Image credit: No Swan So Fine / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2021-10-19 ↗
The Mounting Block outside No.7 St James’s Square
St James’s Square · Piccadilly → St James’s → Covent Garden · Historic street furniture / horse-era London
Story
Look down, because this piece of street furniture is easily missed if you only admire the imposing buildings of St James’s Square. Set into the kerb outside No.7, you'll find an old limestone mounting block, likely dating from the eighteenth century. This modest block, protected as Grade II by Historic England, is roughly six feet long by one foot wide, projecting slightly above the kerb line. Its significance lies precisely in its ordinariness and its remarkable survival. When this bustling square was filled with horses, carriages, coachmen, and servants, a block like this was an essential part of the urban infrastructure. It made the task of mounting or dismounting from a horse or the tall vehicles of the era much easier. It was not conceived as a monument, but as a practical tool. It is fascinating that it has survived in situ while horse traffic disappeared, replaced by modern taxis and cars. You are, quite literally, touching a piece of the everyday machinery of Georgian London.
What to look for
Look for an elongated limestone block projecting slightly from the kerb line; it is not a statue, but a simple platform set into the ground.
Secret detail
Its uniqueness lies in being a functional piece of Georgian London that has withstood the test of time, rather than a monumental or decorative object.
Where exactly
The block is located in the kerb outside No.7 St James’s Square.
Orientation
On the north side of the square outside No.7, look directly at the kerb.
Why it matters
This humble block reveals what everyday life was like on London's streets centuries ago, offering a tangible connection to the era of horses and carriages in a drastically changed urban environment.
Access & opening
Always visible subject to parked vehicles, road works or temporary barriers.
Free
We never show live status. Check opening hours before you go.
Accessibility
Street-level object; view from pavement without stepping into carriageway.