Seven Noses of Soho
follow your nose round soho
A set of plaster noses stuck to buildings around Soho in a 1990s art protest, now a free self-guided treasure hunt across the West End.
Free to visit · Soho · Tottenham Court Road · W1D 4SE
Opening: Always there to hunt
In 1997 the artist Rick Buckley quietly stuck a series of plaster casts of his own nose onto buildings around Soho and beyond, a sly protest against the spread of CCTV cameras, thumbing his nose at the surveillance state. Most were removed, but a handful survive, and hunting them down has become a free and slightly addictive London pastime.
Legend grew up that whoever finds all seven noses will come into untold riches. They are small, high up and easy to miss, on walls around Soho and nearby streets like Bateman Street and Meard Street. It is a free, fun and very offbeat way to see the West End looking up rather than ahead.
Getting there: Scattered around Soho and the West End, easiest to start near Tottenham Court Road.
Best time to go: A dry afternoon for a relaxed wander hunting them down.
Insider tip: Start by finding the noses on Meard Street and Bateman Street, the easiest of the survivors. There is a famous large nose inside the Admiralty Arch too, said to be a nod to passing soldiers, often counted as a London bonus.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide