London has a wealth of different architectural styles across its 32 boroughs. From the Victorian Gothic revival to mediaeval taverns, the many streets and houses across the city make for a colourful, quintessentially British place to explore. Whether you’re staying at the Montcalm Brewery or the Montcalm Marble Arch, you’ll see many different faces of London depending on which area your accommodation is located.
With the city’s many landmarks, it can be easy to overlook the beauty of a simple street. From its architecture to its history, the lanes and mews of the English capital can highlight unique insights into the stories and history of the city. Simply looking out the window during a Montcalm afternoon tea can shed light on the city’s character.
From gleaming white Georgian townhouses to multicoloured terraces, the streets and neighbourhoods of London make for amazing sightseeing. Here are some of the highlights, all easy to reach for guests of Montcalm Hotel deals.
Mews Streets Of London
Traditionally speaking, a mews refers to a street that at some point in its history, used to be barns or stables behind larger townhouses. Before the invention of the automobile, the leading form of transport was by horse and carriage, especially in London. This meant that many affluent inhabitants of the city had their own stables with horses and servants tending to them. Of course over time, these stables eventually became streets in and of themselves and were eventually converted into accommodation as horses became less useful as a mode of transport.
The mews of London have become synonymous with the character of the city. The cobbled streets, quiet flats and often beautiful natural embellishments make these mews scenic and incredibly photogenic stop offs during your exploration of the English capital.
Colville Mews
The quintessential London mews, Colville Mews in Notting Hill is located through an archway off of Lonsdale Road and has cobbled road and beautiful homes. Most of the door fronts on Colville Mews are now used for shop vendors, offering a range of very West London independent fashion shops and accessory stores.
Kynance Mews
A very beautiful news in London, you can reach Kynance via Gloucester Road Tube Station and see its blossom trees and highly instagrammable homes. This mews may be located in the heart of London, but that’s easy to forget with how quiet and country-like it is here.
Bathurst Mews
Bathurst Mews is just off of Paddington Station and is one of the best examples of ivy creepers and their affinity for housing. The beautiful balconies and front garden plants lining the houses here mean you’ll almost miss the nearby Archery Tavern with its hanging ivy and quaint, London atmosphere.
Creswell Place Mews
Creswell Place Mews was once home to Agatha Christie, so expect to see some mystery buffs taking photos here. Even so, the tranquil atmosphere is elevated by the beautifully decorated homes and even gave rise to a short story by the queen of whodunits herself. Situated near South Kensington Tube Station, Creswell Place Mews is a welcome detour from the hustle and bustle of Exhibition Road.
Ennismore Gardens Mews
Keeping to south Kensington, Ennismore Mews is a short walk from Creswell Place if you fancy a spot of mews hopping. This one is not named mews but is certainly a mews in nature, with beautiful house fronts and cobbled streets. The gardens themselves are well worth a look, exemplifying the classic Victorian garden square with its wrought iron gates and impeccable lawns.
Holland Park Mews
Another one from West London, Holland Park Mews stands out thanks to its front of home staircase leading up to the second floor flats. The mews itself has a traditional air, though the homes themselves have been stylishly updated to become a much sought after London property.
Lanes Of London
Often located in more industrially focused areas, lanes are narrower streets that were used for trade, commerce and transport. In areas like East London, lanes would be lined by warehouses or market vendors, which to an extent they still are. Like the converted stables of a mews, London’s lanes have updated their function and offer terraced housing and warehouse spaces alongside quintessentially London markets. Here are some of our favourites.
Brick Lane
Well known for its Bangladeshi and Jewish heritage, Brick Lane is now one of the most famous of its species, providing a long narrow street brimming with vintage fashion, London boutiques and market stalls. You’ll find plenty of bars and weekend food markets lining Brick Lane as well as a converted brewery that now lives on as an events and art gallery space. Truman’s Brewery is a focal point of Brick Lane and provides entertainment and shopping in the form of Rough Trade East record store and gig venue as well as bars like the Big Chill. Easy to reach from the Chiswell Street Brewery Hotel spa at Montcalm, Brick Lane is one of the best spots for a night out in London.
Carnaby Street
A central London shopping hotspot, Carnaby street is teeming with independent shops and cafes and is slightly quieter and much smaller than the adjacent Oxford Street. Carnaby Street is synonymous with London’s stylish history during the 60s, being a popular hangout for the likes of the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. Nowadays it still retains that glitz and glamour, alongside magical Christmas lights that are set up every festive season.
Bermondsey Street
Bermondsey Street is situated close to London Bridge and Borough Market, hence how this lane came to be as a factory and industrial area. Nowadays though, this narrow road is home to independent boutiques, eateries and cafes, making it a stylish addition to central South London, especially when you factor in the contemporary art gallery – The White Cube – and the London Design Museum.
Broadway Market
Heading east, Broadway Market is a lane in Hackney that overlooks on one side London Fields and on the other one of the London canals. The market street itself is lined with trendy bookshops, cafes and pubs, whilst weekends see it bloom into life as a vibrant street food marketplace.
