Lady’s Bloomsbury Walk and Map

Today I want to share A Lady in London’s free self-guided Bloomsbury walk and map with you. This part of central London is packed with everything from literary highlights to leafy squares and famous museums. Everyone from Virginia Woolf to Charles Dickens has called this London neighborhood home, and it’s a great place to explore. My walking route will help you discover the best of Bloomsbury on foot. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Bloomsbury Walk

From Russell Square to the British Museum, Bedford Square to Lamb’s Conduit Street, Bloomsbury is one of the most famous central London neighborhoods.

Set in a beautiful part of the UK capital, my Bloomsbury walk is the perfect way to get into London’s literary past, explore pretty streets, eat and drink at independent cafes and restaurants, and indulge your inner culture lover.

You can see more walks in the book London’s Hidden Walks, too. It’s for you if you enjoy discovering the UK capital’s off-the-beaten-path areas. You can get it here.

I’ve also written a whole post about London walks books, so you can take a look at it if you want more options.

Bloomsbury Walk Route

My self-guided Bloomsbury walking tour starts at Russell Square station. It’s centrally located and has great transport links, so you can arrive by tube, bus, bike, or on foot from other parts of the city.

When you exit the Underground station, take a left on Bernard Street, then another quick left on Herbrand Street. It will take you past a historic pub in atmospheric surroundings. When you reach Guildford Street, turn right to get to Russell Square.

When you get there, take a right to walk up to the intersection at the northeast corner of the square. As you go, you’ll start to get a glimpse of the Georgian townhouses and pretty green space the area is known for.

Cross the street to enter Russell Square, then walk diagonally through it to get to the southwest corner. Once there, take a right on Russell Square and a quick left on Montague Place.

Walk down Montague Place, passing by the back of the British Museum and the south side of Malet Street Gardens as you make your way to Bedford Square.

When you arrive at Bedford Square, walk around it and take in the stunning Georgian buildings and doors as you go. This is one of my favorite places to take in Bloomsbury’s heritage architecture.

Once you’ve explored the square, exit by taking a right on Bloomsbury Street and then a left on Great Russell Street. This will bring you past the front of the British Museum.

You can go inside and have a look around if you want to, or continue your Bloomsbury walk by turning right on Bury Place.

There are lots of shops on Bury Place, including the London Review Bookshop (you might remember it from my London literary walk or my itinerary for London for book lovers).

You can pop in for a browse or have a treat at the adjacent cake shop (yum…cake and books).

From Bury Place, take a left on Bloomsbury Way and walk down to Bloomsbury Square. Dating back to 1665, this is London’s oldest square. Stroll around it and keep an eye out for the historic details on the buildings as you go.

From the square, continue your Bloomsbury walk by exiting from the northeast corner via Bloomsbury Place. When you get to the end, take a left on Southampton Row and follow it until you reach Cosmo Place.

Turn right to walk down Cosmo Place. This pedestrianized street will take you to Queen Square. The public garden in the middle is a good place to rest your feet if you need a break.

There are statues and sculptures all around, including one of a cat. There’s also an 18th-century pub on the corner of Cosmo Place that has historic connections to King George III and his wife, Queen Caroline.

Once you’ve walked around the garden, exit from the northeast corner via Queen Anne’s Walk. When you reach the end, turn right on Guildford Street and continue your Bloomsbury walk until you get to Guildford Place.

Turn right on Guildford Place and follow it as it becomes Lamb’s Conduit Street. There are lots of great restaurants, shops, and cafes here, so it’s worth spending some time exploring.

When you reach Theobald’s Road, turn left and walk east until you get to John Street. Take a left on John Street, passing historic facades and corner pubs as you make your way north and the road becomes Doughty Street.

When it does, you’ll pass the Charles Dickens Museum. You can pop in to see his former home if you want to.

If not, continue your Bloomsbury walk by following Doughty Street north as it becomes Mecklenburgh Square, then Mecklenburgh Street. When it ends at Heathcote Street, turn left and follow the street to the end.

On your right you’ll see a gate that leads into St. George’s Gardens. This secret garden is set in a former 18th-century graveyard. It’s a great place to rest your legs in peaceful surroundings.

Once rested, exit St. George’s Gardens at the northwest corner and walk west down Handel Street until you reach the Marchmont Community Garden, a pretty little urban green space.

Walk through the garden to get to Marchmont Street, where you’ll turn right to take in more of Bloomsbury’s restaurants and cafes.

When you’re done, continue your Bloomsbury walk by turning left on Tavistock Place. It will lead you to Tavistock Square Gardens.

This green space features statues of everyone from Mahatma Ghandi to Virginia Woolf. The latter was a member of the Bloomsbury Group and lived at 52 Tavistock Square between 1924 and 1939.

The square is also lined with important buildings, including the headquarters of the British Medical Association. It was designed by prominent English architect Edwin Lutyens in 1911.

When you’re done exploring, exit Tavistock Square at the southwest corner and follow the street called Gordon Square until you reach Gordon Square and Woburn Square. They’re right across from one another.

You can walk through and around them if you want to, or continue your Bloomsbury walk on Byng Place. Don’t miss the many university buildings and the row of red phone boxes by Euston Church as you go.

After Byng Place becomes Torrington Place, turn left on Gower Street and follow the colorful doors and brick buildings down to Store Street.

Turn right on Store Street, where you’ll find lots of restaurants, shops, and cafes (including one of the best coffee shops in London).

When Store Street meets Tottenham Court Road, turn right and walk up to the Goodge Street tube station. Your self-guided Bloomsbury walking tour ends here.

Walk Details and Map

Bloomsbury Walking Tour

I hope reading through my Bloomsbury walk has made you excited to see this part of central London. It’s a great place to get into the heart of the city.

If you’re interested in doing more walks in the area, head over to my blog post about central London walks. You can see more self-guided London walking tours and maps on my post with all the ones I’ve created, too. Happy walking!

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