A-Z of woodblocks

I was at first only aware of a couple of patches if woodblock surfaces in Islington and Waterloo, but it turns out that are many many more remnants out there than I'd expected which is why I first [finally] started writing about them in April 2021. 

Once I got my eye in, and worked out where to look for these things, I started spotting more examples, and I have now taken photos of more than 45 instances [May 2025] and been made aware of other locations that I have yet to investigate and verify. 

Wood blocks are often to me found within manhole cover plates and, often, when you see one patch you'll likely find another further along the street. 

I have therefore compiled this A-Z. Please do let me know if you find any more – simply add a comment below or send an email to jane@janeslondon.com

For more generic info about the history of woodblocks, see the section at the bottom below the A-Z 

........................

A-Z by street/area

The listings in bold with links are those I have already written about accompanied by photos. 
The ones in italics are as yet unverified for the reasons given. 

Alaska Street, Waterloo SE1 – Post Office manhole cover

Belvedere Rd, LCC offices, County Hall, SE1 – many patches of rectangular blocks in grid pattern.  

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. More info needed.  

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

2-4 Camden Road, NW1 –  manhole cover cover in the road at kerb edge

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

259 Chalk Farm Rd, Camden NW1 (opposite 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 

Chalk Farm Rd, Regent's Park Rd, NW1– manhole cover in the pavement

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 – tbc 

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

Farringdon Street – an IanVisits sighting – unable to locate this myself. Any advice welcome. 

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

Hampstead, Murray Terrace – as spotted by IanVisits – pics to source.

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

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

Hankey Street, Bermondsey, SE1 – manhole cover made by Bird & Co.

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 within the pavement  

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

Islington High St – manhole cover near The York pub

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 re the specific location

Kingsway Tunnel, Holborn – oblong woodblocks 

Langley Street, Covent Garden – manhole cover

Mora Street / Nelson Passage, EC1 – manhole cover 

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

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

1 Old Street, Goswell Rd junction – manhole cover 

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

Pentonville Rd – manhole in bus lane in front of Grimaldi Church 

29-31 Powis St, Woolwich – manhole cover 

Southwark St, Redcross Way junction – manhole cover 

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

St James’s Street – utility cover reported to be at the Piccadilly end – unconfirmed (Oct2023)

292 St John Street, Spencer Street junction – manhole in the road

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

44 and 48 Scrutton St, EC2 – two manhole covers

38 Shepherdess Walk / Underwood Row – manhole cover 

44-48 Shepherdess Walk / Micawber St – manhole cover 

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

Spa Road, Bermondsey SE1 – LCC manhole cover - 

Spa Road - I’m told there’s another one at the junction with Thurland Rd 

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

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

..............................................

FURTHER INFORMATION

An article by IanVisits gives an overview about the history of wood-paved roads and is also mentioned in Caroline's comprehensive piece about wood blocks in Paris,

Plenty more information can be found within Don Glow's piece for GLIAS in which he uses much of the information gathered by Percy Boulnois's in his 1895 textbook entitled Carriages & Footways by in which Boulnois describes and makes recommendations for the many the different types of paving surfaces available at that time and also provides specifications for their installation accompanied by marvellous hand-drawn illustrations. 

The book also includes advertisements for wood paving companies including Silex, The Prismatic Wood Paving, J. Temperley & Co, as well as a company producing cork pavement. 

The ad shown to the right was sourced elsewhere – it shows that The Improved Wood Pavement Company's Creosoted Deal Paving was installed on many London streets including right outside their offices on Queen Victoria Street.