God's Own Junkyard
a warehouse made of neon
A dazzling warehouse crammed with salvaged neon signs in deepest Walthamstow, free to walk into, with a cafe and bar among the glowing chaos. Weekends only.
Free to visit · Walthamstow · Walthamstow Central · E17 9HQ
Opening: Fri–Sun only · roughly 11am–9pm · closed Mon–Thu
On an unremarkable industrial estate in Walthamstow is one of the most photogenic free rooms in London. God's Own Junkyard is the working store and showroom of a family of neon makers, and it is packed wall to wall and floor to ceiling with hundreds of glowing salvaged signs.
Old cinema marquees, film props, hand-bent slogans, religious icons and rude one-liners all blaze away together in a warm electric fog of colour. Much of it has been made for or rescued from films, shops and Soho, and it is all crammed into one barn of a space that you can walk into for free.
There is a little cafe and bar in the middle of it all, the Tinsel Town, so you can sit among the neon with a coffee or a beer. It only opens Friday to Sunday, so it takes a tiny bit of planning, but it is unlike anywhere else in the city.
Getting there: On the Ravenswood Industrial Estate, a walk or short bus from Walthamstow Central at the end of the Victoria line.
Best time to go: Friday to Sunday, the only days it opens. Go as the light fades outside so the neon really sings.
Insider tip: Check the days before you travel, because it is shut Monday to Thursday and people get caught out. Go late afternoon as the daylight drops, buy a drink in the Tinsel Town cafe, and the neon looks twice as good in the dark.
Official site: https://www.godsownjunkyard.co.uk
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide