Bow Street Police Station

Probably London's first recognisable police station, it pre-dates the formation of the Metropolitan Police force in 1829. This was the home of the Bow Street Magistrates who ran what amounted to formal policing in the capital during the late 18th century. Among those magistrates who became famous was one Henry Fielding, who based some of the characters in his novels Moll Flanders and Tom Jones on his Bow Street experiences. This was also the place from which the original Bow Street Runners received warrants to execute the capture of known villains and highwaymen. Bow Street was also famous for being the only police station in the met to have a white lantern, rather than a traditional blue one, outside its front door. This was at the express request of HM Queen Victoria who, with the Prince Consort, was a regular visitor to the Royal Opera House directly across the street. She disliked the blue lamp and it was changed to white from then on. The police station closed under a modernisation order in the 1990s and for some years hoped to house London's long awaited Met Police Museum.

Nearest Tube/train stations: Covent Garden (two minutes walk) via Piccadilly line, Leicester Square (ten minutes walk) via Northern and Piccadilly lines, Embankment (12 minutes walk) via Bakerloo, District, Circle and Northern lines or Charing Cross (ten minutes walk up The Strand) via Jubilee or South West trains (via mainline station).