Embassy of the Republic of Texas Plaque

The lowdown

For a brief period in the 1840s, before it joined the United States, Texas was an independent country, and it kept a diplomatic legation in London. A small plaque tucked into Pickering Place, reached down one of the narrowest passages in the city beside an old wine merchant, marks where the Republic of Texas once had its embassy.

Pickering Place itself is a gem, a tiny gas-lit Georgian courtyard said to be London's smallest public square and a former spot for duels. It is free to find, a delightful two-for-one of obscure history and hidden architecture just off the grand sweep of St James's.