London Peculiars

Secrets hidden in plain sight, windows into history and outright oddities from across the UK capital• Presents the potted history of each 'Peculiar' alongside photographs and locations so you can seek them out for yourself• Discover a London untouched by the mainstream travel guides, guaranteed to entertain tourists and residents alike• Part of a new series exploring London culture, joined by Vinyl London, Rock ‘n’ Roll London, Writers’ London and Art London A peculiar can be defined as something that 'has eccentric or individual variations to the general or predicted pattern'. And, as it turns out, London is overflowing with them. This pocket-sized book will accompany you around the capital, guiding you from the tent-shaped tomb designed for Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton by his widow, Isabel Arundel Gordon; to what may be the last surviving porter's rest in London; to a stone niche by a long-demolished foundling hospital where almost 15, 000 infants were discarded over the course of the 18th century. Sometimes heroic, sometimes tragic, often amusing and always unexpected, these so-called 'peculiars' bring color to the fabric of London. Whether you are a lifelong resident or a visitor passing through, London Peculiars is guaranteed to lead you on an adventure.