Audley Square Spy Lamp Post

a spy's secret postbox

An ordinary-looking Mayfair lamp post with a little hidden hatch, said to have served as a Cold War KGB dead-letter drop.

Free to visit · Mayfair · Hyde Park Corner · W1K 1DD

Opening: Viewable any time

On a Mayfair street corner stands an unremarkable old lamp post with a small metal hatch near its base, and a thoroughly remarkable reputation. Local legend, backed by Cold War lore, holds that this was a KGB dead-letter drop, where Soviet agents left and collected secret messages by slipping them behind the little door.

A chalk mark on the post is said to have signalled that a message was waiting. Whether every detail is true or polished by retelling, it is free to find, and there is a real thrill in standing at an ordinary lamp post that may have been part of the secret war fought on London's streets.

Getting there: On South Audley Street by Audley Square in Mayfair, near Hyde Park Corner.

Best time to go: Daytime, on a quiet Mayfair wander.

Insider tip: Look for the small hinged hatch near the base of the lamp post on South Audley Street. It is unmarked, so half the fun is finding the right post and imagining the spies who are said to have used it.

Free things to do in London · London Free Guide