Tiny London – London’s Smallest Attractions

If you don’t look carefully, you could easily miss London’s smallest attractions. Did you know that the world’s smallest bar room is part of a tiny pub in Hammersmith? Do you know the heart-breaking story behind London’s smallest statue?

Here are some of London’s most fascinating tiny attractions and the story behind them.

London’s Smallest Statue – The Two Mice Statue

Photo: Urban Adventurer

London’s smallest statue is located on the corner building of Philpot Lane Eastcheap, EC3.

Keep your eyes peeled when you’re there because the statue is high above your head and only a couple of inches long.

The tiny statue pictures two mice fighting over a piece of cheese and has been on the building’s wall since the building was built in 1862.

The story behind the statue says that when the Monument of Great Fire was being built, two men working on the construction site sat on the top of the monument for lunch break. The two men were friends, but the trouble started when one of them realised his cheese sandwich was missing and accused his friend of steeling it.

They started a fight over the missing cheese sandwich and during the fight both of the men fell from the 62-metre-high monument and died. Later it turned out that the cheese sandwich had been stolen by mice living on the construction site.

To commemorate the men, London’s tiniest statue was built and is still there for us to look up and remember the two men died because of a sandwich.

London’s Smallest Bar – The Dove Pub

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London’s smallest bar room is located in 19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9TA within The Dove Pub, and even went into the Guinness World Records. It measures 4 feet 2 inches by 7 feet 10 inches (1.27 metres by 2.39 metres).

This is not the only thing The Dove is worth to visit, though. The pub started as a public house in the 17^th century, and was regularly being visited by famous writers, poets, politicians and even kings, such as poet James Thomson, who composed the famous ‘Rule, Britannia!’. Charles II often visited The Dove too with his mistress, Nell Gwynne.

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In the most recent years, The Dove hosted famous actors, writers and politicians within its walls.

In the bar room, you can also see a brass plaque that marks the height the waters reached in the great flood of 1928.

The Smallest Single Pub – The Rake

Photo: Urban Adventurer

The Rake is London’s smallest single pub. It’s located just behind Borough Market, SE1 and it has the largest selection of beer from all over the world.

The Smallest Church – St. Ethelburga-the-Virgin

Photo: Urban Adventurer

St. Etherlburga-the-Virgin is located in Bishopgate, EC2, and it’s one of the few surviving medieval churches in London. It measures 56 feet by 30 feet (17 metres by 9.1 metres).

The foundation of the church is unknown, but it is believed that it dates back at least to the 13^th century.

During the WWII 70% of the church was destroyed. After the war ended the church was proposed to be demolished but it caused a huge public outcry. Eventually, the church was rebuilt to its original plan, and is still operating today.

The Smallest Police Station – Trafalgar Square

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Located on the corner of Trafalgar Square, London’s smallest police station is in fact, the smallest one in whole Britain.

The tiny police station was built in 1926 and it’s inside an ornamental light fitting. After the light fitting being emptied, narrow windows were installed to allow a 360 degrees view to the area.

Even a direct phone line was installed to the Scotland Yard in case help needed. Whenever the police officer picked up the phone the ornamental light on the top started to flash to alert nearby officers for near trouble.

The tiny police station was able to accommodate a single police officer or two prisoners at a time.

Today it is no longer in use to its original purpose. It is a broom cupboard of Westminster Council cleaners.

The Smallest Café – Amar Café

Photo: Urban Adventurer

London’s tiniest café is called ‘Amar Café’ and it is operating in a red telephone booth. Amar Café has three shops: one in Greenwich (Greenwich High Rd, SE10 8NA), one in Chiswick (Corner at, Chiswick High Rd, W4 5TF) and one in Stratford Upon Avon, next to Shakespeare Theatre (CV37 6EF)

Photo: Urban Adventurer

As they say on their website, they do not choose obvious locations within London. Instead, they choose symbols of the country and bring them to life.

The Smallest Library

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Situated on the corner of Loampit Hill and Tyrwhitt Road, in Lewisham, London’s smallest public library is operating in an iconic red telephone booth.

The tiny library has an impressive selection of books, and borrowers are expected to either replace or bring back books they take to be able to keep up a good stock level.

The telephone box library is open 24/7. Feel free to visit it on any day any time.

The Smallest ‘Listed’ Building – The Ostler’s Hut

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Hidden away in Lincoln’s Inn, WC2A 3TL, The Ostler’s Hut looks like a house of fairies and hobgoblins.

In fact, the hut was built in 1860 and it accommodated a horseman to take care of law students’ horses while they worked.

No sooner, however, when motorcars replaced horses, the horseman’s job no longer needed. As a result, The Ostler’s Hut closed and never used again.

The Skinniest House

Photo: Google Street View

Believe it or not, London’s skinniest house is just 5 feet 5 inch (1.65 metre) wide. The house is in Shepherd’s Bush between two shops in Goldhawk Road, W12 8HD.

The house was home to a fashion photographer, Juergen Teller in the 1990s. In 2006 Simon Woods, the Pride and Prejudice actor bought the house. The property was last sold in 2009 and it went for sale again last September.

The Narrowest House – Thin House

Photo: Urban Adventurer

This insanely narrow house is known as ‘Thin House’ among Londoners. It’s located in 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, SW7 2TA, and is actually a triangle. What we see in this perspective is the building’s narrowest end, which is as narrow as 6 feet (1.8 metre). The widest end is 34 feet (10.3 metres).

Many of the houses on Thurloe Square were designed by London architect George Basevi. Basevi was one of the students of the famous neo-classical architect Sir John Soane.

That Sir John Soane whose extraordinary collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models and drawings, and paintings is under display in Soane Museum (13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP) in London, and free to visit. (Did you know that some scenes of Transformers 5 movie were filmed here?)

In the late 19^th century Kensington and Chelsea were an artist hub, so lots of famous artists lived or had studios in the area.

The Smallest House

Photo: Urban Adventurer

The title of the smallest house in London goes to this tiny little one at 10 Hyde Park Place, W2. This house was built in 1805 and its purpose was probably to seal an alley which led to St. George’s churchyard to keep grave robbers away.

The house measures 3 feet (95 cm) across and it contained 2 rooms (32 feet by 4 feet, 9.7 metres by 1.2 metre) connected by a ladder.

The Shortest Street – Kirk Street

 With its 50 feet (15 metres) length, Kirk Street, WC1 is London’s shortest street. It has only one address.

The Narrowest Alley – Brydges Place

Photo: Urban Adventurer

London’s narrowest alley – Brydges Place, WC2 – connects St. Martin’s Lane and Bedfordbury in Covent Garden. The alley is as narrow as 15 inches (38 cm).

The Smallest Square – Pickering Place

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Pickering Place – off St. James Street, SW1 – is not only the smallest square in London, but also the last place seen a duel with swords.

In the 18^th century Pickering Place was notorious for gambling dens, duels, and bear baiting.

Believe it or not, Pickering Place was once home to Texan Republic’s embassy (until it joined the United States in 1845).

What is more, you can also find King Henry’s old barn, which is just opposite to the passageway.

Ready for your next adventure? How about discovering London’s most colourful places?