One of the things I love most about London is that each area has its own personalty. Going from one to another feels like traveling to a completely different city. I’ve spent years exploring the UK capital’s neighborhoods, and today I want to share my guide to Holborn with you. This part of central London is famous for everything from hidden pubs to unique museums, and it’s worth a special trip. Read on for the best of the area. I’ve included an interactive map as well.
Holborn, London
Holborn is one of my favorite parts of London. Surrounded by Covent Garden, Soho, Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, Temple, and the City of London, this area is home to stunning heritage buildings, famous legal institutions, vibrant markets, and curious cultural highlights. You’ll even find London’s diamond district here.
Situated on the (now buried) River Fleet, Holborn is a great part of central London. It’s a fun area to shop, eat, drink, and discover.
Whether you want to check out London’s market scene, go to an unusual museum, or find a secret pub, this part of the city has something for everyone. If you’d like to get to know the area, you can book a guided tour here.
How to Get Here
If you want to explore Holborn, it’s easy to get here. Holborn station is on the Central and Piccadilly lines of the London Underground, and Chancery Lane station is on the Central line.
The area is also served by local buses, which can get you as close to your desired part of the neighborhood as possible.
Additionally, you can arrive on foot, by bike, or by scooter from popular places like Covent Garden, Soho, Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, and the City of London.
High Holborn
A good place to start a visit to Holborn is on a street called High Holborn. It’s in the name, after all.
High Holborn is one of my favorite places in the area, particularly the part right outside Chancery Lane tube station. That’s because there are eye-catching buildings on either side of the street.
On the south side of High Holborn, you’ll see the striking half-timbered facade of Staple Inn. It’s the last surviving Inn of Chancery, a group of historic buildings and legal institutions that are thought to have been established in the 14th century.
A Grade I-listed building, Staple Inn dates back to 1585. It survived the Great Fire in 1666, but its internal hall was destroyed by a bomb during World War II. Thankfully the facade was spared, and today it’s one of the most beloved Tudor frontages in London.
On the north side of High Holborn, you’ll notice another famous facade. This one is the red terracotta of Holborn Bars (aka the Prudential Assurance Building).
Built in the late 19th century, this Gothic Revival-style complex is Grade II-listed and a treat for the eyes. You can go inside and admire the internal courtyard, too.
Where to Stay
If you want to stay in Holborn, there are plenty of places to call home-away-from-home in the area. From famous hotels to great apartment rentals, there’s accommodation for every travel budget and style.
My top pick for a place to stay in Holborn is The Hoxton Holborn. It’s in an amazing location near London attractions like the British Museum, and it has contemporary style.
You can see a variety of other options and book one here as well. If you’re interested in staying in a pub you can call home-away-from-home, check out my blog post about the best pubs with rooms in London. It has a good one for you.
Pubs
Speaking of pubs, Holborn is home to some of the most famous historic ones in London. From inns that date back centuries to watering holes that are so hidden they’re almost impossible to find, it has them all.
My favorite pub in Holborn is Ye Olde Mitre. Located down a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it passageway between Hatton Garden and Ely Place, this historic spot dates back to 1547. It’s one of the best pubs in London (just keep in mind it’s closed on Sundays).
With a series of wood-paneled rooms and a compact outdoor area, Ye Olde Mitre will whisk you off to a distant past. The pub has featured in famous London movies like Snatch and Hatton Garden as well.
The Ship Tavern is also worth a special trip. Established in 1549, this family-run place is just the spot if you want to have a drink in one of London’s historic ale houses.
Half the fun of going to The Ship is finding it. The pub is secreted away down a skinny lane off High Holborn near Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Once inside, you’ll find yourself admiring a mahogany-paneled room with loads of atmosphere, dim light, and real ales.
If you want to settle in, you can go upstairs and have a meal in the candle-draped Oak Room. The menu focuses on quality home-cooked British pub fare sourced from local markets.
Another beloved pub in the area is the Princess Louise. Built in 1872, it has an interior from the 1890s. The pub is known for its historic “snob screens” that partition a series of eye-catching wood-paneled spaces.
Named on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, the Princess Louise is Grade II*-listed and a fine example of a Victorian Gin Palace. With loads of etched glass, oak, and tile, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time.
It’s great to poke around and explore all the nooks while enjoying a drink. The men’s loos are worth a special trip as well. They’re listed along with the rest of the pub.
The Cittie of Yorke is another famous watering hole in the neighborhood. Right on High Holborn, it’s Grade II-listed and has a storied past. While the current building dates to the 1920s, there’s been a pub on the premises since 1430.
The interiors are worth a special trip to take in. They’re full of old-world charm, and there are multiple rooms (including a huge one in the back), portraits on walls, and snug alcoves.
Everyone from Charles Dickens to Dylan Thomas has written about the Cittie of Yorke. The broad timber beams and big wooden barrels make it a good one to hole up in for an afternoon or evening.
Market
Holborn has a famous local market to explore, too. It’s known for its street food offerings, and there’s something for everyone’s taste buds here.
Leather Lane Market is the Borough of Camden’s largest street market. There’s been trading in the area since the 1700s, and today this weekday market is a great place to pick up something delicious for lunch. It’s one of my favorite local markets in the city.
Better yet, Leather Lane itself is the perfect place to get your caffeine fix. With some of the best coffee shops in London, the street is worth a visit for its permanent fixtures as much as its market stalls.
Museums
Beyond the food-and-drink-related attractions, Holborn has its share of cultural institutions that are worth discovering. From museums to legal institutions, the area has a lot to see.
One of the most famous is Sir John Soane’s Museum. This is one of my favorite places in London, and it’s worth a special trip (entry is free, but try to book in advance).
Often called a miniature British Museum, you’ll find everything from sculptures to paintings and an Egyptian sarcophagus inside. It’s a genuine treasure trove.
Just across Lincoln’s Inn Fields from Sir John Soane’s Museum is the Hunterian Museum (entry is free here as well, but try to book in advance).
Focusing on the history of surgery and medicine, this not-for-the-faint-of-heart museum has a collection of stomach-twisting instruments and preserved specimens.
Inns of Court
Holobrn is also home to some of the Inns of Court. They’re four long-standing professional associations for barristers. The two in the neighborhood are Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn.
The Inns of Court are responsible for selecting, training, and regulating barristers. All barristers in England and Wales have to be members of one of them, and the inns provide educational and social opportunities for them.
These institutions date back centuries, and there’s a lot of heritage to be found in them. It’s worth a special trip to explore the courtyards if you’re in the area on a weekday. If you want to, you can see them on my free self-guided Inns of Court walk.
Side Streets
Holborn is home to a number of side streets that are worth seeking out. If you’re looking for diamonds, Hatton Garden is just the spot. The epicenter of London’s diamond district, this road is packed with jewelers.
Not far from Hatton Garden, Ely Place is worth seeing. This gated street lined with terraced houses was the site of the 13th-century palace of the Bishops of Ely.
St Etheldreda’s Church is all that remains, and it’s worth popping inside to see the stunning stained-glass windows. Uniquely, Ely Place was officially part of Cambridgeshire until relatively recently.
Another fun road to see is Carey Street. Not only is it home to The Seven Stars, one of the few pubs that survived the Great Fire of London in 1666, but also four eye-catching red phone boxes that are great for photos and videos.
Also worth a trip is Bleeding Heart Yard. This tucked-away courtyard is famous for its connections to Charles Dickens. It was the setting of the home of the Plornish family in his novel Little Dorrit.
And that’s to say nothing of Sicilian Avenue. Perhaps the most famous street in Holborn, this eye-catching pedestrianized shopping parade was designed by Robert Worley in the early 20th century.
Completed in 1910, its baroque Edwardian architecture features Italian marble, turrets, and colonnades. Dramatic columns on plinths mark the entrances.
Sicilian Avenue has been used as a filming location for popular movies like Wonder Woman and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Parks & Garden Squares
If you want to get into a green space, Holborn has you covered. One of the most famous in the area is Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Just off High Holborn and Kingsway, this place is a haven of peace near the bustling high streets.
On the smaller end of the spectrum, Red Lion Square is a garden square near High Holborn. It has a cafe in the middle if you want to take a break from exploring and enjoy a snack or drink.
Others include the gardens in the Inns of Court. Both Lincoln’s Inn and Gray’s Inn have beautiful green spaces to relax in. Just make sure to check opening hours before you go.
Walk
If you want to see more of this part of central London, you can go on my free self-guided Holborn walk. It will take you around the high streets and side streets to show you the best of the area.
Holborn Map
If you’d like to get your bearings, you can find an interactive map of Holborn here. It has all the places I mentioned in this blog post on it. It can help you get a feel for where things are in the area.
Holborn
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to Holborn. It’s one of my favorite places to explore in the UK capital, and I’m sure you’ll find as much to love about it as I have.
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