| Place | Story | Still exists? | Lat, Lon | Google Maps | place_id | Source article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickins & Jones, Regent Street | Dickins & Jones had stood on Regent Street since 1790. The store was to close due to a downturn in consumer spending and rent rises; its building had been sold to property developers planning to turn it into a series of smaller shops, with flats and offices above — putting 500+ staff at risk of redundancy. | n/a (area) | 51.51389, -0.14105 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ8W0xDAAFdkgRDKagJvmtwr8 | dickins jones t |
| City of London Cemetery | The City of London Cemetery is offering second-hand graves, with 'refurbished' monuments including headstones, obelisks and crosses, to be used again. Recycled burial plots, complete with the original memorials, still contain the remains of those who died at least 75 years ago — the names of the dead are simply scoured from the monuments to allow new inscriptions. The cemetery is selling 1,000 such plots advertised as 'traditional-style graves' to be 'adopted' by families willing to pay £3,000 to lease them for 50 years. The City of London corporation says many graves were dug deep enough to allow for more coffins and that re-using the memorials is good conservation. | n/a (area) | 51.55898, 0.04974 exact | map ↗ | ChIJTcHDGv-m2EcRlH1Z81_gpWk | always room for |
| 10 Downing Street, Westminster | A man was discovered inside a secure area at the back of Downing Street at 10.30pm, found carrying a large kitchen knife. Police stated there was no terrorist connection, noting the intruder would 'have had to get through another security cordon' to reach the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Following a scuffle with police, the intruder was examined by a doctor due to concern about his health. | n/a (area) | 51.50328, -0.12706 exact | map ↗ | ChIJRxzRQcUEdkgRGVaKyzmkgvg | intruder at num |
| Andaz Liverpool Street hotel (Masonic Temple) | Inside the Andaz Liverpool Street hotel — originally the Great Eastern — lies an opulent masonic temple of marble and gilt, which remained forgotten and walled off for decades before its rediscovery during a 1990s refurbishment. The hotel was built by Charles Barry Jr, son of the architect of the Houses of Parliament, who also crafted the temple at a cost of some £50,000 (around £4 million in today's reckoning). The room reportedly contains 12 types of marble, as well as a golden pipe organ and mahogany furniture. Today the room is used as an events venue, and can sometimes be glimpsed on Open House weekends every September. | n/a (area) | 51.51731, -0.08135 exact | map ↗ | ChIJGYNHibIcdkgRveiA0iBpeVE | in pictures the masonic temple of l |
| Carnaby Street, Soho | Carnaby Street was already starting to lose its appeal amongst the mod cognoscenti in the 60s — it was too short for the necessary promenading. 'Once you've been the length in your purple and yellow-striped Mongolian lamb coat — that's it.' | n/a (area) | 51.51349, -0.13992 exact | map ↗ | ChIJzSGCadUEdkgRpMi9N49BJYE | the london dossier chapter 1 |
| Lyons Restaurant, Chancery Lane | A Lyons restaurant in Chancery Lane was a cool place for mods to hang out at lunchtimes during the height of the allegedly swinging 60s. | n/a (area) | 51.51821, -0.11150 exact | map ↗ | ChIJRSD_d0wbdkgR_P_OkhjyyEM | the london dossier chapter 1 |
| The Marquee, Wardour Street | In the height of the allegedly swinging 60s, mods decided which were the in and happening places. The Marquee in Wardour Street was one of the spots they frequented. | n/a (area) | 51.51344, -0.13386 exact | map ↗ | ChIJDx47WwAFdkgRYvnzW26d2NM | the london dossier chapter 1 |
| The Orchid, Purley | The Orchid in Purley was described as 'the biggest beat ballroom of them all' in the 60s mod era. | former venue historical story · site now: redeveloped | 51.33688, -0.11866 approx | map ↗ | — | the london dossier chapter 1 |
| Tiles, London | Tiles was a place where mods grooved along to Steve Derbishire and the Yum Yum Band, one of the in and happening spots that mods frequented in the 60s. | former venue historical story · site now: redeveloped | 51.51587, -0.13381 exact | map ↗ | — | the london dossier chapter 1 |
| Fulham Palace, Bishop's Park | Fulham Palace — the former summer retreat of the Bishops of London — was once enclosed by the largest moated site in England. Its Great Hall dates from 1495. You can visit the Palace and gardens five afternoons a week and admission is free. | n/a (area) | 51.47077, -0.21588 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJd2HTbaAPdkgRzADh38gQpO0 | top 10 things to do in the borough of hammersmith fulham |
| White City, Hammersmith & Fulham | White City gets its name from The Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 — the exhibition buildings built on the site were all painted white. | yes | 51.51146, -0.23763 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ6xFkmdcPdkgRCRurlDSm8PY | top 10 things to do in the borough of hammersmith fulham |
| Green Lanes, Haringey | Green Lanes starts at Newington Green and winds north a long way into Enfield. The Haringey stretch, in particular, was massively Cypriot in the 1960s and 70s — print shop owner Tasos remembers how Cypriots used to move house following the route of the 29 bus. The area is home to well-known local characters, including the owner of Pringipessa, who has regulars turning up every Friday and Saturday for live Greek music; London Greek Radio, which broadcasts live; Nicholas Printers, with its original Heidelberg Press; Paneri's huge restaurant lurking behind an unassuming kebab shopfront; and Mr Lefteris himself making bread. | n/a (area) | 51.58650, -0.10098 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJrX9X2_AbdkgRxi3UDWNUS-g | london documentary from green line to green lanes |
| Tower of London | In the 850 years it functioned as a prison, the near-impregnable Tower of London saw — according to historian Nigel Jones — 37 different escapees, just four a century. Bishop Ranulf Flambard, its first ever inmate, escaped in 1101 by getting his guards drunk at a banquet and hauling himself out of a window on a rope smuggled in via a wine bottle; the Tower had never been designed as a prison. In 1323, rebel baron Roger Mortimer laced the warders' wine with sedatives and went over the walls with two siege rope ladders, before being recaptured and hanged at Tyburn. Jesuit priest John Gerard, imprisoned in 1597 on allegations of treason against Elizabeth I, cultivated a network of Catholic allies via notes written in orange juice as invisible ink, then shinned down a rope tied to a cannon, held by complicit boatmen in the Thames. In 1716, Lord Nithsdale was smuggled out in women's clothes and make-up by his wife, who then held an imaginary conversation impersonating his voice to fool the guards outside. In 1671, 'Colonel' Thomas Blood — not himself an inmate — gained privileged access by befriending the jewel-keeper Talbot Edwards, then bludgeoned him and made off with the Crown Jewels before being caught just past the Tower walls. Remarkably, Charles II spared Blood's life and even gave him land. | yes | 51.50881, -0.07859 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ3TgfM0kDdkgRZ2TV4d1Jv6g | audacious escapes from the tower of london |
| Arsenal Highbury Stadium | Arsenal's Highbury was yuppified in 2006 into new flats, although the Grade II listed parts were retained as part of the development. | former venue historical story · site now: Highbury Square | 53.91665, -3.02485 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ1wQ6j19ce0gRi-CjYzR9HgU | artful prints conjure up lost football stadiums |
| Old Wembley Stadium | The old Wembley stadium was demolished in 2003. | former venue historical story · site now: redeveloped | 51.55602, -0.27962 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJbYd61YERdkgRl-DoXRifT6Y | artful prints conjure up lost football stadiums |
| Hyde Park | On the Queen's birthday, after passing Buckingham Palace at midday, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery stages a 41-gun royal salute in Hyde Park. | n/a (area) | 51.50736, -0.16411 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJhRoYKUkFdkgRDL20SU9sr9E | in pictures 21 guns of london |
| Tower of London | An hour after the Hyde Park salute, the Honourable Artillery Company fires a 62-gun royal salute from the bank of the Thames next to the Tower of London — 21 rounds for the basic Royal salute, a further 20 rounds at royal parks, palaces and fortresses, and yet another 21 rounds for being in the City of London. | yes | 51.50881, -0.07859 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ3TgfM0kDdkgRZ2TV4d1Jv6g | in pictures 21 guns of london |
| Down Street Ghost Station | Down Street Underground is a station which closed its doors to passengers in 1932. Its subterranean passages contain stairs that haven't been used for decades and a World War Two typing pool — and what may be Winston Churchill's old bath. | n/a (area) | 51.50514, -0.14832 exact | map ↗ | ChIJrUZbdIYFdkgRlwnpf5s-0X8 | video exploring down street ghost station |
| Covent Garden, London | The rubbery stench of condoms in Covent Garden may be a hangover from the district's licentious past as a red-light district. | yes | 51.51186, -0.12301 exact | map ↗ | ChIJs4GOh8sEdkgRRiBFZKMP8ZE | the london smell map |
| Brixton National Rail station | Brixton National Rail station is home to one of three bronze sculptures made by Kevin Atherton in 1986. | n/a (area) | 51.46260, -0.11475 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ-Q0Y1GcEdkgRpwW1k3QNek0 | brixton |
| David Bowie mural, Morley's department store, Brixton | The David Bowie mural on the wall of Morley's department store became a shrine to the musician following his death in January 2016. | yes | 51.46257, -0.11534 exact | map ↗ | ChIJAftwdWgEdkgRDPYnGF3s9f4 | brixton |
| Electric Avenue, Brixton | Electric Avenue is the first market street to be lit with electricity. | yes | 51.46226, -0.11498 exact | map ↗ | ChIJkyxeeY4FdkgR7-_2SXuKhO0 | brixton |
| Tottenham Court Road | Karl Marx, as a youngster, visited every pub on Tottenham Court Road, before drunkenly smashing all the gas lamps. | n/a (area) | 51.51608, -0.13388 exact | map ↗ | ChIJN67f3ywbdkgR0BhOQiaLiwM | london pub crawls volume 1 |
| 23 Eastcheap, City of London (Philpot Lane mice) | Often hyperbolised as London's smallest sculpture, tiny mice can be found clinging to the wall of 23 Eastcheap in the City. Nobody knows who put the mice-and-cheese there — references go back to the 1960s, but they may be part of the original build in the 1880s. One just-so story would have us believe that the mice represent two workmen who had squabbled over lunch during the building's construction, one of whom then fell to his death. Probably not, but nobody has a better theory. | n/a (area) | 51.51088, -0.08415 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJi3eeOVIDdkgRmqPGMGj0AOM | around london in mice rats rodents |
| Clapham Common bootscrapers and mouseholes, western side | One place with a surfeit of bootscrapers is the western side of Clapham Common. A few years back, one of the residents found a new purpose for one of these niches — a cute cubby hole for a toy mouse family. By the time Londonist got round to visiting, the tiny occupants had become deluged with possessions; the once pristine mousehole was now all a-clutter with junk. | n/a (area) | 51.46007, -0.16021 exact | map ↗ | ChIJAaAt8bwFdkgR9iZH3EDZOXM | around london in mice rats rodents |
| Melcombe Street postbox, Baker Street (Danger Mouse lair) | Both iterations of the Danger Mouse cartoon place the rodents' lair inside a postbox on Baker Street. Head to Melcombe Street opposite the tube exit on Baker Street and you'll find just such a box. It was recently decorated with a fake Blue Plaque dedicated to the duo — sadly that got stripped away. Then, in 2024, an intricate postbox topper appeared there. | n/a (area) | 51.52244, -0.15908 exact | map ↗ | ChIJW-rTfVsbdkgRnxZ6JyE6WFw | around london in mice rats rodents |
| Seething Lane plague stone, City of London | A rat features prominently on a plague stone on Seething Lane. London's population has been devastated on numerous occasions by flea-carrying black rats, most notably during the 'Black Death' of the mid-14th century and the 'Great Plague' of 1665. | n/a (area) | 51.51056, -0.07952 exact | map ↗ | ChIJS6BnX6scdkgRZRvjBscyBtc | around london in mice rats rodents |
| The Bell pub, Petticoat Lane area (ROA rat mural) | The Belgian artist ROA has painted numerous animals across town, including rodents. A large rat painting has persisted on the side of The Bell pub in the Petticoat Lane area for well over a decade. | n/a (area) | 51.51590, -0.07567 exact | map ↗ | ChIJU22spLQcdkgREJJmfqo93MI | around london in mice rats rodents |
| Dulwich Picture Gallery | Dulwich Picture Gallery hosted Rembrandt's Light, an ambitious exhibition exploring whether Rembrandt — a master of capturing the contrast between light and dark — might have been a cinematographer had he been born in recent times. The gallery worked with noted cinematographer Peter Suschitzky (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back), adding touches such as displaying paintings that depict night-time in a low-lit room to add atmosphere, and setting drawings in a space akin to Rembrandt's studio, lit to replicate the daylight that would have naturally streamed into his workspace. The most cinematic moment was a painting barely visible until a slowly sweeping spotlight kissed it with light and the work came alive. Art history purists were likely to be unhappy with the dramatic lighting and the typewriter font mimicking film scripts in the captions, but the novel approach gave visitors another way to appreciate the masterpieces. | yes | 51.44606, -0.08633 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJE_hdXfEDdkgR09Yvt9rEzmI | rembrandt |
| Brick Lane Mosque (Brick Lane Jamme Masjid) | The building at 59 Brick Lane, currently known as Brick Lane Mosque (or Brick Lane Jamme Masjid), has been through many lives since being built in 1743. It has functioned as a Huguenot chapel, a Methodist church, a Jewish Synagogue, and has been a mosque since 1976, by which time much of the area's Jewish community had relocated to north London. Today the building is Grade II* listed. The school next to the mosque used to function as the vestry when the building was the Neuve Eglise church. | n/a (area) | 51.51954, -0.07194 exact | map ↗ | ChIJbyqWwrUcdkgRSKINY7I-CzY | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Cadogan Hall, Chelsea | Now better known as a concert hall and the base of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Cadogan Hall was once a New Christian Science Church with a 1,400-strong congregation. As worshippers declined, the congregation moved to another church and the building was disused, before being bought by the Cadogan Estate in 2000. The concert hall opened in 2004, following some changes to the room's acoustic properties. | yes | 51.49379, -0.15723 exact | map ↗ | ChIJlYVYHBYFdkgRs_jgidWG13o | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Garden Museum, Lambeth | Lambeth's Garden Museum inhabits a former church. The museum was set up in the 1970s in order to save the abandoned church building from demolition. A 17th century royal gardener father and son, both named John Tradescant, were buried in the churchyard, making it an apt location for a museum of garden history. The interior of the church was renovated in 2008, creating gallery space that hosts three exhibitions a year. | yes | 51.49496, -0.12019 exact | map ↗ | ChIJBUDOGcAEdkgRoQKLoxgPtWg | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Henry Wood Hall, Borough | Henry Wood Hall was formerly known as Holy Trinity Church. It came to the attention of the London Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras in the 1970s when they were looking for a new rehearsal space, at which point it had been sitting empty for 10 years. In 1972, the orchestras held a rehearsal to test out the new space — with the musicians wearing helmets to protect them from falling plaster. It was considered a success, so funds were raised and plans produced to convert the church. But on the night before work was due to start, the building was gutted by fire, meaning that it had to be almost totally reconstructed. Work was complete in 1975, and the building has functioned as a rehearsal space and recording studio ever since. | unknown | 51.49873, -0.09404 exact | map ↗ | ChIJFUnLVAAFdkgR_0HGfCzG3Vc | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington | Teddington's impressive Landmark Arts Centre used to be the Church of St Alban the Martyr, built in 1889 and known as the 'Cathedral of Thames Valley' due to its impressive size. The pulpit, still in situ today, was unusually situated halfway down the nave, rather than at the front of the church. In the early 1970s the church was neglected, and a campaign was launched to preserve its architecture and turn it into an arts centre. Today it hosts fairs, concerts and book clubs, and is available for hire. | unknown | 51.42822, -0.32438 exact | map ↗ | ChIJBxr944ALdkgRhDNdJ7VgE5g | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| O'Neill's (former church pub), Muswell Hill | The O'Neill's Irish bar in Muswell Hill was colloquially known as 'the church pub' — it's since become a steakhouse. It's a Grade II listed building, built in 1902, and still retains much of the original architecture both inside and outside. | n/a (area) | 51.59014, -0.14429 exact | map ↗ | — | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| St John's Smith Square, Westminster | The funeral of Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst was held at St John the Evangelist in 1928, but these days the venue is better known as concert venue St John's Smith Square. The church dates back to 1710, and functioned as a parish church for over 200 years, weathering fires, lightning strikes and other events, before being reduced to ruins on the final night of the Blitz. A group of locals clubbed together to buy the building and have it restored to the original 1710 designs by architect Thomas Archer, opening it as a concert venue in 1969. There's a restaurant in the former crypt, open for lunch and pre-performance dinners. Some of London's last remaining gas lamps are situated right outside the building. | n/a (area) | 51.49600, -0.12701 exact | map ↗ | ChIJHT2Z5sIEdkgRjrJZLxTQEeE | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| St Luke's, Old Street | The London Symphony Orchestra is based in a Grade I listed church on Old Street. St Luke's was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor around 1730, although today it's no longer used as a church. The orchestra rehearses and holds workshops and concerts within. The column-like spire is often illuminated at night — an odd, glowing beacon. | n/a (area) | 51.52518, -0.09401 exact | map ↗ | ChIJj0Nh_VcbdkgRe0Or0Ycz1Cw | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Tin Tabernacle, Kilburn | North London Sea Cadets now make use of the Tin Tabernacle in Kilburn, built in 1863 as St James's Episcopal Chapel and used as such until the 1920s. It was one of many prefabricated iron churches that became popular in the 1850s. As well as providing a base for the Sea Cadets, the building hosts a regular folk club and is available to hire. | yes | 51.53623, -0.19232 exact | map ↗ | ChIJyeWCy3QQdkgRo6JpcG89Msw | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Virgin Active (former church), Woodford Green | The swimming pool at the Virgin Active fitness centre in Woodford Green is in an old church — you can do lengths in what was once the nave. There's a shower at the altar, and the confession box has been converted into a sauna. | unknown | 51.60269, 0.06875 exact | map ↗ | ChIJXcAxgTah2EcRFvOakiMS99Q | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Westland London, Shoreditch | The former Church of St Michael and All Angels in Shoreditch has been converted into a warehouse selling antique fireplaces and chimneypieces, among other decorative stoneware items. Westland London has been in its current Grade II listed building since 1977. The church had closed in 1964, due to a declining local population. | yes | 51.52452, -0.08288 exact | map ↗ | ChIJv77L6K8cdkgRj-rB_ZUnZPQ | these london buildings all used to be churches |
| Fountain and Ink, Waterloo | The Fountain and Ink by Waterloo is based in a building which once housed the company that made indelible ink so trusted, it was used to sign the Treaty of Versailles. | yes | 51.50716, -0.10755 exact | map ↗ | ChIJSRBTS7AEdkgRQF2KiV42dLs | london pub names etymology book |
| John the Unicorn, Peckham | The John the Unicorn in Peckham has a heart-warming backstory: it is named after a child's prized cuddly toy. | yes | 51.46877, -0.06756 exact | map ↗ | ChIJgzKMnqEDdkgR0Tdcve8NKXw | london pub names etymology book |
| Rusty Bucket, Eltham | The Rusty Bucket in Eltham is a piece of imagined cockney rhyming slang, invented by the pub's owners. | yes | 51.45041, 0.05212 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJq6qmmXSp2EcRihHrsKJDLEM | london pub names etymology book |
| Town of Ramsgate, Wapping | The Town of Ramsgate in Wapping is named after fishermen from the Kent coastal resort who used to stop here on their way into London. | yes | 51.50350, -0.06200 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJ7QtQYToDdkgRVUNbGjYt2LU | london pub names etymology book |
| Rum & Sugar, West India Quay, Docklands | Rum & Sugar is set in a converted warehouse that was originally used for storing rum that came off ships in London's docks. More than just an atmospheric place to enjoy a few swigs, the bar also runs Rum School classes and cocktail masterclasses. | yes | 51.50748, -0.02352 exact | map ↗ | — | rum best london bars |
| Trader Vic's, Park Lane, Mayfair | Hidden away in a Park Lane hotel, Trader Vic's has been pulling punters into its Polynesian lair for over 50 years. It's an offshoot of the California original of the same name, where Trader Vic himself is said to have first created the Mai Tai cocktail back in 1944. | n/a (area) | 51.50560, -0.15015 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJI7XXmS8FdkgRzcAHNqN3e0c | rum best london bars |
| Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre | The Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre was a 1960s mall that housed some excellent Colombian restaurants and bars, but became something of a 'Marmite' landmark in later years. It was demolished in 2021. The iconic pink elephant that once stood above the entrance of the shopping centre now stands in the modern Castle Square. | former venue historical story · site now: The Elephant | 51.49553, -0.10151 exact | map ↗ | ChIJwTdnFNYFdkgRDEjg4gRy6SQ | elephant and castle explainer elephant square tube station |
| Elephant and Castle Tube Station | For many years, Elephant and Castle Tube station has struggled along, with passengers having to use antiquated lifts — or otherwise the stairs — to access its Northern and Bakerloo line platforms. TfL reckons that without intervention, by 2031 some 2,000 passengers would be overflowing out of the station at peak time. A brand new ticket hall entrance is being built for the Northern line, with new escalators, lifts and passenger tunnels, folded into The Elephant development; works are expected to be completed in late 2027. The station has also been 'safeguarded' for a Bakerloo line extension. The 1906 Bakerloo line building, designed by Leslie Green, remains and will continue to operate with lifts only for the foreseeable future. | n/a (area) | 51.49460, -0.10033 exact | map ↗ | ChIJI9JoOqIEdkgRm1W33pepbrs | elephant and castle explainer elephant square tube station |
| Elephant and Castle, south London | Elephant and Castle was once known as the 'Piccadilly Circus of south London'. The south London district underwent dramatic development following heavy bombing during the Second World War. In later decades it was fair to say the area had been under-appreciated — not exactly gone to seed, but certainly not looked after as well as it could have been. In 2004 it was identified in the Mayor's London Plan as an Opportunity Area and earmarked for major redevelopment. Over 20 years and £4bn later, big changes have occurred, with more just around the corner. It's in a prime spot — easy walking and busing distance to central London and London Bridge, and incredibly well connected, on two Tube lines and National Rail. | unknown | 51.49591, -0.10047 exact | map ↗ | ChIJf_KZPaIEdkgRVSaHS-MHSRo | elephant and castle explainer elephant square tube station |
| Heygate Estate, Elephant and Castle | The Heygate Estate was a 1970s brutalist estate that housed 3,000 people, and was famous for appearing in the Michael Caine film Harry Brown. It was demolished in stages between 2011 and 2014. Much of the former estate has since been supplanted with Elephant Park, incorporating 3,000 new homes and 50 retail outlets, plus restaurants, cafes and a public park. | n/a (area) | 51.49549, -0.10312 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ714EQKMEdkgRSqvUavLUNEo | elephant and castle explainer elephant square tube station |
| Michael Faraday Memorial, Elephant and Castle | The stainless steel cube at Elephant and Castle is simultaneously a Michael Faraday memorial, an Aphex Twin rumour, and an electrical substation — and it's staying put. | yes | 51.49512, -0.10065 exact | map ↗ | ChIJBztWFqIEdkgRg2JdB_8qBL4 | elephant and castle explainer elephant square tube station |
| Waterloo Bridge, London | Waterloo Bridge is widely acclaimed for its panoramic views of London. The prospect towards the Square Mile is particularly striking. The interpretation panel on the bridge dates from around 2004, shortly after completion of the Gherkin — 30 St Mary Axe — which was then the second tallest building in the City. Today the Gherkin is barely visible among the growing cluster of towers, and even Tower 42, once the tallest building in Britain, is hardly distinct as an individual tower any more. South of the river, the boomerang profile of 1 Blackfriars now dominates the view; Guy's Hospital, clearly labelled on the old plaque, is now obscured by the Shard; and the South Bank Tower has since grown by another 10 floors. Blackfriars rail bridge has gained a roof and some width. The gap between the old interpretation panel's view and today's is, at most, 14 years — and the view would have been largely unchanged until 2007 when the Heron Tower was completed, meaning that huge step up in the skyline is just a decade in the making. | n/a (area) | 51.50858, -0.11692 exact | map ↗ | ChIJO26oGbYEdkgRyoLsMKw9LlA | how the view from waterloo bridge has changed beyond recognition |
| Old Street / Goswell Road running route | On 9 May 1770, a costermonger named James Parrot ran a mile in a wager worth 15 guineas — about a third of a typical costermonger's annual income. He chose a route along the northern City fringes, through the same area that would launch England's first balloon flight 14 years later. The starting line was on Goswell Road (then Goswell Street) beside the wall of the Charterhouse, and much of the course took him along Old Street. Given the passage of over a quarter of a millennium, it is arresting to see just how little the route has changed. Few buildings survive from that time, but Old Street still follows the same curves — especially that dog-leg into the finish. The only spoilsport is that wretched junction above Old Street tube, which would still present a significant obstacle to any runner hoping to repeat Parrot's achievement. | n/a (area) | 51.52627, -0.08796 exact | map ↗ | ChIJWU0W-aUcdkgR0ydznY5P0K0 | a four minute mile in 1770 |
| St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch | The gates of St Leonard's church in Shoreditch were the finish line of James Parrot's legendary 1770 mile run. Parrot's route began on Goswell Road and ran largely along Old Street before that dog-leg into the finish at St Leonard's. | yes | 51.52687, -0.07720 exact | map ↗ | ChIJMRVYuLAcdkgReGvdlajaMIo | a four minute mile in 1770 |
| Chambers Wharf, Bermondsey | A medieval skeleton was discovered by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) during excavations at Chambers Wharf in Bermondsey, just downstream of the Tower of London, where work is underway to build the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The remains are thought to date back to the late 15th or early 16th century. The skeleton was still wearing a pair of leather thigh-high boots. The good quality boots suggest the man made his living from the river — perhaps a fisherman, sailor or mudlark. Deep grooves found on the teeth seem to have been caused by a repetitive action, 'like passing rope between his teeth as a fisherman might'. The man's position — face-down, with one arm above his head and the other bent back on itself to the side — suggests this was an accident: 'he fell or drowned and was covered quickly by the ground as it moved with the tide,' according to MOLA. | yes | 51.50263, -0.01949 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ9Rxsu7kCdkgRKdbvyFn2-Qk | medieval skeleton face down thames boots bermondsey tideway tunnel |
| Horseshoe Brewery / Dominion Theatre site, St Giles | The great beer flood of 1814 took place at the Horseshoe Brewery of the Meux company, at or very near the site of where the Dominion Theatre now stands. | former venue historical story · site now: Dominion Theatre | 51.51672, -0.13017 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJJ7VUaS0bdkgRRxOOSvN_HaE | why don t you come on over valerie the remarkable lady meux |
| Meux Brewery, Clerkenwell / St Giles | The Meux Brewery was founded in 1764 in Clerkenwell before moving to the Horseshoe brewery site in St Giles. After Lady Meux's time it underwent a number of mergers and takeovers before finally ceasing trading in 1961. | former venue historical story · site now: redeveloped | 51.52649, -0.10787 exact | map ↗ | ChIJFwTJp1EbdkgR-NP21QE15Go | why don t you come on over valerie the remarkable lady meux |
| Temple Bar, Paternoster Square | Lady Valerie Meux is said to be responsible for persuading her husband to purchase Christopher Wren's Temple Bar from the City of London, and ship it stone by stone to the Meux family seat at Theobalds in Hertfordshire, where it was re-erected. There it stayed until returned to town in the 1990s, when it was placed in Paternoster Square. | n/a (area) | 51.51368, -0.11192 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJobbMVM0FdkgR_uulU7US_SU | why don t you come on over valerie the remarkable lady meux |
| Camden Town (County of London Plan, 1943) | With the Second World War still raging, city planners John Forshaw and Patrick Abercrombie were already plotting the London of the future. Their 1943 County of London plan included a radical reshaping of London's road networks, with major new ring roads and multi-lane highways right through the centre of town. Famously, Camden Town would have been largely obliterated by a major junction and approach roads, while Victoria Park would have been pincered by two motorways. Some aspects, such as the Westway, came to fruition, but London was largely spared this tarmac overhaul. | yes | 51.53903, -0.14255 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJKZQaXxwbdkgRWLo89tC-_V8 | maps of alternative londons |
| The Square Mile, City of London (Wren's Post-Fire Plan) | After the Great Fire destroyed most of the Square Mile, a number of architects rushed out plans for rebuilding the city. Leading the pack was Sir Christopher Wren, whose scheme included grand boulevards meeting at wide piazzas, as was the fashion on the continent. Had the plans gone ahead, the City would look very different today. In 2013, James Macdonald put together a map showing Wren's scheme overlaid onto a modern map of the Square Mile. The resurrected Fleet Canal to the west and the jaunty angle of Southwark Bridge are notable features, but Bank junction still looks like a bit of a nightmare. | unknown | 51.51342, -0.08907 area | map ↗ | — | maps of alternative londons |
| 19 Princelet Street, Spitalfields | A Museum of Immigration already exists in the form of 19 Princelet Street. Fascinating though the place is, it has one big drawback: it's hardly ever open, and it's rather small. | n/a (area) | 51.51985, -0.07239 exact | map ↗ | ChIJrRJI8rUcdkgRuPtGxO2_jFE | museums we wish existed |
| Christ Church Lincoln Tower, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth | Next time you emerge from Lambeth North tube, take a close look at the church spire opposite. The Kentish ragstone steeple of Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road sports distinctive red bands, separated by rows of stars. Viewed under a clear sky, the red, white and blue conjures images of the US flag — Stars and Stripes in the sky. This is deliberate. The church's guiding light, Christopher Newman Hall, had argued passionately for the abolition of slavery in America. He decided that the tower should serve as a memorial of emancipation, and dubbed it the Lincoln Tower, in honour of the anti-slavery President. The structure was half-funded by American donations, while its foundation stone was laid by the American Ambassador General Schenk. It was opened on 4 July 1876, exactly 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was approved. Alas, the church took significant damage in the Second World War, and only the tower now remains from the original set of buildings. A new concrete block, including a chapel and office space, was added in the 1960s. It is now known as the Oasis Centre. | n/a (area) | 51.49892, -0.11211 exact | map ↗ | ChIJA_Hzo74EdkgRGC383vbqDuw | ever noticed this stars and stripes church tower |
| 'No Tricycles' Sign, Alley off Kent House Road, Beckenham | In a lowly footpath in the 'Borough of Beckenham', a sign threatens a £5 penalty for riding a tricycle or similar machine. The reference to the Borough of Beckenham dates this sign to before 1965, when boundary changes subsumed the old borough into Bromley. A further bit of googling around the town clerk's name suggests this sign dates from the 1950s. It can be found in the alley off Kent House Road, part of the Green Chain Walk, section 10. | unknown | 51.41649, -0.04492 approx | map ↗ | — | london s old forgotten signs |
| Albert Bridge, Chelsea | Spindly Albert Bridge is such a delicate little thing. The effete span can be unsettled by too many pedestrians walking in unison. That's why it carries a famous vintage sign asking troops to break step when marching over the bridge. Since Chelsea Barracks closed, the bridge is presumably little bothered by military mis-steps. The sign is parodied outside the Albert pub, a little south of here. | n/a (area) | 51.48457, -0.14979 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ6f4r3hoFdkgRr0mPRsOZnIk | london s old forgotten signs |
| Metropolitan Police Hook, Great Newport Street, Covent Garden | On the building next to the Arts Theatre on Great Newport Street, Covent Garden, there is a Metropolitan Police hook of indeterminate vintage. Rather than serving as a place to dangle suspects, the hook was a handy place for Edwardian coppers to stow their heavy capes in hot weather. | n/a (area) | 51.51194, -0.12755 exact | map ↗ | ChIJl2FFos0EdkgRMqBfZmhbARs | london s old forgotten signs |
| Point Hill Viewing Plaque, Greenwich | Point Hill in Greenwich is graced with a hilariously outdated viewing plaque from 1984. The City contains no skyscrapers, other than the NatWest Tower (now Tower 42). The BT Tower is still the London Telecom Tower, while Tate Modern is shown as Bankside Power Station. Someone has pencilled in the Shard. | n/a (area) | 51.47349, -0.01087 exact | map ↗ | ChIJiTSA-ocCdkgR8DkPQKGS2Ik | london s old forgotten signs |
| Tate Gallery Paving Slabs, Southwark Street | Paving slabs on Southwark Street carry the worn message 'Tate Gallery of Modern Art, opening 2000' — more than a little behind the times. | n/a (area) | 51.50404, -0.09093 exact | map ↗ | ChIJEZw201kDdkgR70aUTxcUMko | london s old forgotten signs |
| WWII Air Raid Shelter Sign, Deptford | A painted sign in Deptford dates from the Second World War, pointing locals to the nearest air raid shelter. | unknown | 51.48080, -0.02311 exact | map ↗ | ChIJETGWWe4CdkgR5MeS8JK61ng | london s old forgotten signs |
| Nelson Mandela bust, Royal Festival Hall | The bust of Nelson Mandela outside Royal Festival Hall is unusual because it was unveiled in 1988 while Mandela was still alive — it's normal for statues to be erected after the subject has died. The man who created it, Ian Walters, actually died before Mandela himself did. Walters was also responsible for designing the Mandela statue in Parliament Square, although he died before it was completed. The bust is Grade II listed. | yes | 51.50546, -0.11674 exact | map ↗ | ChIJn1KI5rcEdkgRmHHicD2__dY | secrets of southbank centre |
| Royal Festival Hall organ, Southbank Centre | When the Royal Festival Hall organ underwent a major restoration in 2011, yellow nicotine traces were found on the inside of the original pipes — a relic from when audiences were permitted to smoke in the hall. In 1969, the hall welcomed a meeting of women pipe smokers. | yes | 51.50577, -0.11680 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJ8W1157cEdkgRaKMYsrcpgH0 | secrets of southbank centre |
| Royal Festival Hall singing lift, Southbank Centre | When you enter Royal Festival Hall via the main entrance close to the river, head over to the far left corner and you'll find a lift. Hop in and you'll be serenaded. | yes | 51.50577, -0.11680 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJ8W1157cEdkgRaKMYsrcpgH0 | secrets of southbank centre |
| Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre | Clement Attlee laid the foundation stone of Royal Festival Hall in October 1949. Today it is Grade I listed — it was the first post-war building to be given this protected status. Hugh Casson, the architect responsible for overseeing its construction, described the South Bank area beforehand as 'a grimy and battered film-set of a place lying almost in the shadow of Big Ben'. | yes | 51.50577, -0.11680 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJ8W1157cEdkgRaKMYsrcpgH0 | secrets of southbank centre |
| South Bank Lion, Westminster Bridge | The South Bank lion, which now sits on the south end of Westminster Bridge, used to sit atop The Lion Brewery that once stood on the site of Southbank Centre. | n/a (area) | 51.50094, -0.11981 exact | map ↗ | ChIJUzq0BukFdkgRKiQNv3tkD3c | secrets of southbank centre |
| The Lion Brewery site, Southbank Centre | Before the Festival of Britain in 1951, the site now occupied by Southbank Centre was home to The Lion Brewery. The brewery opened in 1837 and functioned until 1924, when the company was taken over. The building sat disused until 1931, when it was destroyed by fire, and the site remained empty until the Royal Festival Hall was built in 1949. | former venue historical story · site now: Royal Festival Hall / Southbank Centre | 51.50602, -0.11641 exact | map ↗ | ChIJEYfH57cEdkgRzWXeq8neKtI | secrets of southbank centre |
| Troubadour Greenwich Peninsula, North Greenwich | A huge new auditorium is coming to North Greenwich, constructed on currently derelict land right beside the Thames — like SE10's answer to the National Theatre. The Troubadour Greenwich Peninsula will be the third and largest performance venue from the Troubadour, who currently operate spaces in nearby Canary Wharf and Wembley Park. It's being widely billed as London's largest theatre, but that's only true if you squint through a curtain of caveats: the 3,000 capacity is split between two separate 1,500-seat spaces, which would only be mid-sized considered individually. It's a boxy, lightweight and temporary building — the planning permission lasts for just 10 years, after which the space is anticipated to be used for residential developments. It sits right beside the cable car station. | yes | 51.48596, 0.00749 exact | map ↗ | ChIJNxPuIyOo2EcRF14nFjC4WII | troubadour theatre north greenwich peninsula near o2 |
| Acton Town tube station | The name Acton comes from Old English meaning an enclosure surrounded by oaks. | n/a (area) | 51.50337, -0.28011 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ0w-DaQgOdkgRTKL6u8XkkE4 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Alperton tube station | Alperton is an Old English name, based on the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of Albert. A village or farmstead associated with this otherwise forgotten man grew up here. | n/a (area) | 51.54072, -0.29933 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ90MdBjwSdkgR-EpBRrpK4GI | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Arnos Grove tube station | The name Arnos Grove is reckoned to come from the family of Margery Arnold, who held land in the area in the 14th century. Arnold's Grove became Arno's Grove and then Arnos Grove. | n/a (area) | 51.61635, -0.13345 exact | map ↗ | ChIJNQKwuXMZdkgR2bHZDmvMf84 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Arsenal tube station | Arsenal is named after the local football club — a rare example of a commercial enterprise finding its way onto the tube map. The Gunners originally played in Woolwich, and their name comes from the Royal Arsenal munitions complex based there since the 17th century. The club moved to Highbury in 1913, and some smooth talking by management persuaded London Underground to change the nearby tube station from Gillespie Road to Arsenal in 1932. The old name can still be seen on the tiles at platform level. | n/a (area) | 51.55842, -0.10566 exact | map ↗ | ChIJK47eFZ0bdkgRKXBWaH_-09M | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Barons Court tube station | Barons Court is a name invented at the end of the 19th century to encompass new housing developments. It probably has no historical association, and was chosen as a pairing with nearby Earl's Court — much as Queensbury nodded to Kingsbury. | n/a (area) | 51.49032, -0.21359 exact | map ↗ | ChIJXzdQRL4PdkgRUkNvZTFFZPs | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Boston Manor | The station is named after the nearby Jacobean mansion, Boston Manor. Despite the name, the place has nothing to do with the Massachusetts city — it harks back to a medieval personal name. Bordwadestone is first recorded in the 14th century and simply means 'the farm of Bord'. | yes | 51.50375, -0.33333 exact | map ↗ | ChIJzbr-YncNdkgRVRvHzWpEULY | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Bounds Green tube station | Bounds Green recalls the le Bounde family, who owned the land in the 13th century. The name lived on in a local farm, and was perpetuated with the coming of the tube line in 1932. | n/a (area) | 51.60714, -0.12430 exact | map ↗ | ChIJL-s502UZdkgRHAJUa2tGRpQ | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Caledonian Road tube station | The Caledonian Asylum was originally set up in 1815 to help Scottish children orphaned by the Napoleonic Wars. The institution moved to Islington in 1828, and became so well known that its name was bestowed on the major thoroughfare still called Caledonian Road. | n/a (area) | 51.54855, -0.11825 exact | map ↗ | ChIJYfr7Lw0bdkgRUuZCGHvY4ok | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Cockfosters tube station | Cockfosters has uncertain etymology and is first recorded in the 16th century. It perhaps recalls the 'cock forester', or chief forester who may have lived nearby. Alternatively, it may derive from a personal name, or the name of a prominent house. | n/a (area) | 51.65164, -0.14990 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ4XMNn1AYdkgR-LxXo0BSY5s | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Covent Garden tube station | The old fruit and vegetable wholesale market dates back to the 17th century — the first record of a market here is from 1654, and Charles II granted a charter for it in 1670. The name is older: the land was owned by Westminster Abbey during the Middle Ages and referred to as 'the garden of the Abbot and Convent of Westminster' in the 13th century. 'Covent' is a corruption of 'convent'. The market relocated to Nine Elms in 1974. | n/a (area) | 51.51300, -0.12416 exact | map ↗ | ChIJT2mIkcwEdkgRYspzsBq1iAM | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Ealing Common tube station | Ealing is one of the oldest names in the London region, attested from around 700 CE. There once was a local chieftain known as Gilla, whose people were the Gillingas — this slowly transmuted into Ylling then Ealing. The common land still survives, close to Ealing Common tube station. | n/a (area) | 51.51023, -0.28821 exact | map ↗ | ChIJCfA3TfkNdkgRdf9myZQ53b4 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Earl's Court tube station | Earl's Court has noble origins dating back to the Norman Conquest. The land was held for more than 500 years by the Vere family, Earls of Oxford, whose manorial court was located very close to where the underground station stands today. | n/a (area) | 51.49158, -0.19389 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJTYFlZIsPdkgRNvh8Ud9OzLg | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Eastcote tube station | Eastcote is literally the cottage to the east (of Ruislip). The horsey Berkshire village of Ascot shares the same origins. | n/a (area) | 51.57655, -0.39714 exact | map ↗ | ChIJSxOP3vVsdkgR1MBiIqzn218 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Finsbury Park tube station | Finsbury Park is nowhere near the original Finsbury, which is to the north-west of the Square Mile. At the mid-point of the 19th century, the area had become densely packed with ramshackle housing and the people needed green, open space; the site a couple of miles north was chosen and Finsbury Park was opened in 1869. The original Finsbury supposedly got its name from a man called Finn, whose manor house was located in the area. | n/a (area) | 51.56473, -0.10574 exact | map ↗ | ChIJi6MILpsbdkgRBoO1enQmXbo | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Gloucester Road tube station | Gloucester Road is named after Maria, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, who built a house on the street — at the time called Hog Moore Lane — in 1805. It is one of two stations on the Piccadilly line named after women. | n/a (area) | 51.49474, -0.18283 exact | map ↗ | ChIJY2zjBF4FdkgRS_vfsQAPXZw | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Green Park tube station | Unlike other Royal Parks, Green Park lacks formal flower beds. An old myth attributes this to Catherine, wife of Charles II, who supposedly spotted the merry monarch plucking flowers in the park for his mistress and in wroth ordered all flowers removed — it has remained barren ever since. The open space was originally called Upper St James's Park but changed to The Green Park in 1746, probably reflecting its nature at the time: open meadow with few trees. | n/a (area) | 51.50708, -0.14325 exact | map ↗ | ChIJu2CNTCgFdkgRKtygz0xw9BI | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Hammersmith tube station | Hammersmith has disputed origins as a place name. Some sources suggest it derives from Hammoder's Hythe (a safe haven belonging to Hammoder), others — perhaps more satisfyingly — suggest it's simply a concatenation of 'hammer' and 'smithy', denoting an area important for metal working. | n/a (area) | 51.49348, -0.22483 exact | map ↗ | ChIJu8j53rcPdkgR1Neld9KKOPs | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Hatton Cross tube station | Hatton simply means a farmstead on the Hounslow heath. The 'cross' is less certain; probably a reference to the crossroads with the old Roman road to Staines. | n/a (area) | 51.46674, -0.42317 exact | map ↗ | ChIJtwlFVAdzdkgRaPZJf8lp5Us | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Heathrow Airport | A small grassy airfield, one of the earliest in the London area, opened here in 1930 beside the sleepy hamlet of Heathrow. This settlement was first recorded in 1410 as La Hetherewe, meaning simply a row of houses on a heath. The three Heathrow tube stations are the only ones on the network to feature numerals in their official names; Heathrow Terminals 2,3 is also the only tube station name to include a comma. | n/a (area) | 51.46799, -0.45505 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ6W3FzTRydkgRZ0H2Q1VT548 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Hillingdon tube station | Hillingdon appears in Domesday Book as Hillendone, suggesting a hill belonging to a man called Hille, Hilla or Hilda — probably where Hillingdon Hill rises near Uxbridge. The once localised name has widened its geography to encompass a whole London borough. | n/a (area) | 51.55379, -0.44997 exact | map ↗ | ChIJI54vi8ptdkgRQ_Y-GgzqYxg | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Holborn tube station | Holborn's name — traditionally pronounced with as few letters as possible (O'b'n) — has watery origins, stemming from either 'old bourne' or 'holl bourne' (old brook or hollow brook), and probably describes a long-lost tributary of the nearby River Fleet. | n/a (area) | 51.51743, -0.12000 exact | map ↗ | ChIJr11YVTQbdkgRhY0V1HABqq8 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Holloway Road tube station | The origins of Holloway Road are disputed, with three theories sharing similar credibility: it may be simply low-lying (a hollow) compared with the hills of Highgate and Islington; it might recall a pronounced dip along the centre of the road worn in by centuries of cattle on their way to Smithfield Market; or it could be a corruption of hallowed-way, a reference to a pilgrimage route up towards Norfolk. | n/a (area) | 51.55283, -0.11285 exact | map ↗ | ChIJpSgVFHQbdkgRJk5AAs3UkP8 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Hounslow tube stations | Hounslow may have canine origins. The name means something like 'mound of the hound' in Old English — though whether the reference is to a dog or a nickname of the landholder is not known. | n/a (area) | 51.47343, -0.38572 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ-bLLwddydkgRYrppxCqRAOg | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Hyde Park Corner tube station | Henry VIII acquired the land now called Hyde Park as his own private plaything following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. Previously it was under the control of the canons of Westminster Abbey and known as the Manor of Hyde — thought to be a corruption of the Manor of 'Eye' or 'Eia', an Anglo-Saxon term meaning island, from a time when the lands around the nearby River Westbourne were marshy. | n/a (area) | 51.50315, -0.15360 exact | map ↗ | ChIJP3ORNSUFdkgRL4gotjFtRVo | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Ickenham tube station | The name Ickenham is ancient. The suffix -ham simply refers to a collection of dwellings, while the Icken- bit probably refers to a personal name. It is first recorded in Domesday Book (1086) as Ticheham, suggesting a Mr Tichea or similar. | n/a (area) | 51.56206, -0.44195 exact | map ↗ | ChIJBwWXr05sdkgRiRe2ovB6-QY | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| King's Cross St Pancras tube station | Until the 19th century, the King's Cross area was called Battle Bridge after a local crossing of the River Fleet. The modern name comes from an unpopular memorial to the reviled George IV, which blighted the area between 1830 and 1845. St Pancras, meanwhile, was an early Roman saint and boy-martyr; Augustine supposedly brought relics of young Pancras to England, inspiring several churches dedicated to the saint. London's St Pancras church still stands (though much rebuilt) and is often said to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in the country. | n/a (area) | 51.53082, -0.12491 exact | map ↗ | ChIJoWUrbDwbdkgR12j3NK1BLC8 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Knightsbridge tube station | There was once a bridge at Knightsbridge, spanning the River Westbourne, which now runs through the same sewer that can famously be seen at Sloane Square tube. The name is first recorded as far back as 1046, when Edward the Confessor was new to the throne. The 'knight' element is mysterious; the Old English word 'cniht' can represent young people in general, so this may simply have been a bridge where medieval youths once hung out. | n/a (area) | 51.50169, -0.16035 exact | map ↗ | ChIJL2efCTkFdkgR5q8IgzVnZS0 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Leicester Square tube station | Leicester Square was developed in the 1670s on land belonging to the Earl of Leicester. His title ultimately derives from the Ligore, a Celtic tribe about which little is known, who occupied the area around Leicester before the Romans built their town. | n/a (area) | 51.51145, -0.12814 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ98Dokc0EdkgRy3-ajwvdD94 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Manor House tube station | Manor House is the only station on the Piccadilly Line named after a pub. The Manor House inn was a well-known stop along the Green Lanes turnpike, perhaps named after the local manor house of Brownswood. It opened at the start of the 19th century and had a distinguished history — Queen Victoria is thought to have stopped here during a journey in 1843. In the 20th century it became a music venue, hosting the likes of Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac and Jimi Hendrix. Today, the building is an organic cafe and supermarket. | n/a (area) | 51.57089, -0.09604 exact | map ↗ | ChIJo3eMt4kbdkgRzxUYQ27Y57A | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Northfields tube station | Northfields is self-evidently an old agricultural term that outlived its original purpose when housing was built there. Notable locals include tightrope maestro Charles Blondin, US President John Quincy Adams, singer Dusty Springfield, and weather forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker. | n/a (area) | 51.49936, -0.31423 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ-ygFL5ENdkgRcPOuIhUtCsw | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Oakwood tube station | The station was named after the nearby Oakwood Park, which itself was named after Oak Lodge, a prominent local building. That in turn was inspired by the namesake tree, which grows in abundance across Enfield Chase. | n/a (area) | 51.64761, -0.13211 exact | map ↗ | ChIJi0lhcvsYdkgRi3UV_921vmw | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Osterley tube station | Osterley is best known today for Osterley House, former home of Tudor finance king Thomas Gresham. But the name is much older, first mentioned in the 13th century. Its name could mean either 'hillock' or 'land for sheep' — humble beginnings for this affluent corner of London. | n/a (area) | 51.48103, -0.35195 exact | map ↗ | ChIJtQ_0bxgNdkgRHFEFt7ci9zI | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Park Royal tube station | The regal name belies the industrial character that has long characterised Park Royal. Before all that came, the open land was used as a showground for the Royal Agricultural Society from 1903. The showground was short-lived, but coincided with the opening of the underground station; hence the name. | n/a (area) | 51.52715, -0.28413 exact | map ↗ | ChIJSXUKER0SdkgRm3Z4vlnvMOo | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Piccadilly Circus tube station | Piccadilly Circus takes its name from the street of Piccadilly, which harks back to a 17th century tailor named Roger Baker who gained his fortune making frilly collars called piccadils. His house and shop on what was then known as Portugal Street soon came to be known as Pickadilly Hall, and the peculiar term spread to the wider area. | n/a (area) | 51.51012, -0.13417 exact | map ↗ | ChIJvVRe4NMEdkgRw3WgQO_J9KM | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Rayners Lane tube station | Rayners Lane is said to be named after Daniel Rayner, a local farmer who once owned the land upon which the Metropolitan line was constructed in the first years of the 20th century. The Piccadilly line swung this way from 1933. | n/a (area) | 51.57510, -0.37086 exact | map ↗ | ChIJS8OSfDYTdkgRFXgtF_85f3U | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Ruislip tube station | Ruislip, pronounced rye-slip, makes reference to the nearby River Pinn. The name is Old English for 'leaping place on the river where rushes grow'. A delightful and unexpected beach can be found at Ruislip Lido. | n/a (area) | 51.57214, -0.42142 exact | map ↗ | ChIJdzIvKPRsdkgRf-lHdiM4aKY | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Russell Square tube station | The Dukes of Bedford, who held and still hold large swathes of Bloomsbury, carry the family name of Russell, which immediately explains why the area's largest square should carry that title. | n/a (area) | 51.52283, -0.12571 exact | map ↗ | ChIJtyRD2TAbdkgR2fK83AyYDKE | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| South Harrow tube station | Harrow is thought to come from the Old English word 'hearg', meaning a heathen temple. The long-lost mystical landmark was probably sited where today you'll find St Mary's Church on Harrow hill. South Harrow is actually south-west of the centre; before a ton of housing was built in the 20th century, this was largely fields and the lost village of Roxeth, meaning rooks' heath. | n/a (area) | 51.56480, -0.35322 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ3yMYYxgTdkgRHOI7Jf4i0Yo | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| South Kensington tube station | South Kensington is roughly south of Kensington, which gets its name from another forgotten Saxon, Mr Cynesige or Kenesigne — no known relation to the fellows who gave us Kenton and Kennington. | n/a (area) | 51.49399, -0.17440 exact | map ↗ | ChIJ70BOg0IFdkgRBHLonWsnC7o | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Southgate tube station | The village of Southgate formed around the southern gateway into Enfield Chase, the royal hunting grounds. | n/a (area) | 51.63226, -0.12805 exact | map ↗ | ChIJP88g7BoZdkgRER2bCwLTunc | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Sudbury Hill and Sudbury Town tube stations | The '-bury' is from the Old English for a manor house. So Sudbury is simply the southern manor, relative to Harrow. | n/a (area) | 51.55763, -0.33657 exact | map ↗ | ChIJy2nxiAETdkgRQ08EF0uKKW4 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Turnham Green tube station | The pun-maker's favourite tube station bears a hidden reference to the River Thames. The '-ham' here derives from the Old English word hamm, meaning a watery, meadowy kind of place, because the hamlet stood close to the then much-wider Thames. The river is very twisty hereabouts, and the 'Turn-' prefix supposedly reflects that — 'turn' being an Anglo-Saxon word meaning circular. | n/a (area) | 51.49544, -0.25479 exact | map ↗ | ChIJpdHPET8OdkgR4pVTNs2-hSs | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Turnpike Lane tube station | A turnpike was another name for a toll road, very common in the days before motor vehicles. The one remembered here is the Stamford Hill and Green Lanes turnpike; the toll gate stood roughly where a Costa can be found today. | n/a (area) | 51.59022, -0.10320 exact | map ↗ | ChIJGzeiWfobdkgRqjSW9acmn_0 | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Uxbridge tube station | The bridge in Uxbridge spans the River Colne, successor of the one that put the 'bridge' in Uxbridge. The unusual prefix derives from the Wixan tribe, Anglo-Saxons who settled here in the 7th century. The Swan & Bottle pub sits at the very heart of this north-west town. | n/a (area) | 51.54644, -0.47805 exact | map ↗ | ChIJO0SzHXpudkgRjnrgWzahK4Q | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Wood Green tube station | The medieval village of Wood Green grew up in a green space close to the woods of Enfield Chase. | n/a (area) | 51.59744, -0.10977 exact | map ↗ | ChIJSQ9_Q-IbdkgR37glYj2Sgek | piccadilly line stations etymology |
| Ealing Broadway and Covent Garden stations (early roundel designs) | Versions of the early 1908 roundel design — a blue bar across a red circle, the forerunner of the modern logo — can still be seen today at Ealing Broadway and Covent Garden stations. | n/a (area) | 51.51488, -0.30192 exact | map ↗ | ChIJwdW8dgoSdkgRZmQfLJO4tac | the tube roundel an evolution |
| Moorgate tube station (Metropolitan Railway diamond sign) | A pastiche of the Metropolitan Railway's diamond logo for platform names — used from 1914 as a counterpart to the UERL roundel, asserting Metropolitan independence — can be seen at Moorgate. It was installed in 2013 to mark 150 years of the London Underground. | n/a (area) | 51.51869, -0.08900 exact | map ↗ | ChIJEWNLkKscdkgRaKnhSHUvRNo | the tube roundel an evolution |
| St James's Park tube station (first roundel trial) | The Tube roundel was first trialled at St James's Park station in 1908, when Frank Pick, publicity manager for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, alighted upon the idea of a blue bar across a red circle that could stand out from the ubiquitous advertising. | n/a (area) | 51.49897, -0.13456 exact | map ↗ | ChIJwzqTXQAFdkgRfjRY11r5N8k | the tube roundel an evolution |
| Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum (Victoria line roundel) | A surviving example of the special one-off roundel created in 1965 to promote the Victoria line — the first wholly new deep-level line in half a century — can be found at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum. | yes | 51.57696, -0.03477 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJv9YpJ7cddkgR8tFKEHFPn_M | the tube roundel an evolution |
| Woolwich | Woolwich is getting trendier by the hour, these days home to the likes of a SALT taproom and the HQ of immersive theatre company Punchdrunk. It is also on the Elizabeth line. | yes | 51.48948, 0.06759 exact | map ↗ | ChIJVZBj_-6o2EcRIzDqspa4i34 | woolwich ferry operating hours weekday weekend |
| Woolwich Ferry | The Woolwich Ferry is a free-to-use service traversing the Thames between Woolwich and North Woolwich, available to motorists and pedestrians. It had a limited service since the start of 2022, attributed to 'both mechanical failures and significant resource shortages'. The old ferries — John, James and Ernest — were replaced in 2018 by two new vessels: Ben Woollacott, named for a former deckhand who died working on the ferry, and Dame Vera Lynn, the East Ender known for singing wartime classics such as We'll Meet Again. | yes | 51.49767, 0.06050 exact | map ↗ | ChIJqV-jFpKo2EcRir34ivFZFTc | woolwich ferry operating hours weekday weekend |
| Skip Garden, King's Cross | King's Cross is home to a garden of skips — an ingenious way of repurposing an object you'd otherwise think of as a giant piece of rubbish to hold, well, rubbish. | yes | 51.53896, -0.12483 exact | map ↗ | — | king s cross skip garden |
| The Iron Duke, Mayfair | The Iron Duke is named after the Duke of Wellington, and a distinct Wellington theme pervades the pub. Around the walls there are annual photos of the boys of Wellington College from the 1920s and thereabouts, with 98% of the school staff looking thoroughly disgruntled at the imposition. There are also various Wellington boots around the walls, and the upstairs function room is named the Boot Room. | yes | 51.51268, -0.14594 exact · in DB | map ↗ | ChIJkYDXcCsFdkgRh9l33DXjfHQ | the iron duke |
| St Alphege Church, Greenwich | St Alphege church, a Hawksmoor building, is visible from the secondary outdoor space of The Mitre pub in Greenwich. | yes | 51.48052, -0.00966 exact | map ↗ | ChIJy4EfkIUCdkgR6oI1iazbACY | the mitre |
| The Mitre, Greenwich | The Mitre is a Grade II listed building that has been through two refurbishments. In the bad old days it was ragged of furniture, replete with sport screens, and may even have had a bullet hole in the window. These days it is a swish and swanky gastropub, but with a likeable laid-back vibe, luxurious leather banquettes and tasteful decor. A secondary outdoor space commands views of Hawksmoor's St Alphege church. | yes | 51.48011, -0.00968 exact | map ↗ | ChIJB1G0pIUCdkgRaEsL2_7kzjM | the mitre |