Goodwin's Court, Covent Garden

Goodwin's Court from the St Martin's Lane end.

Goodwin's Court is a small alley that runs between St Martin's Lane and Bedfordbury, in WC2. Unlike many of the other alleyways in this part of the metropolis, this alley appears, at least on its south side, untouched by redevelopment. For it is on its south side that a row of buildings with bow fronted windows stand.

Entering Goodwin's Court, from St Martin's Lane, three concrete steps lead you through a low-roofed arch from a fairly modern road back to a bygone era. The alleyway, a public highway, has residents and, at its Bedfordbury end, a restaurant. Walking along it in the daylight allows you to see the beauty of the buildings and allows you to appreciate the whole alley. Goodwin's Court is 280 feet (85 metres) long and 6.5 feet (2 metres) wide.

Goodwin's Court from the Bedfordbury end.

However, walking along it in the evening time, where the gas-fuelled lamps offer soft lighting, the court becomes so much more atmospheric.

Brydges Place

 

Brydges Place, Bedfordbury entrance

Brydges Place is an odd curiosity, that I stumbled upon quite by accident. It has the distinction of being London's narrowest passageway, being just 15 inches at its narrowest point.

It was during one of my meandering strolls around the West End that discovered this entrance on Bedfordbury, Charing Cross. I decided to wander along it, to see where it took me.

The entrance was of a typical width of about 6 feet and about 80 feet along another entrance appeared, on my left, which leads to Chandos Place. This entrance was considerably wider and was obviously built to allow vehicles to enter for loading and unloading. 

Continuing along Brydges Place, which runs for roughly 280 feet, the only people I saw were restaurant staff exiting the rear of their premises to place rubbish in the bins. It did make me wonder if, besides those who work along its length, anyone does use this alley as a shortcut.

A sense of unease started to plague me as, slowly, the walls appeared to be closing in on me. By the time I reached the end of Brydges Place, my shoulders were almost touching both sides of the alley. 

Brydges Place, from St. Martin's Lane.

London is full of alleyways and narrow streets, some of which hide hidden gems like pubs and old shops and building. Brydges Place is not one of them. Instead, it is, quite simply, a straight walkway between one place and another. Its only saving grace, is its ability to make you feel uneasy as the walls start to close in on you. Obviously, if you entered from St Martin's Lane the opposite would be true.

A comparison of both entrances.