

This yard is New, and looks it, but also on the site of an old, but at the time never so called, Bell Yard.

London’s Alleys: Sugar Bakers Court, EC3

This rather small dead-end of an alley is in an area of London that is surprisingly rich in ancient history, but also offers an amazing view of a modern landmark.

London’s Alleys: Church Entry, EC4

This short alley, and indeed most of the surrounding land lies within the late 13th-century Blackfriars friary, which in its time was one of the largest single sites within the old City of London.

London’s Alleys: Shepherdess Place, N1

This alley is notable for appearing in a very famous song, of which most of us know just one line - Pop! goes the weasel.

London’s Alleys: Pedley Street Arch, E1

A curiosity of what is more usually called Pedley Street Arch is that it's not on Pedley Street at all, but Fleet Street Hill, and what is called Pedley Street used to be Weaver Street, and what was Pedley Street...