A forgotten fragment of London’s rich history is hidden beneath the streets of Soho – and there’s a high chance that you’ve walked straight over it (many times), without so much as giving it a second glance. On the corner of Charing Cross Road and Old Compton Street is where you’ll find one of the capital’s shiniest hidden gems in the form of Little Compton Street.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: that’s one of London’s busiest spots – how could entire street possibly go completely unnoticed there? Well, folks, that’s because you can only catch a glimpse of it if you know what it’s hiding beneath. And we’re about to let you in on the secret. Because we’re nice like that.
Where is Little Compton Street?
So, as I mentioned before, you need to head to the corner of Old Compton Street and Charing Cross Road. There you’ll find a pretty unassuming traffic island, on which sits a metal grate. And if you get up-close-and-personal with that metal grate, between the bars, you’ll find two perfectly-preserved Victorian street signs that label this hidden spot as Little Compton Street.
The history of Little Compton Street
Back in the Victorian times, the area in which Little Compton Street lay was a known and rather notorious slum district. The road itself was frequented by its fair share of famous faces, with the likes of William Blake (poet and artist), William Godwin (philosopher) and Richard Wagner (composer) all having lived, worked, or stayed on the Soho street. But in 1886, the Metropolitan Board of Works decided to demolish Little Compton Street and some of its surrounding neighbours to make way for the hefty thoroughfare that we now know as Charing Cross Road.
Little Compton Street nowadays
Nowadays, the long-lost subterranean street is used as a utility tunnel, and all other traces of its existence have been removed apart from the two street signs that remain so that workers can navigate the passages. The surreptitious street can only be seen if you get right up close to the aforementioned grate – so yes, you might get a few puzzled looks from passers-by as you crouch down to get an eyeful. But if you get the opportunity, we’d highly recommend you taking a peek at this forgotten piece of the capital’s past. Just please be mindful of the buses and cars as you do so!
