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Holborn is legal London, a dignified district on the seam between the City and the West End where barristers’ chambers, hidden gardens and one of the capital’s most eccentric museums sit among red-brick grandeur. It rewards the curious walker willing to step through an unmarked archway.
Where is Holborn and how to get there
Holborn lies in central London between Bloomsbury, Covent Garden and the City. It is served by Holborn and Chancery Lane Underground stations and is within easy walking distance of the West End and the Inns of Court.
The Inns of Court and hidden corners
The district is defined by the Inns of Court, the historic home of the English bar: Lincoln’s Inn and Gray’s Inn hide tranquil courtyards, chapels and gardens behind their gates, while Lincoln’s Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. On its north side, the extraordinary Sir John Soane’s Museum, the crammed former home of the architect, is one of the city’s great free treasures. Nearby Hatton Garden is London’s traditional jewellery quarter.
Eating and drinking
Holborn keeps a workaday lunchtime buzz around Leather Lane market, a weekday street market of food stalls, and hides historic pubs down its lanes, including the tucked-away Ye Olde Mitre. It is a fine area for an unhurried, low-key wander.
Good to know
Can you visit the Inns of Court?
Yes, in part. The grounds, gardens and courtyards of the Inns of Court are generally open to visitors during weekday working hours, though the buildings themselves are private. They offer a peaceful, atmospheric escape from the surrounding streets, and Sir John Soane’s Museum nearby is free to all.
Where to go next
Continue to Bloomsbury, Covent Garden or Clerkenwell, or browse all our London neighbourhood guides.
