The Soho Square Hut

The lowdown

In the middle of leafy Soho Square stands a charming little half-timbered hut that looks like a fairy-tale Tudor cottage, far older than its surroundings. In fact it dates only from the 1920s and is essentially decorative, built to disguise and provide access to the underground equipment and electrical gear for the gardens below.

Generations of Londoners have lounged on the grass around it without wondering what it really is. It is free to enjoy, a delightful piece of mock-historic whimsy at the heart of one of the West End's best-loved squares, a perfect spot to sit with a lunchtime sandwich.