London’s Alleys and Passages - Archive Articles

London’s Alleys: Skinners Place, SW1

Around the back of Sloane Square tube station is this short rather fine passageway that was once a lot longer until the railway sliced through the middle of it.

London’s Alleys: Hooper’s Court, SW3

This recently revamped Knightsbridge alley has existed on this site ever since the area was first turned from fields into posh shops.

London’s Alleys: St Stephens Passage, TW1

The origins of this narrow alley in Twickenham are exceptionally easy to guess when you look at its neighbour, St Stephen's Church

London’s Alleys: Holly Walk, EN11

This is a long footpath in Broxbourne (yes, just outside London) that for once lives up to its name - there's a lot of holly here.

London’s Alleys: Albert Place N17

This narrow, and currently very yellow passageway near Bruce Grove station in Tottenham has seen a lot of changes in it's fairly short life.

London’s Alleys: Cecil Court, WC2

This is one of London's more famous passages, often nicknamed Booksellers' Row, thanks to the large number of bookshops that line both sides of the alley.

London’s Alleys: Ham Yard, W1

This upmarket looking Soho passageway lined with posh shops and a hotel is a far cry from what it looked like just a decade ago -- as one of the last remaining WWII bomb sites in central London.

London’s Alleys: Oriel Court, NW3

This is a short but charmingly cobbled little passage in Hampstead that unexpectedly leads to a cluster of hidden cottages.

London’s Alleys: Jockey’s Fields, WC1

This equestrian-named passage near Holborn isn't named after jockeys, as we think of them today, riding horses in races, but it is related to horses as a mode of transport.

London’s Alleys: Albemarle Way, EC1

This is a Clerkenwell alley that seems likely to owe its origins to the dissolution of the monasteries and the sell-off of their land.

London’s Alleys: Cavendish Court, EC2/EC3

This is a narrow winding alley close to Liverpool Street station that's been here in some shape or form since Tudor times.

London’s Alleys: Holly Mount Steps, NW3

This is a pretty little winding passage, with, unsurprisingly, a lot of steps that run from the main Hampstead streets up the hill to Holly Mount and the locally famous Holly Bush pub.

London’s Alleys: Hogarth Place, SW5

The passage is also one of the oldest in the Earl's Court part of London, appearing long before the rest of the area was developed.

London’s Alleys: Padbury Court, E2

This mixed passageway in Bethnal Green echoes many post-war areas, lined with cobbled paving and remnants of old buildings, but also a long row of 1960s flats.

London’s Alleys: Red Cow Yard, EC1

This is an exceptionally short stump of an alley on Old Street that resembles a post-war gap where a house wasn't rebuilt until you spot the street name sign and realise it's the remains of a once slightly longer passage.

London’s Alleys: Coach House Yard, NW3

This small covered entrance to a small Hampstead courtyard seems to have slipped through history, leaving barely a disturbance in its wake.

London’s Alleys: Miniver Place, EC4

This is a very short alley just to the south of Mansion House tube station that was recently refurbished but also sealed off.

London’s Alleys: Angel Alley, E1

This is a short, characterful, dead-end alley in Whitechapel with a very rich history.

London’s Alleys: Streatley Place, NW3

This busy back alley winds through Hampstead with lots of steps and a distinctive chimney landmark to look out for.

Londons Alleys: Anchor Yard, EC1

This short cobbled passage off Old Street is the surviving remnant of a once much longer alley.

London’s Alleys: Rose and Crown Court, EC2

This is an alley close to St Paul's Cathedral that owes its origins to a long lost churchyard.

London’s Alleys: Cree Church Buildings, EC3

This covered passage near Aldgate leads to a courtyard that was once a garden for the neighbouring church, St Katherine Cree.

London’s Alleys: Old Brewery Mews, NW3

This is a Hampstead alley that gives away its history the moment you look at it, with a covered entrance proudly announcing a brewery was here.

London’s Alleys: White Horse Yard, EC2

This is an alley in the heart of the City that likely has been around since the Great Fire of London, but seems to have left barely an echo in the historical records.