Under Waterloo station’s crowded platform and rumbling tracks is a street artist’s playground. A five-minute walk from the main station exit is Leake Street (just off York Street), which will bring you to an authorised graffiti area known as the hidden Waterloo Station street art tunnel.
It’s a hidden art space in the Leake Street arches, often only stumbled upon by locals and spread through word of mouth.
It’s a permanent fixture hidden from view and casually bypassed by those eagerly seeking the beauty of the Southbank and the London Eye. But it is a space where the creatives come to express themselves with relative freedom.
The area was first used by Banksy back in 2008 for an art display with the aim to “transform a dark forgotten filth pit” into “an oasis of beautiful art”.
The location has been kept a secret until the unveiling and since then it’s been a canvas for anyone with a paint can to come and dominate a space.
The street art in London generally is constantly changing, getting bigger, more expressive and finding new spaces to fill. A good overview of the murals can be found in this picture essay of Shoreditch street art and for those wanting minute detail on artists and hidden corners, check out the recommended Shoreditch Street Art Tours.
Just as the art in the Waterloo tunnel is always evolving, these spaces create a location that is more than a one-time visit.