London Sights

Burlington Arcade

Burlington Arcade Review

Perhaps the finest of Mayfair's enchanting covered shopping alleys is the second oldest in London, built in 1819 for Lord Cavendish, to stop hoi polloi from jettisoning rubbish (oyster shells in particular) into his garden at Burlington House, behind the arcade. Top-hatted watchmen called Beadles—the world's smallest private police force—still patrol, preserving decorum by preventing you from singing, running, or carrying an open umbrella. The arcade is also the main link between the Royal Academy of Arts and its extended galleries at 6 Burlington Gardens.

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