The London A-Z Directory of Old Wood Block Surfaces

As I mentioned on my @janeslondon Instagram feed recently, there turns out to be many more remnants of wood block surfaces than I'd expected when I first wrote about them in April 2021. 

What I thought would be a handful of examples here and there turns out to be more than thirty and counting (Aug 2023) as, when you get your eye in and start looking in the right places, you'll see more and more, similar to finding little pink shells on a beach.

I have therefore compiled this A-Z listing all the places I have discovered woodblocks thus far. I will be adding to this directory as and when I find more.

The listings in bold italics with links are those I have already written about inc photos. All others, except those in brackets, I have photographed but they are currently lurking in a 'To Do' folder for future blog posts. 

Please do let me know if you find any more – add a comment below or send me an email: jane@janeslondon.com

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Wood Blocks in London – A-Z by street name or location

Belvedere Rd, LCC offices, County Hall, SE1 – rectangular blocks in the street outside the main entrance 

169 Bermondsey High Street – elliptical manhole cover in side alley 

Bermondsey Leather Market, 11-13 Weston Street, SE1 – manhole cover within cobbled entrance 

Brentford High Street set within the pavement 

Brixton Village Market, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 – manhole cover within access 

221 Chalk Farm Rd, Camden NW1 (corner Inverness St) – manhole cover in pavement 

259 Chalk Farm Rd, Camden NW1 (opp Buck's Head) – manhole cover in pavement  

285 Chalk Farm Rd, Camden NW1 (south of canal) – manhole cover in pavement 

Chalk Farm Rd, Camden Lock, NW1, 217 Place (north of canal) – manhole cover 

Chequer St, Bunhill Row – large repaved area of rectangular blocks

64 Clerkenwell Rd, Leo Yard, EC1N – square blocks within rectangular manhole 

83 Clerkenwell Rd, near Hatton Garden – manhole cover in the pavement 

Colliers Wood - new/modern square blocks at various locations 

Crooked Billet Yard, Hoxton, under the railway bridge – manhole cover 

Farringdon Street - exact location tbc 

243 Gray’s Inn Rd / Acton Street – manhole cover in the middle of the road 

Hampstead Village, Windmill Hill, Upper Terrace, NW3 – manhole cover 

Hampstead Village, 14 Willow Cottages, Windmill Hill, NW3 – manhole cover 

326 Holloway Rd, N7 – manhole cover in the centre of the road 

405 Holloway Rd, N7 –  manhole cover near the central reservation   

335 Islington High St – manhole cover in the pavement outside Pizza Express  

90 Islington High St – manhole cover behind the electricity/tram station 

111 Kentish Town Rd – manhole cover opposite the old hat factory 

315 Kentish Town Rd, – manhole cover by the crossing 

(King Street, Twickenham – more info needed) 

Kingsway Tunnel, Holborn – oblong woodblock surface 

Mora Street / Nelson Passage, EC1 – manhole cover 

New North Rd, Royal Mail depot, N1 (Eagle Wharf Rd)  – manhole cover within access 

130 Old St, EC1N – manhole cover in the bus lane 

90-92 Pentonville Rd, N1 – large private forecourt, patches visible 

Southwark St / Redcross Way – manhole cover 

St James’s Place, W1 – rectangular manhole cover near the Stafford Hotel

St James’s St - utility cover at the northern/Piccadilly end 

292 St John Street / Spencer Street – manhole in the road

377 St John Street – manhole near kerb, near junction with Rosebery Ave 

38 Shepherdess Walk / Underwood Row – manhole cover 

44-48 Shepherdess Walk / Micawber St – manhole cover 

104 Shepherdess Walk / Shaftesbury Street (pillar box) – manhole cover 

Sumatra Rd / 229 West Hampstead (rear of Oddbins) – manhole cover 

Thurland Road junction with Spa Road - two in the road 

West Square, Lambeth, SE11 – manhole covers, at least two 

Outside Greater London

Waltham Abbey – man hole cover in the road near the church 

Whitstable castle – large paved area within the covered entrance