Goodwin's Court
the alley time forgot
A secret Covent Garden alley of curved, bow-fronted Georgian shopfronts and gas lamps that looks straight out of Dickens.
Free to visit · Covent Garden · Leicester Square · WC2N 4LL
Opening: Always open
Slip down an easily missed gap off St Martin's Lane and you step back two hundred years into Goodwin's Court, a tiny alley lined with curved, bow-fronted Georgian shopfronts, black-painted woodwork and old gas-style lamps. It feels so untouched that it is often claimed as an inspiration for the crooked wizarding street in the Harry Potter films, and it has stood in for Dickensian London on screen many times.
There are no shops trading here now, just the beautifully preserved frontages and a profound sense of stillness yards from the bustle of Covent Garden. It is free to wander through, a genuine pocket of old London hiding in plain sight, best at dusk when the lamps come on.
Getting there: A narrow passage off St Martin's Lane, a minute from Leicester Square.
Best time to go: Dusk, when the lamps glow and the bow windows look most magical.
Insider tip: Look for the discreet entrance off St Martin's Lane, easy to walk straight past. Come at dusk when the lamps are lit and the bow windows glow, the most atmospheric and photogenic time.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide