Secret London

These pages are dedicated to all of the unusual, secret, little-known wonders of the metropolis. From the remains of the largest Roman building north of the Alps to the world’s first “tube” railway, it’s all here to explore…

Welcome to our Destinations UK section; Secret London. These pages are dedicated to all of the unusual, secret, little-known wonders of the metropolis. From the long-forgotten Tower Subway to the wonderfully opulent Leadenhall Market, from Henry VIII’s birthplace in East London to the many Roman remains that are scattered around the city. This unique guide will take you on a journey through London that few others get to see…

To start your journey simply navigate using the map below. Alternatively, if you scroll down the page you will see that we have listed each of our Secret London articles.

= Garden or cemetery = Museum = Roman site = Historic Site

41 Cloth Fair - The oldest house in the city of London, and one of the few survivors of the Great Fire of London.
Alderman's Walk - A little passageway in the City of London with a wealth of history.
Aldgate Pump - An ancient well with a rather gruesome history.
Blackwall Point - Next time you take a trip to the o2, have a think about the 100's of dead pirates that were once on display here for all to see!
Britain's Smallest Police Station - Sitting quietly on the edge of Trafalgar Square lies an often overlooked record holder; Britain's smallest police station.
Cockpit Steps - The last remaining part of the Royal Cockpit, a venue for the upper classes to watch and wager on cock fights.
Licensed by the Museum of London
Coldharbour - Step back in time to when London was the greatest port in the world...
Cross Bones Graveyard - Read about this unconsecrated memorial to the thousands of prostitutes who once worked in Southwark.
The Duke of Wellington's Mounting Stone - Who wouldn't want their own mounting stone?
Execution Dock, Wapping - Where pirates were once hung over the River Thames.
Farting Lane - Lurking around the back of the world famous Savoy lies an ingenious – if not slightly nauseating – piece of Victorian engineering; London’s last remaining sewage lamp.
French Cannons as Street Bollards - Napoleonic bling on the streets of London.
Giro, The Nazi Dog's Grave - Situated just off the Mall in London, close to both the heart of British government and monarchy, lies the country's only memorial to a Nazi... a Nazi dog, that is.
Hampstead Pergola & Hill Gardens - A hidden but wonderful example of faded grandeur.
Highgate Cemetery - The final resting place of Karl Marx.
Harry Potter's Platform Nine and Three Quarters - Needs no introduction!
Inner Temple Lane - Another unique survivor of the Great Fire of London, and the City's sole surviving timber-framed Jacobean townhouse.
London's First Drinking Fountain - Once used by around 7000 people a day!
London's Only Lighthouse - Good luck trying to find it...
London's Plague Pits - Interactive Map - Not for the faint hearted.
London's Roman Amphitheatre - Guildhall Art Gallery's little secret.
London's Roman Basilica and Forum - At one time the largest Roman building north of the Alps, but to see the remains you'll need a haircut first...
London's Roman Baths - Okay... maybe it's Tudor.
London's Roman City Wall - A surprising amount of it still remains.
London's Roman Fort - The remains of which are situated in a dark and dingy underground car park!
London's Roman Temple of Mithras - unfortunately you won't be able to see it for another few years.
Mendelssohn's Tree - Standing proudly on the Barbican's concrete walkway is the remains of a 500 year old tree, once thought to have provided shade for Mendelssohn whilst he wrote the music to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
Millwall - A short history of this often overlooked corner of East London.
Museum of London Docklands - Historic UK's favourite London museum.
Narrow Street - The home to one of Historic UK's favourite London pubs!
Newgate Prison Wall - The last remaining fragment of this once notorious prison.
The Oldest Terraced Houses in London - Standing as they did over 350 years ago.
The Palace of Placentia - Buckingham Palace's ancestor in Greenwich was once the favourite residence of the Tudors, and was also the location where Sir Walter Raleigh placed his coat over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth I.
Pickering Place - The smallest square in Britain, the location of the old Texan embassy, and the place where the last duel in London was fought.
Queen Elizabeth's Oak - A hidden treasure nestled in the heart of Greenwich Park.
Remains of the Old London Bridge - A look at the last remaining fragments of the old medieval London Bridge.
Red Lion Square - This small public square has a very intriguing history. It has been the scene of a pitched battle and may also be the final resting place of Oliver Cromwell.
The SS Great Eastern's Launch Ramp - At the south eastern tip of the Isle of Dogs lies the remains of the SS Great Eastern’s launch ramp.
St Dunstan in the East Gardens - Often referred to as the most beautiful gardens in the City of London.
The Elms, Smithfield - The spot where William Wallace was hung, drawn and quartered.
The Ferryman's Seat - A shuttle service to the 'darker side' of London.
The Golden Boy of Pye Corner - Once a sordid corner of Medieval London, it is perhaps rather ironic that this is also the spot where the Great Fire of London finally stopped!
The Tabard Inn, Southwark - The starting place of the Canterbury Tales
Tower Subway - The world's first "tube" railway.
St Bartholomew's Gatehouse - Standing proudly at the entrance to one of the oldest churches in the City lies St Bartholomew's gatehouse, a rare survivor of Tudor London.
Tyburn Tree and Speakers Corner - Some gallows and the centre of free speech in London, curiously positioned next to each other!
Tower Ravens - Their presence surrounded by myth and legend.
York Watergate - Marking the original course of the Thames.

Selected tours of London


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Survivors of the Great Fire of London

By Ben Johnson

The various churches, houses and buildings that escaped the Great Fire of London and can still be seen to this…

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