Look Up London is about spotting little details about your eyeline then using them to unravel the secret history of your location. Here are the latest London hidden gems I’ve discovered!

London Hidden Gems

  • Christchurch Gardens, Victoria | Look Up London

    History of Christchurch Gardens, Victoria

    Sat alongside the busy Victoria Street, Christchurch Gardens doesn’t seem that historic at first glance. However, scratch the surface and there’s plenty of stories connected to this little green space. In September 2020 the gardens reopened after an extensive 3-year refurbishment by ReardonSmith. Regrettably a......

  • Hunterian Museum, London | Look Up London

    Visit The Hunterian Museum

    The Hunterian Museum, one of London’s best niche museums, reopened last week. Sat within the Royal College of Surgeons on Lincoln’s Inn Fields, it charts the development of surgery and pursuit of medical knowledge through the centuries. If that sounds a bit dry, think again.......

  • Beeston's Almhouses, Peckham | Look Up London

    History of Beeston’s Almshouses, Peckham

    Along Consort Road in Peckham you can admire the quaint-looking Beeston’s almshouses. As well as their charming appearance and characteristic almshouse layout, the aspect that really piqued my interest was the shield of the Girdlers’ Company. You can spot more of these in Farringdon (featured......

  • Visit the Roman Wall under Vine Street | Look Up London

    Visit the Roman Wall under Vine Street

    In early May 2023 a new basement on the eastern edge of the City opened to the public. Having previously written about the developments, I was keen to visit the Vine Street Roman Wall for a closer look. The free museum is inside Emperor House......

  • Frame Food | The Art Nouveau Factory in Southfields | Look Up London

    The Art Nouveau Factory in Southfields

    In Southfields, SW18, you can find a surprising and visually striking building. Today it’s private flats but it used to be a factory. The surprising thing is that it looks nothing like a stereotypical factory. It was built in 1903-4 for Frame Food, a baby......

  • Hospital Chapel, St John and St Elizabeth, St John's Wood

    The Stunning Chapel Hidden in a London Hospital

    St John and St Elizabeth Hospital in St John’s Wood might seem just like any other private hospital. However, open one door along a corridor and you’re in for a treat. You appear to have stepped into Rome! The chapel was built between 1862-3 and......

  • Southwark Cathedral Corbels

    There are some amazing hidden details on Southwark Cathedral that are worth a look up. On the exterior of the north east wall you can see a mixture of Victorian and contemporary corbels and the new ones each have a story to tell! I’ve previously......

  • Art Deco Details of Palladium House | Look Up London

    Palladium House | The Art Deco Beauty Opposite Liberty’s

    It’s no surprise that people fail to appreciate Palladium House. Standing opposite the glorious facade of Liberty’s, the majority of people take photos of that wonderful black and white entrance. Now, this isn’t to say that Liberty doesn’t have its own historic credentials (you can......

  • 23-24 Leinster Gardens, London’s Fake Houses

    In the streets close to Bayswater tube station you can admire row upon row of Victorian, stucco terraces. But 23 & 24 Leinster Gardens hold a sneaky surprise. They are London’s fake houses! History of Leinster Gardens Leinster Gardens was laid out around 1855 and......

  • The Sneaky Symbol on Bank Station (Cannon Street Entrance)

    While admiring the new Bank Station entrance on Cannon Street, I couldn’t help but spot a sneaky symbol that’s right underneath the London Underground roundels. It’s the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, one of the City of London’s livery companies.......

  • Brabant Court | Look Up London

    History of Brabant Court

    If you’ve ever visited the Sky Garden, you probably queued alongside Philpot Lane. Just off this street is a tempting little dead end called Brabant Court and if you walk through you’ll find a surprising 18th Century building! History of Brabant Court Brabant Court can......

  • Young V&A, Bethnal Green | Look Up London

    History of the Young V&A, Bethnal Green

    The Young V&A (formerly the Museum of Childhood) in Bethnal Green isn’t just a fabulous museum, its building also has a fascinating history to tell. Travelling back 350 years or so, Bethnal Green was a popular suburb for London’s upper classes. There were some large......

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