London's Hidden Corners, Lanes & Squares

2015 | History & Politics

London's Hidden Corners, Lanes & Squares was inspired by Samuel Johnson's advice to his friend and biographer James Boswell in the 18th century, on the occasion of the latter's arrival in London: "survey its innumerable little lanes and courts." These are less numerous in the 21st century than in Dr Johnson's time, so we've extended the great man's brief to include alleys, squares and yards, along with some roads and streets and the odd green space. The entries range from history-soaked lanes in the City where you half expect to meet one of Charles Dickens's characters (or even the author himself), to smart, pastel-painted mews in Chelsea that used to stable horses and now house the affluent and wealthy; and from unexpected pockets of Georgian beauty in traffic-plagued central London to tranquil Kensington squares, where you can hear birds singing and almost smell the money.

Graeme Chesters (Author)