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London/Holborn-Clerkenwell - area of central London, England

Location of the Holborn-Clerkenwell area in London Holborn-Clerkenwell is a district in central London.

Understand

The Great Hall at Lincoln's Inn, Holborn Holborn and Clerkenwell is in many ways a buffer zone between London's West End and the City of London financial district.

Holborn has long been associated with the legal professions, notably in the Lincoln's Inn area, and was also a major centre of the old British newspaper industry before the advent of new publishing technology.

Clerkenwell is full of architects and publishers, and as a result many new bars and restaurants have cropped up; the area continues to be a target for more development. The drinking scene varies from family-oriented wine bars to huge clubs and cool underground bars, and it compares well to its more artistic, trendier neighbour, Shoreditch (in the East End).

Get in

By Tube

The district is serviced by the following tube stations, all in Zone 1:

  • Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines) is at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway.
  • Chancery Lane (Central line) is the best station for accessing Lincoln's Inn and the other Inns of Court.
  • Farringdon (Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines) is the best station for accessing most of Clerkenwell's nightlife.

By train

Farringdon station, 51.52073°, -0.10517°. Thameslink overland rail services between London St Pancras International and City Thameslink stations. There are trains to Brighton, Bedford, Cambridge and Stevenage. As well as direct connections to both London Gatwick [undefined] and London Luton [undefined] airports. 2022-05-24

See

Landmarks

Gateway to Lincoln's Inn

  • Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, 38 City Road, EC1Y 1AU (entrances on Bunhill Row and City Road; tube: ; bus: 55, 205, 243 (among others)), 51.5236°, -0.0888°. Dawn-dusk. First used to bury bones to make space at St Paul's, it was designated as a burial ground during the Great Plague of 1665. Notable interments include Daniel Dafoe, John Bunyan and William Blake. This small graveyard is a rarity in central London, and seems oddly tranquil in comparison to the nearby bustling streets of the City. Some 120,000 bodies are believed to be buried here: as the inscription reads, it is a burial ground for 'nonconformists'. Notably, Bunhill Fields contains the graves of William Blake, Daniel Defoe and John Bunyan. The watchful eye will notice that the paved way across the field is actually made up of tombstones. Free
  • The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn (Gray's Inn), Gray's Inn Rd, WC1 (tube: ), 51.5195°, -0.1125°, +44 20 7458-7800. One of the four Inns of Court in London who hold the exclusive right to call qualified legal professionals to the bar, i.e. to become barristers at law. The grand buildings housing the inns are arranged around lovely green gardens. There are records of Gray's Inns operating from this location since the 14th century.
  • The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn (Lincoln's Inn), Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3TL (tube: or ), 51.5171°, -0.1146°, +44 20 7405-1393, mail@lincolnsinn.org.uk. Like Gray's Inn, one of the four societies of the bar. The wonderful old buildings here are arranged around the open spaces of Lincoln's Inn Fields and a walk around this area will give any visitor a real sense of the history and grand traditions of the legal profession in London.
  • Myddelton Square Park, Myddelton Sq, EC1R (tube: ), 51.5301°, -0.1084°, +44 20 7278-6075. Nice shady park next to St Marks Church. Small children's playground.
  • Royal Courts of Justice, Strand (tube: or ), 51.5136°, -0.1133°, +44 845 4568770. M-F 9AM-4:30PM (Aug-Sep: 10AM-2:30PM). The building holds the High Court and the Court of Appeal, two of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, though only civil cases are heard here. Trials are open to the public, but tourists would probably be more interested in seeing the impressive entrance hall, and admiring the stunning Victorian Gothic exterior. Free
  • Staple Inn, High Holborn, WC1V 7QH (tube: ), 51.5179°, -0.1111°. See the rare range of Tudor half-timbered buildings. Staple Inn was built in 1585 and served as an inn Inn of Chancery (law school). Most of it escaped both the Great Fire and the German air raids, unlike other buildings in the area. The western end is actually from a different, adjoining building—which was incorporated into the Inn with a unified facade during restoration work in 1936, although the difference can still be seen in the roofing and slightly different style. One of Charles Dickens's homes was on the site and it was featured in his Mystery of Edwin Drood.
  • Wesley's Chapel and Leysian Mission, 49 City Rd, EC1Y 1AU, 51.5237°, -0.0872°, +44 20 7253-2262, administration@wesleyschapel.org.uk. Museum: M-Sa 10AM-4PM; Su noon-1:45PM. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, laid the foundation stone, preached here and is buried behind the chapel. The site also contains the Museum of Methodism. Free (donations welcome)
  • Two Temple Place (Astor House), Two Temple Place, WC2R 3BD (tube: ), 51.5116°, -0.1124°, +44 20 7240 6044, Alexandra@bulldogtrust.org. Only during exhibitions Jan-Apr: M Th-Sa 10AM-4:30PM; W 10AM-9PM; Su 11AM-4:30PM. A former home for William Waldorf Astor, a wealthy American moved to London at the end of 19th century. This Victorian house, built between 1892-1895 by John Loughborough Pearson. is in an eclectic Neo-Gothic style. It's richly decorated from outside, but even more rich and heavily eclectic inside. The building is owned by the Bulldog Trust and it's open to the public during exhibitions. For exact dates/time check with the exhibitions schedule. A café, a shop and a cloakroom are open for visitors during these days. 2016-12-21
  • International Petroleum Exchange, St. Katherines Dock (tube: ), 51.5142°, -0.1161°. One of the world's largest energy futures and options exchanges. The Brent Crude marker which represents an important benchmark for global oil prices is traded here. It also houses the European Climate Exchange, where emissions trading takes place.

Museums

  • Hunterian Museum, 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3PE (tube: ), 51.5152°, -0.1159°, +44 20 7405-3474, museums@rcseng.ac.uk. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. Inside the Royal College of Surgeons. Exhibitions on the history of surgery, including medicine, natural history and art. The museum was established by John Hunter (1728-1793), the founder of scientific surgery. Free
  • Islington Museum, 245 St John St, EC1V 4NB (tube: ), 51.5265°, -0.1045°, +44 20 7527-3235, islington.museum@islington.gov.uk. M Tu Th-Sa 10AM-5PM. Local history museum.
  • Museum of the Order of St John, St John’s Gate, St John’s Lane, EC1M 4DA (tube: [rail]), 51.522°, -0.1028°, +44 20 7324-4005, museum@sja.org.uk. M–Sa 10AM–5PM. Museum in the former English headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, covering the history of the order from crusading knights to modern first aid organisation. Free
  • Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields WC2A 3BP (tube: ), 51.5170°, -0.1174°, +44 20 7440-4263. We-Su 10AM-5PM. The former home of architect Sir John Soane, the building has been converted into a museum, displaying some of the objects he collected during his lifetime, including the alabaster sarcophagus of Seti I, and paintings by artists including William Hogarth. There is a display of some of Soane's architectural plans on the upper floor. Be sure to wait in the picture room until the guides open the walls up to reveal further paintings behind. The museum is a little-known tourist attraction, but well worth a visit. Admission free (but you're encouraged to leave a donation), you can walk in on the day.
  • Somerset House, Somerset House, Strand WC2R 1LA (tube: ), 51.5108°, -0.1176°, +44 20 7845-4600. 10AM-6PM. Somerset House is home to three art galleries: The exceptional Courtauld Institute displays a collection of 19th- and 20th-century art, including well-known works by Degas, Matisse and Kandinsky; The Gilbert Collection presents a collection of decorative art; and the Hermitage Rooms, the most recent addition to Somerset House, hosts temporary exhibitions of works on loan from the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. The central courtyard is filled with fountains in the Summer, but in the Winter, an ice rink is installed, it is very popular, so visitors should book in advance, or expect to wait a long time to skate. £5 (admission fee to each of the three galleries)
  • Novelty Automation, 1a Princeton St, WC1R 4AX (tube: ), 51.5196°, -0.1171°, +44 20, info@novelty-automation.com. Th noon-8PM, F Sa 11AM to 6PM. A home for automated arcade machines. Free entry but need to pay £1 per token to use each machine. 10 tokens for £9 and 33 tokens for £25 (33 tokens are needed to try every machine).
  • Postal Museum (Mail Rail), 15-20 Phoenix Pl, 51.5247°, -0.1139°, archives@postalmuseum.org. Besides exhibits about the history of the postal service, the museum also has Mail Rail, an operating segment of a former underground railway that used to carry mail to various post offices within London. Visitors can ride a miniature train through the original tunnels. The ride is not for visitors who are large or have mobility problems. The Postal Museum and Mail Rail are in two separate buildings across the street from each other. 2021-09-21

Do

  • Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Sq, WC1R 4RL (tube: ), 51.5197°, -0.1183°, +44 20 7242-8032, conwayhall@ethicalsoc.org.uk. Theatre and concert hall. Home of the National Secular Society and the South Place Ethical Society: often hosts lively debates on religion, politics and secularism.
  • Gresham College, Barnard's Inn Hall, EC1N 2HH (tube: ), 51.5177°, -0.1098°, +44 20 7831-0575, enquiries@gresham.ac.uk. Attend free public lectures, in Barnard's Inn Hall (mostly, but other venues are used as well), renowned historic Inn of Court featured in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.
  • London School of Economics, Conference and Events Office, Houghton St, WC2A 2AE (venues vary within the campus, see individual listings. tube: or ), 51.5139°, -0.1167°, +44 20 7955-6043. LSE hosts a prestigious public lectures programme, which is nearly always free to attend, but may require a ticket in advance for a lecture by a Head of State or Nobel Prize winner. Usually free
  • Peacock Theatre, Portugal St, WC2A 2HT (tube: ), 51.5144°, -0.1181°, +44 20 7492-1593. Booking M-F 8AM-7PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. Owned by LSE, and part of their campus, this theatre is leased to Sadler's Wells as "Sadler's Wells in the West End".
  • Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rosebery Ave, EC1R 4TN (tube: ), 51.5294°, -0.1061°, +44 20 7863-8000. Leading dance production theatre with an amazing history back to the 1690s. Everything from classical ballet to hip hop. For ballet fans, you have often got a much better chance of securing a ticket here than in the Covent Garden venues. Also attached is the Lilian Baylis Theatre, primarily performances by students.
  • Somerset House Ice Rink, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA (tube: ), +44 20 7845-4600. In the courtyard of Somerset House, this has become a Londoner's favorite, although how it will compete with the newcomers remains to be seen. It is preferable to visit at night, when the Christmas tree is lit up.
  • History of Drinking Tour, +44 844 504 808. Guided walking tours covering the history of Britain's love affair with alcohol. Stops off at 4 attractive pubs over the course of two hours.

Buy

  • Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QA (tube: [rail] or ), 51.525°, -0.109°. M–Sa 9AM–6PM. Area with lifestyle, fashion, health, book and interior shops. Trendy independent shops on a pedestrianised street.
  • Hatton Garden, Hatton Gdn, EC1N (tube: ), 51.520117°, -0.108408°. This street is the centre of London's jewellery trade and especially famous for diamonds. A lot of dealers and designers to chose from, both contemporary and traditional.
  • Leather Lane Market, Leather Ln, EC1N (tube: ), 51.5200°, -0.1094°. M–F 10AM–3PM. Not much leather sold here these days but worth a visit for some great cheap finds. Clothing, electrical goods, toiletries and food. Combines well with a visit to Hatton Garden which is in the next street east.
  • Magma Books, 117-119 Clerkenwell Rd, EC1R 5BY (tube: or [rail]), 51.5217°, -0.1117°, +44 20 7242-9503, enquiries@magmabooks.com. M-Sa 10AM-7PM. A fine bookshop specialising in the graphic arts, as well as toys, for not-quite-grown-up boys. A good place to pick up foreign design titles, or simply waste an hour browsing through lots of pretty books. A valuable stop for graphic junkies.
  • The Old Curiosity Shop, 13–14 Portsmouth St, WC2A 2ES (tube: ), 51.5150°, -0.1173°, +44 20 7405-9891. M–Sa 10:30AM–7PM. The original shop immortalised in the Charles Dickens' novel by the same name. Nestled amongst the campus of LSE, it is worth a visit just for the old Tudor design itself. As the name suggests, it sells some oddities and knick-knacks, but mostly shoes these days.
  • Smithfield Market, 225 Central Markets, EC1A 9LH (tube: [rail]), 51.5186°, -0.1034°, +44 20 7248-3151. M-F 3AM-noon. Smithfield Market is London's largest wholesale meat market and hence a great source of fresh meat from Britain and around the world. Additionally, there are many good restaurants in the vicinity.
  • Tesco Express, 1-23 City Rd, EC1Y 1AG, 51.5228°, -0.0871°. Small, local branch of the supermarket. Starbucks and Eat next door.
  • Waitrose, Cherry Tree Walk Centre, Whitecross St, EC1Y 8NX, 51.5223°, -0.0922°. Slightly more upmarket supermarket.

Eat

Street food

  • Hare Krishna cart, Houghton St, 51.5137°, -0.1167°. M–F 1–2PM. Shows up on the edge of Houghton St regularly on weekdays offering free vegan food, if you don't mind the sogginess and queue.

  • Whitecross Street Market, 1 Whitecross Street, EC1V 9AB, 51.5243°, -0.0938°, +44 20 7527-1761. M–Sa 10AM–5PM. Eclectic street-food market. 2022-05-01

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

Pubs and bars

Ye Old Mitre

Clerkenwell

  • Betsey Trotwood, 56 Farringdon Rd (tube: ), 51.5234°, -0.1081°. Live music in the cellar every Friday. Venue is like a very small dungeon, but they know what is good music.
  • The Craft Beer Company, 82 Leather Ln, EC1N 7TR (tube: or ), 51.5212°, -0.1097°, clerkenwell@thecraftbeerco.com. M–Sa noon–11PM; Su noon–10:30PM. One of RateBeer's Top 50 bars in the world, and only one of two in the UK (see CASK Pub & Kitchen in Pimlico for the other). Famous for its vast selection beers: cask, keg and bottle.
  • Crown Tavern, 43 Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0EG (tube: ), 51.5232°, -0.1052°, +44 20 7253-4973. M–F noon–11PM; Sa Su 10AM–11PM. A large, traditional pub, rebuilt in 1815 but claiming a history on this site back to 1641. In good weather, outdoor tables in the square can be pleasant. London legend claims that Stalin and Lenin first met in this pub, in a back room (under the "Conspirators' Clock") in 1903.
  • The Dovetail, 9-10 Jerusalem Passage EC1V 4JP, 51.5232°, -0.1038°, +44 20 7490-7321, dovetail@dovepubs.com. M-Sa noon-11PM. Small Belgian bar serving Belgian beer and Belgian food.
  • Fluid, 40–42 Charterhouse St, EC1M 6JN (tube: ), 51.5202°, -0.1004°, +44 20 7253-3444. Tu W 7PM-midnight, Th-Sa 9PM-2AM. A stylish loosely Japanese themed bar upstairs (they serve sushi), with a more spread out dance floor down a spiral metal staircase. Plenty of sofas everywhere, although on the weekends you will have to get down early to slump in a chair. Bottled beers £2.90+, cocktails £6+. Free entry, except F Sa 9-10PM £3, after £5
  • Fox & Anchor, 115 Charterhouse St, EC1M 6AA (tube: ), 51.5204°, -0.1007°, +44 20 7250-1300, info@foxandanchor.com. M–Th 7AM–11PM; F 7AM–midnight; Sa 8:30AM–midnight; Su 8:30AM–10PM. Independent traditional pub quite close to the Barbican. Beers are often served in pewter tankards for the extra traditional touch. Six rooms are available for those who want to sleep where they drink (or just near the Barbican). Great atmosphere but it can be a little more expensive than average, especially the food and lodging.
  • Horseshoe, 24 Clerkenwell Cl, EC1R 0AG (tube: ), 51.5239°, -0.1068°, +44 20 7253-6068. Irish pub where they play live Irish music every Thursday at 8PM (check it on the net!). But, be there in due time, else you risk house full!
  • Jerusalem Tavern, 55 Britton Street, EC1M 5UQ (tube: ), 51.5217°, -0.1041°, +44 20 7490-4281. A converted Georgian coffee shop, which sells the Norfolk beer, St. Peters. The building is from the 1700s, remodelled in 1810, and it was converted in the 1990s, making this both a new and an old pub. The interior is a little small so, while well worth a visit, after 5PM on weekdays it gets quickly flooded with City workers.
  • Zetter Town House on St John's Square: see Sleep for the madcap "Great Aunt Wilhelmina" cocktail bar.

Finsbury

  • Cafe Kick, 43 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL (tube: or ), 51.5260°, -0.1091°, +44 20 7837-8077. M-Sa 11AM-11PM; Su 11AM-10:30PM. Hidden down a backstreet away from the busier parts of Clerkenwell, lies a cosy little bar crammed with several table football machines, and a good selection of cocktails. In the summer people spread out onto the pedestrianised street and chat in the sun. Happy hour 4-7PM daily.
  • Water Rats Pub, 328 Gray's Inn Rd, WC1X 8BZ (tube: [rail]), 51.529°, -0.1195°, +44 20 7209-8747. Has regular live bands.

Holborn

  • Cittie of Yorke, 22 High Holborn, WC1V 6BS (tube: ), 51.5184°, -0.1128°, +44 20 7242-7670. M–Sa noon–11PM. The interior gives the impression of being a historic relic but it was only built in 1924 (although there have been other pubs on the site since 1430). Lack of authenticity aside, it really is an impressive and atmospheric pub, a grade II listed building and on CAMRA's national inventory of historic pub interiors.
  • The Knights Templar, 95 Chancery Ln, WC2A 1DT (tube: ), 51.5153°, -0.1120°, +44 20 7831-2660. M–W 8AM–11PM; Th F 8AM–11:30PM; Sa 11AM–5PM. Part of the JD Wetherspoon chain. The building is the former Union Bank and it has nice high-vaulted ceilings with black pillars. The drinks range includes a range of often changing guests beers.
  • The Penderel's Oak, 286–288 High Holborn, WC1V 7HJ (tube: ), 51.5179°, -0.1156°, +44 20 7242-5669. Su–Th 8AM–midnight; F Sa 8AM–1AM. Part of the JD Wetherspoon chain. The open-plan, L-shaped ground floor bar is known for a varied selection of guest beers (but poor Wi-Fi). The basement bar is actually part of the Lloyds No. 1 chain, with background music and a different atmosphere.
  • The Shakespeare's Head, 64-68 Kingsway, WC2B 6BG (tube: ), 51.5167°, -0.1196°, +44 20 7404-8846. M–Th 8AM–midnight; F 7AM-1AM; Sa 8AM-1AM; Su 8AM–midnight. Part of the JD Wetherspoon chain.
  • The Square Pig, 30-32 Procter St, WC1V 6NX (tube: ), 51.5187°, -0.1192°, +44 20 7691-3144. M–F noon–11PM. Can be pricey and crowded too, but that's because it's used for large language-exchange and online meet-ups.
  • Ye Olde Mitre, 1 Ely Ct, EC1N 6SJ (tube: or ; down a narrow alley between Hatton Gdn and Ely Pl), 51.5183°, -0.1074°, +44 20 7405-4751, yeoldemitre@fullers.co.uk. M–F 11AM–11PM. Called the hardest to find pub in London. A small but historic and award-winning pub; it dates to 1586 and marked the boundary between the gardens of Christopher Hatton and the Bishop of Ely. Parts of the Tudor pub remain, although it was rebuilt in 1757 and partially altered in 1781 and 1930; now a Grade II listed building. It's tied to Fuller's brewery, so it has their usual range plus a few unusual guests. Only open one weekend in the year, to coincide with CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival in August.
  • Ye Old White Horse (The Horse), 2 St. Clements Ln, WC2A 2HA (tube: ), 51.5145°, -0.1173°, +44 20 7242-5618. M-Sa 11AM-11PM. Great little Victorian pub adjacent to the LSE campus. The Horse is one of the last remaining little boozers of its kind; a true throwback. Warm, welcoming, well-preserved interior, well-kept real ales, and a low-priced selection of sandwiches and pub meals make this place worth a visit while passing through Holborn.

St. Luke's

  • Old Fountain, 31 Baldwin Street, EC1V 9NU (tube: ), 51.5270°, -0.0890°, +44 20 7253-2970. M-F 11AM-11PM; Sa Su noon-11PM. Local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011. This traditional pub is best known for its large and varied beer selection, often from local and micro-breweries, both cask and bottled.

Clubs

  • Fabric, 77a Charterhouse St, EC1M 6HJ (tube: ), 51.51947°, -0.10254°, +44 20 7336-8898. Th-Sa times vary (check listings). A massive club (think cathedral scale) that provides a more underground version of Ministry of Sound and hosts some of the biggest names in dance music, from Goldie to David Holmes to the Scratch Perverts. There are always big queues, so get down early if you can. Entry £12-18, discount for NUS
  • The Nightjar, 129 City Road, EC1V 1JB (tube: ), 51.5265°, -0.0878°, +44 20 7253-4101, info@barnightjar.com. Su-W 6PM-1AM; Th 6PM-2AM; F Sa 6PM-3AM. Speakeasy-style cocktail bar. Regular live music fitting the prohibition era theme. Entry W Th £5, F Sa £7. Cocktails from £9
  • Sosho, 2 Tabernacle St (tube: ), 51.5223°, -0.0866°, +44 20 7920-0701. Tu noon-midnight; W Th noon-1AM; F noon-3AM; Sa 7PM-4AM; Su 9PM-6AM. Sosho is a former photographic studio and warehouse space converted into a two floor restaurant, bar, lounge and club with a 24 hour licence, midway between the city and central Shoreditch. Sosho is light and airy during the day time, candle lit and loungey in the evening. Serve carefully sourced and proper food, with world class cocktails and great music on one of East London's best sound system. With a 24 hour licence it is a late night drinking and DJ bar during the week and a cutting edge clubbing venue at the weekend.
  • McQueen, 55-61 Tabernacle St (tube: ), 51.5244°, -0.0858°, +44 20 7036-9229.

Sleep

There are not too many hotel options in this district and visitors are better off looking in neighbouring Bloomsbury.

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Stay healthy

Cope

Newspapers and magazines

Go next

Holborn

Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:Europe/LondonCoordinates:51.52, -0.11

Greater London

2nd-order administrative division

England

Primary administrative division

United Kingdom

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Population:66.5 MDial code:+44Currency:Pound (GBP)Voltage:230 V, 50 Hz