The Old Curiosity Shop
the wonkiest old shop in london
A lopsided 16th-century shop near Lincoln's Inn Fields, claiming to be the oldest in central London and the inspiration for Dickens.
Free to visit · Holborn · Holborn · WC2A 2ES
Opening: Exterior viewable any time
Wedged among the modern blocks of the LSE is a tiny, gloriously crooked timber-framed shop built around 1567, probably from the wood of old ships. The name painted on its front claims it inspired Charles Dickens's novel The Old Curiosity Shop, though that link is almost certainly a clever piece of Victorian marketing added after the book was a hit.
True or not, it is the genuine article as a survivor, one of the oldest shops in central London, having dodged the Great Fire and the Blitz alike. It is free to admire from the pavement, a wonky little time capsule leaning into the present day.
Getting there: On Portsmouth Street behind the LSE, a short walk from Holborn station.
Best time to go: Daytime for the crooked timber frontage, on a walk near Lincoln's Inn Fields.
Insider tip: Look up at the warped timbers and the uneven upper floor, the giveaway of its real Tudor age. It is a two-minute detour from Lincoln's Inn Fields, London's largest public square, also free to wander.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide