Lumley Court in Covent Garden

Lumley Court in Covent Garden

Lumley Court is a narrow passage on the southern side of Covent Garden, running between the Strand and Maiden Lane. It is one of the small courts and alleys that thread down towards the Strand from the district above, and it takes the form of a steep, stepped lane in parts, dropping between tall buildings. The passage is little used except by those on foot who know it as a shortcut, and it keeps a quiet, enclosed feel away from the traffic of the main roads. There is little within the court beyond the passage itself, and its buildings rise close on either side. Places like this are part of the fine grain of old Covent Garden, small survivals of the cramped street pattern that once ran down to the river. Its position between the Strand and Maiden Lane ties it to the southern edge of the district, within reach of the long-established eating places of that quarter. Lumley Court is valued as a quiet cut-through and a reminder of the older layout of these streets.