London is nothing short of things to see and do: from the iconic Tower Bridge to stately Buckingham Palace, this UK capital is large and populous, with sights and activities to keep you occupied for a lifetime. Besides the well-known spots to visit, there are also plenty of lesser-known sites worth exploring– one of them are mews, which may not be what first comes to mind when imagining London. However, they are wonderful and worth seeing.

What are mews? Formerly horse stables in the 18th and 19th centuries, today they have been converted into small homes in narrow alleys off the main roads of the city. Many are also colorfully-painted, and offer a quieter, picturesque slice of London away from the hustle and bustle of big-city life. They’re gorgeous and worth a stroll along its cobblestone path if you were to stumble upon them while in London.

Where are the mews? They’re scattered throughout London, and it’s reputed there are over 260 of them. One of the most-famous is the Royal Mews, located at the Buckingham Palace, and unlike other mews in the city, remains a horse stable today. However, the others have been converted into homes and many of them are concentrated in the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, as well as Westminster.

That said, I’d like to share with you some of the mews I’ve seen and enjoyed– this is by no means a comprehensive list of them all, but I hope this small selection will inspire you to check them out the next time you’re in London!

Mews Hunting in London: Top 5 Must-Sees

1. Kynance Mews

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2. Osten Mews

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3. Cornwall Mews

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4. Adam & Eve Mews

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5. St. Luke’s Mews

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**bonus**

6. Denbigh Mews (now called Denbigh Close)

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7. Gower Mews

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Which mews is your favorite? Let me know! Thanks for reading, folks. 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

66 thoughts on “Mews Hunting in London: Top 5 Must-Sees”

  1. I used to enjoy stumbling upon these on walks around south-west London. Much like the parks and green spaces, they’re little oases in an otherwise hectic city (though the prices of them are nothing short of terrifying!).

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    1. Yes, the mews are so gorgeous! Certainly a bit of a hidden paradise in an otherwise large and busy city like London. Can’t imagine how much it’d cost to live in one of the charming homes, though! 😆

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  3. Oh this looks like fun! I vaguely remember hearing about the mews but I didn’t realize they were once horse stables. It’s nice that most of them have been converted as houses, which makes sense in a city with a big population like London. Kynance Mews look quite charming with the addition of those potted plants.

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    1. Absolutely! I love how the city repurposed the mews to make homes for the ever-growing population, not to forget made them look so cute! Very charming and colorful places in London not only to take photos, but also to stroll through and enjoy the tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of town. Thanks for reading, Bama! 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Rebecca! The mews are a lesser-known site, but just as historically significant and gorgeous as the bigger landmarks, e.g. Big Ben, Buckingham Palace. St. Lukes Mews is a gorgeous one, that’s for sure!

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    1. I can imagine a big city like NYC would have some mews, too! Mews are easy to come across while in London, as they’re so many of them, and it’s great the city has preserved, even repurposed them, for residential use! Thanks for reading, Lyssy 🙂

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  12. These mews are so cute. Thanks for sharing! I will look out for mews the next time I visit London. My favorite from your list is Gower Mews because it looks uncluttered and quiet there.

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    1. Gower Mews was an unexpected gem! Definitely different from the others concentrated in the Kensington area of London, as it’s more-residential and more-modern in look. Thanks for reading, Darlene!

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  13. These all are so beautiful, Rebecca. Exploring beyond the beaten track to find these rows of pastel-hued houses, where the loud business of the city fades away is a great way to spend your time in the city. Going on a hunt for the prettiest mews is one of my favourite pastimes when I am in Edinburgh. As Edinburgh swallowed up a lot of little villages when the city grew, there are lots of spots that feel like they’re straight out of a fairytale. Mews streets are just a handful of these spots. The carriage-style houses are super cute and wonderful to photograph with some streets becoming tourist destinations. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. I’m not surprised Edinburgh has some lovely mews, too! Ah, now I want to return to Scotland and explore more…mews aren’t on everyone’s radar when visiting the UK, but they’re definitely a treat to stumble upon and admire! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Aiva. Have a wonderful day and safe travels!

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  20. Ah mews hunting is such fun when in London, especially when you time it just right and find yourselves alone in a particularly handsome mews. The homes are always so beautiful and astronomically expensive. We have visited some of the mews in your list but a few remain unticked and we’ve been to a few not mentioned here but I’d need to research which ones in my files. Really looking forward to writing those up one of these years. Had to smile at ‘Adam & Eve’ mews, need to Google how that name came about.

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    1. Mews are such an ubiquitous, yet underrated part of London! I’m sure many visitors stumble upon them, but they don’t know that they’re mews…it’d be very dreamy to live in one of the homes, although the priciness and lack of privacy might be challenging…thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Leighton!

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    1. There are so many mews in London that they’re easy to stumble upon while in town. Because there are so many (and in a concentrated area), I thought it’d be a good idea to group them as a whole to explore!

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  24. How fascinating! I’d never heard of mews before. What a thoughtful way to repurpose the space. And a great way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of London. I’ll have to check these out the next time I am there. I like the Osten and Cornwall mews. The greenery helps me breathe and relax!

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    1. Mews are absolutely gorgeous and an underrated part of London; not many visitors know to visit them, let alone know what they are when they stumble upon them! Hope you can see the mews for yourself some day. 🙂

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  25. Interesting. I’ve never heard of mews and I certainly wouldn’t have guessed a horse stable could be turned into a house. I’m curious what they look (and perhaps smell?) like inside, and if you can still tell they used to house horses.

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    1. Mews are very much a UK thing (and to some extent, in Commonwealth countries). I’m sure the smell has faded over the centuries, haha, but I imagine the ones that were converted into homes have remnants of the stable’s layout!

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    1. Yes, I’m learning that mews aren’t just limited to London (or England), but also other parts of the UK, even Commonwealth countries! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ruth 🙂

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  29. These mews look gorgeous and I don’t think I could pick a favourite just by looking! Probably have to experience it for myself and get a feel for each one 😄 Fascinating how the one at Buckingham Palace remains a horse stable today. Each of them look like they are in a quaint and quiet area, and I feel the grey and cloudy skies just add some atmosphere to that.

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    1. Absolutely! The mews are an underrated, yet indelible part of London, even other parts of the UK and Commonwealth! Very pretty and fun just to stroll down upon stumbling upon them in town!

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  30. I explored a few of these same ones one of the last times I was in London! I’ve actually been discovering a few in Edinburgh too, I had no idea we had them here until quite recently hahaha. Very quaint – might need to check out a few more next time, as I love taking photos of them.

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    1. Yes, I’ve heard there are mews in other parts of the UK! They aren’t on everyone’s radar when it comes to visiting the city, but they’re always a treat to stumble upon while in London! Thanks for reading, Clazz 🙂

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  31. Hi Rebecca
    Cornwall Mews is our favourite.
    Thank you for introducing us to these mews we didn’t know.
    When we go to London we usually go to the Tate Modern for exhibitions. Here are some pictures from our last visit

    London’s Wobbly Wonder


    Like Clazz we know this mews from Edinburgh.
    Wishing you a happy weekend
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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    1. I haven’t visited Tate Modern yet, but I’ve heard of it, and it sounds lovely! Mews are historic and beautiful, and I’m glad you have some close to home. Thanks for reading! 🙂

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