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 across London turns out to be more than thirty and counting (Aug 2023) – 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 directory, listing by street name or location, 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.
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Wood Blocks London A-Z by streetBelvedere 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 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 paved area of rectangular blocks64 Clerkenwell Rd, Leo Yard, EC1N – square blocks within rectangular manhole 83 Clerkenwell Rd, near Hatton Garden – manhole cover in the pavement Crooked Billet Yard, Hoxton, under the railway bridge – manhole cover 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 center 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, partially tarmac’d 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 Stafford HotelSt John Street / Spencer Street – manhole in the middle of the road 38 Shepherdess Walk / Underwood Row – manhole cover 44-48 Shepherdess Walk / Micawber St – manhole cover 104 Shepherdess Walk / Shaftesbury Street (pillar box) – manhole cover 229 West Hampstead High St (rear of Oddbins, Sumatra Rd) – manhole cover West Square, Lambeth, SE11 – a couple of manhole covers
Outside Greater LondonWaltham Abbey – man hole cover in the road near the church Whitstable castle – large paved area within the covered entrance
