The best way to discover a city is to wander its streets on foot, or even get lost in its streets like a flaneur without a plan. We are going back to one of our days in London and we start our walk today from Numa Bloomsburry, where we stayed during the trip.

Starting from Tottenham Court Road, we will discover hidden corners and interesting details on the streets of Soho and Covent Garden. This pleasant walk, which will take about 3.5 km, will eventually take us to TrafalgarSquare.

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Seven Noses of Soho
In 1997, mysterious sculpted noses began appearing on Soho’s buildings. For many years it was unknown who made them and why, and all sorts of legends have grown up around them – according to some, whoever could find them all would make an infinite fortune!
Finally, in 2011, artist Rick Buckley announced that he had installed them as an art protest against the culture of surveillance. Initially there were 35 of them, but today only 7 remain.

Statue of Charles I
During the English Civil War, Parliament ordered the statue of Charles I to be destroyed. The task was given to a blacksmith named John Rivett, but instead of destroying the statue, Rivett secretly hid it. He even took advantage of the situation to sell fake cutlery to the public, which he claimed was made from the metal of the statue!
After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, he unveiled the statue. The statue was erected at Charing Cross, its present location, in 1675. Today, the statue of Charles I looks across Whitehall towards the spot where he was executed.

London’s Smallest Police Station
On the south-east corner of Trafalgar Square, you can see that what looks like an ordinary stone lamp post is actually London’s smallest police station. Built in the 1920s, this mini police station had a telephone line connected directly to Scotland Yard and a light signal to alert nearby police of possible incidents.
Today, it is only used as a warehouse – but it is still quite fun to explore.

Iconic Red Telephone Booths
Britain’s most recognisable one of the symbols of the red telephone booths, with two different designs:

The K2 model was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1926 and the K6, a lighter and smaller version, was developed in 1935. Although not in active use today, these huts are still an indispensable part of classic London photographs.

Cleopatra’s Needle
Located on the banks of the River Thames, Cleopatra’s Needle is one of the oldest man-made artefacts on the streets of London. It dates back to about 1450 BC, to the reign of Thutmose III in Ancient Egypt, so it is almost 3500 years old.
It was not taken by force like many historical artefacts; it was gifted to England by the Egyptian government in 1819. However, it could not be brought to London for a long time because the transport costs belonged to England.
The monument, weighing 224 tonnes, was brought to London in 1877 with the support of British citizens. It was almost lost in the Bay of Biscay in a storm during the transport and unfortunately six crew members lost their lives.
Today it is located on Victoria Embankment. If you visit, you can also see shrapnel traces from World War Iunderneath.

Neal’s Yard
Tucked away near Covent Garden, this colourful little courtyard is today one of the loveliest corners of London. In the mid-1970s, however, it was a rather dilapidated and derelict place.
Visionary Nicholas Saunders bought a derelict building here in 1976 for less than £7,000. He initially planned to live there, but when permission was refused, he took a different route and opened a natural products shop.
Using materials salvaged from demolition sites, the shop quickly attracted a lot of attention thanks to its affordable products and friendly atmosphere.
Over time, Neal’s Yard became a gathering place for independent and green businesses, with a warm neighbourhood feel. Today, it is still a living corner full of stories of friendship.

Soho House Greek Street: The Birth of a Creatives Club
One of the places that shaped the spirit of Soho streets is Soho House. Opened in 1995 at 40 Greek Street by Nick Jones, this exclusive club was designed for artists, writers and media professionals from the creative industries.At the time, Soho was one of the most energetic and bohemian areas of London, and Soho House became an intimate meeting point that reflected this free spirit.Today, although there are branches all over the world, this first Soho House on Greek Street is still the “starting point”. If you are passing by, don’t forget to take a look at this historic building where the modern concept of a membership club was born.

London’s Famous Red Buses
The first double-decker buses started with horse-drawn carriages introduced in London in 1829 by George Shillibeer.
In the early 20th century, motorised versions became widespread on London streets. Inaugurated in 1956, the AEC Routemaster became a symbol of London with its open rear platform and durable structure.
This legendary model was in active service until 2005.

In the early 1900s, competition between transport companies in the city was fierce.
The London General Omnibus Company painted its buses red to stand out from the rest – thus the iconic colour that today is synonymous with London was born. Today, more than 7,500 buses operate in London on more than 700 routes.
And they carry around 6 million passengers every day!