London’s Pocket Parks: Princes Circus, WC1

A rather shabby pavement space in central London has been turned into a pocket park, with loads more planting and softer wooden seating replacing an ugly brick slab that used to dominate the area.

International Hall’s old colonial emblems

A large building just down the road from Russell Square tube station is notable for both its monumental design, but also a series of plaques that line the walls.

Central London’s free museum mile

In central London is a cluster of free museums all within a short walk of each other that offer an eclectic day out, and leaves you wondering how you never visited them before.

London’s Pocket Parks: Marchmont Community Garden, WC1

This is a pocket park in Bloomsbury next to the Brunswick Centre that was once a private garden and fenced off, but just over a decade ago was opened up as a public space.

There’s a museum in a telephone box

An old phone box outside the front of the British Museum has been turned into a miniature museum of its own - the Visionary Brit Museum.

London’s Pocket Parks: St George’s Gardens, WC1

This is a large secluded park that has several small entrances off residential roads, so unless you're exploring Bloomsbury's side streets it's very easy to not know it's here.

London’s Alleys: Barbon Close, WC1

This is covered passage next to a beautifully restored Georgian house opposite Great Ormond Street hospital.

London’s Alleys: Pied Bull Yard, WC1

This concealed yard next to the British Museum looks as if it's been here for centuries, but in fact, Pied Bull Yard is barely 40 years old, or if you prefer, several hundred years old.

London’s Pocket Parks: Bloomsbury Square

This is one of London's larger pocket parks, and also one of its oldest, at around 360 years old -- but it was only opened to the public in the 1950s.

Find Augustus Pugin’s home in central London

Just down the road from the British Museum can be found the former home of Augustus Charles Pugin and his architect son Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin - best known for decorating the Houses of Parliament.

London’s Alleys: Gower Mews, WC1

This short cul-de-sac leads off from Gower Street in central London, an area developed with upper middle-class homes, but now dominated by educational establishments.

London’s Alleys: Woburn Walk, WC1

Woburn Walk is a charming pedestrian street that is surprisingly found just opposite Euston Station.

London’s Alleys: Colonnade, WC1

Colonnade (sometimes Mews) is a narrow length of pleasing road that's rather well hidden despite being right next to a central London tube station.

Tickets Alert: Behind the scene tours of Bloomsbury’s Principal hotel

As part of the Bloomsbury Festival, there's a chance to take in a behind the scenes tour of the grand hotel that dominates the area, the Principal London.

London’s (narrowest) Alleys: Emerald Court, WC1

Welcome to London's narrowest alley, and it's not the one that most other people say is the narrowest alley in London.

The Dairy Supply Company near the British Museum

Just around the corner from the British Museum is a building with a very distinctive architecture which usually causes people to stop and stare for a moment, even if only to wonder how a Pizza Express has ended up occupying what is proudly claimed to be an outpost of The Dairy Supply Company Limited.

Photos from the roof of Senate House

This is Senate House – the administrative block of the University of London – famous in part for its modernist style and the sheer bulk of the main tower. And this is the view from the top of that 19…

My Top Picks from the Bloomsbury Festival 2010

Later next month is the annual Bloomsbury Festival, where they lay on a really quite considerable number of events packed into a single weekend, many of which look very appealing. Sadly, the website that accompanies the event, while looking as…