Sights · Our pick in London
Cecil Court
Booksellers’ Row
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Philafrenzy · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Cecil Court
Cecil Court is a short pedestrian lane of Victorian shopfronts between Charing Cross Road and St Martin’s Lane, long known for its antiquarian booksellers and dealers in maps, prints and ephemera. It is a pleasant detour on the way to the West End theatres. Leicester Square station is a minute’s walk away, and the National Portrait Gallery and Trafalgar Square are around the corner. Many of the shops close on Sundays, so browse on a weekday or Saturday.
Why it's on our list
- Antiquarian books
- Maps and prints
- Victorian shopfronts
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Cecil Court before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to Cecil Court, as the crow flies.
- The Londoner0.1 mi2 min walk
- Covent Garden Hotel0.3 mi5 min walk
- Ham Yard Hotel0.3 mi6 min walk
- The Savoy0.3 mi6 min walk
- Strand Palace Hotel0.3 mi6 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from Cecil Court are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- Leicester SquarePiccadillyNorthern0.1 mi1 min walk
- Charing CrossBakerlooNorthernNational Rail0.2 mi4 min walk
- Covent GardenPiccadilly0.2 mi4 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Whitcomb Street0.2 mi3 min walk
- Taxi rank, Hungerford Lane0.2 mi4 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- Leicester Square0.1 miWalk 2 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Trafalgar Square0.2 miWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Covent Garden0.2 miWalk 5 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 5 min
- The British Museum0.6 miWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- London Eye0.6 miWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Westminster Abbey0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Buckingham Palace0.9 miWalk 19 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Harrods1.7 miWalk 34 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- The Shard1.8 miWalk 37 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 17 min
- Tower of London2.2 miWalk 45 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 20 min
Main rail terminals
- Charing Cross0.2 miWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Waterloo0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Victoria1.2 miWalk 24 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Euston1.2 miWalk 25 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 12 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras1.4 miWalk 28 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 13 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)1.5 miWalk 29 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 14 min
- London Bridge1.9 miWalk 38 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 17 min
- Liverpool Street2.0 miWalk 40 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Paddington2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min