Carnaby Street

What to expect

Carnaby Street takes its name from Karnaby House, built in 1683, and it was a shabby Soho backstreet until the 1950s, when boutiques such as John Stephen's His Clothes opened. By the 1960s it was a centre of mod and peacock fashion, and a 1966 Time magazine cover story made it famous worldwide as the heart of swinging London. Designers including Mary Quant had premises there, and bands such as the Small Faces, the Who and the Rolling Stones hung around.

The street was made pedestrian-only in 1973, and vehicles are restricted for most of the day. Today it is a short, lively street with fashion and lifestyle shops, many of them independent boutiques, along with some tourist-oriented souvenir shops. Two green plaques recall John Stephen and the Small Faces. It takes about half an hour to walk it and the lanes around it.

Don't miss

• The overhead street sign and decorations
• Independent fashion boutiques
• Green plaque for John Stephen
• Small Faces plaque
• Side streets around Newburgh Street

Tips for your visit

• Come in the daytime on a weekday for room to look in shop windows.
• Oxford Circus is the nearest Tube station, and Liberty London is close behind.
• Combine it with Liberty London, a little way along Regent Street.