Tyburn Tree Marker
where london came to watch the hangings
A small plaque on a traffic island at Marble Arch marking the site of London's public gallows for almost 600 years.
Free to visit · Marylebone · Marble Arch · W2 2EU
Opening: Always visible
For nearly six hundred years the most notorious spot in London was Tyburn, the site of the city's public gallows, where the triple-beamed Tyburn Tree could hang twenty-four people at once. Crowds of thousands gathered on hanging days, which were public holidays, to watch condemned prisoners brought the long miles from Newgate.
Today the spot is an unremarkable traffic island near Marble Arch, marked only by a small round plaque set into the pavement. It is free to find and easy to miss, but standing there knowing what happened on the ground beneath your feet is a quietly chilling slice of London history.
Getting there: On the traffic island at the junction of Edgware Road and Bayswater Road, by Marble Arch.
Best time to go: Any time, though the spot is best appreciated knowing the grim history.
Insider tip: The circular plaque is set into the pavement on the island where Edgware Road meets Bayswater Road, so look down, not up. The phrase 'going west' to mean dying comes from the journey prisoners made out here from the City.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide