The “Fake Houses” That Hide Train Tracks and Sewers
Walk down some of London’s prettiest residential streets, and you’ll notice rows of identical Georgian or Victorian homes, with neat brickwork, white-trimmed windows, and classic black doors. But look closer—because not all of them are real houses. Hidden among these terraces are what Londoners call “fake houses”: carefully disguised facades that conceal railway tunnels, ventilation shafts, or access points to the city’s vast underground infrastructure.
It’s one of those fascinating quirks of London—where history, design, and necessity collide—and once you know about them, you’ll start spotting them everywhere.
Why London Built Fake Houses
The story goes back to the expansion of the railways in the 19th century. As train lines were tunneled underneath residential neighborhoods, engineers needed to create access points and ventilation shafts. The problem? No homeowner wanted a big, ugly gap in their terrace rows, and the authorities knew cutting open streets would quickly spark complaints.
The solution was simple but brilliant: construct house-like facades to blend seamlessly with the surrounding homes. From the outside, they looked like any other property on the street. Inside? Nothing but empty space leading to rail tunnels, stairways, or massive air ducts.
It was camouflage for the industrial age—an early lesson in how infrastructure can hide in plain sight.
The Most Famous “Fake Houses” in London
1. 23 and 24 Leinster Gardens, Bayswater
Perhaps the most famous of them all, these two houses on Leinster Gardens look perfectly normal at first glance. Stand back, and you’ll notice the windows are painted on—just flat white surfaces with no glass. Walk around to the back, and the truth is obvious: it’s an empty shell, with only a wall hiding a gaping railway cutting.
The houses were built in the 1860s when the Metropolitan Railway (the world’s first underground railway) needed ventilation for its steam engines. Instead of leaving a hole in an expensive terrace row, the company built these “dummy” facades to keep the street’s grandeur intact.
London pranksters still love this spot: people have ordered pizzas, taxis, and even wedding cars to 23 Leinster Gardens—only for them to find a blank wall.
2. 8 and 10 Pembridge Villas, Notting Hill
Another classic example lies in Notting Hill. These two houses look like elegant townhouses from the front, but their backs reveal the reality—they’re façades built to cover over the District line. They allow smoke and later hot air to escape from the trains below.
3. Qantas House, 1–7 Bayswater Road
This one isn’t a fake house in the traditional sense but is often included in the same conversation. Its ornate frontage conceals massive ventilation works for the Central line beneath Hyde Park.
4. House-like structures in Kensington and Earl’s Court
Throughout Kensington, Earl’s Court, and West London, you’ll find several “homes” that are nothing more than masks. They disguise ventilation shafts for both the District and Circle lines. Locals often know which ones they are, but to an outsider, they’re nearly impossible to spot.
How to Spot a Fake House
If you want to go on a little urban treasure hunt, here are a few giveaways:
Painted windows instead of real glass (Leinster Gardens is the clearest example).
No letterbox, doorbell, or post—because no one actually lives there.
Odd proportions: fake houses sometimes don’t quite match the symmetry of the street.
No lights at night—while the rest of the terrace glows warmly, the fake house stays dark.
Behind the facade: if you catch a glimpse from the side or back, you’ll see empty space.
More Than Just Railways
It’s not just railways that use fake houses. London’s vast Victorian sewer system, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, also needed discreet access points. Instead of building utility blocks, designers often created house-like facades to hide them. That way, elegant London streets could remain elegant—even if they were sitting on top of sewage networks.
Today, many of these sites are still in use, quietly doing their jobs. London is a city that thrives on layers—Roman walls under office blocks, Tudor timber frames behind modern shopfronts, and here, fake houses concealing the industrial machinery that keeps the city moving.
Why We Love Them
There’s something about these fake houses that captures the imagination. They’re a reminder that London is never quite what it seems—a city that hides secrets in plain sight. Tourists walk past 23 Leinster Gardens daily without realizing they’re looking at one of the quirkiest bits of Victorian engineering. Locals chuckle when yet another delivery driver gets fooled by the painted windows.
They also speak to London’s peculiar charm: a city where history, function, and aesthetics all negotiate with each other. Instead of choosing ugly industrial gaps, Victorian engineers chose deception—and somehow made infrastructure charming.
Visiting Them Today
If you want to see one for yourself, start with Leinster Gardens in Bayswater. Stand in front of numbers 23 and 24, and you’ll see the painted windows straight away. If you’re in Notting Hill, look for Pembridge Villas. Walk the neighborhoods of Earl’s Court and Kensington, and you might just stumble across another.
It’s the kind of London walk that rewards curiosity. You don’t need a ticket or a guide—just sharp eyes and a willingness to stop and look.
Final Thoughts
London’s “fake houses” are proof that the city is full of hidden stories. What looks like a neat Georgian terrace may, in fact, be the disguise of a railway tunnel breathing beneath the city. They’re playful, practical, and quintessentially London—where even the ordinary brick facade might hold an extraordinary secret.
So next time you’re wandering through West London, pause for a moment. That quiet house with no lights on might not be a house at all—it might just be the city itself, cleverly hiding its machinery behind a mask of elegance.
If you love uncovering London’s quirks and hidden stories, add these “fake houses” to your walking route. And if you want more secret corners of the city revealed, keep exploring with me—I promise, London never runs out of surprises.