Taking you to unravel the secret sculpted female busts on Milford Lane off the Strand in London; what are these sculptures created by Henry Poole?
Tucked into the narrow stretch of Milford Lane, just off The Strand in Westminster, you’ll find three large female stone busts.
They’re all different but similar enough that you instantly know they were created by the same person.
These are remnants of Edwardian architecture and a surprising survivor of London’s redevelopment.
These heads were sculpted by Henry Poole (1873–1928), an eminent architect-sculptor and Royal Academician whose broader legacy includes work at Westminster Central Hall, Deptford Town Hall, and even bronze lions for HSBC in Shanghai.
Female Busts on Milford Lane: A Slice of Lost Architecture
In their original glory, these sculpted heads once graced the United Kingdom Provident Institution offices at 190–196 Strand, three of many more.
Designed by the renowned Henry Poole in the early 1900s, they added a striking architectural flourish to the grand facade of the building.
When the building was demolished in the 1970s to make way for a new office block, the intricate heads narrowly escaped a similar fate; they are the only sculptures remaining.
Those three surviving sculptures were saved and found a new home on plinths in a nearby courtyard.
However, even that location didn’t remain permanent, and after further redevelopment, the heads were carefully relocated to Milford Lane.
Now, these striking sculptures can be spotted tucked away in this hidden corner off the Strand.
Where Are the Female Busts Located?
Today, you’ll find them discretely placed:
- One at the Strand end, near Roasting Plant Coffee (btw, one of the best study cafes in London)
- One in a private-entrance courtyard, just lower down the lane
- One near Tweezers Alley, at the crossroads with Milford Lane
Who Was Henry Poole?
- Born in Westminster, Poole studied at Lambeth School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools under masters like Watts and Bates
- Elected Royal Academician in 1927, he held the title “Professor of Sculpture” until his death in 1928 and exhibited widely
- Poole’s architectural carvings—spandrels, friezes, grotesques—appeared across public buildings. These Milford Lane figures are some of the few unsigned works still visible on London streets
Some of his works can still be spotted at the entrance of the Deptford Town Hall, and there are two caryatids in Southwark Park as well, surviving sculptures of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall.
To see more of London’s caryatids, read my guide to the wonderful St Pancras New Church on Euston Road and discover its sculptures and secret garden.
Why Visit the Henry Poole Female Busts on Milford Lane?
It’s true that when visiting London, especially for the first time, sculpted heads off a main street might not be our main priority.
However, it’s also true that London’s past is built layer after layer, most of which still visible if we know where to look.
Many of Poole’s architectural carvings were lost with the buildings they adorned, and the fact that these heads survived through successive redevelopments means it is a rare bit of heritage saved.
The first time I discovered the female sculpture right off The Strand, I took a good look at it, but since they’re not aligned or grouped, I missed the other two.
It’s only months after that I realized there were more, and looked more into their history, and that of Henry Poole.
What makes me tick, to this day, is I can’t understand truly what these sculptures symbolize except for the one pictured just above and below; an allegory of justice.
There’s nothing specific about the other two female busts that could help us understand what they symbolize.
Visiting the Site
Where: Milford Lane (WC2), a narrow pedestrian lane from Strand down to Temple Place, at the corner with Roasting Plant Coffee.
How:
- Near Aldwych and Temple stations
- Walkable from Covent Garden and Charing Cross
- Keep your head level: these statues are not staring down from rooftops
What Are the Secret Female Busts on Milford Lane, London?
Henry Poole’s Milford Lane heads are a tiny urban mystery: fragments of Edwardian grandeur lodged in a modern passage.
I still remember the first time I found all three of them; I’d been walking from Inner and Middle Temple Gardens and Surrey Street with its historical buildings.
I was making my way towards Covent Garden, and finally, finally took the time to enjoy those three sculptures’ beauty.
They’re worth a pause; the chance to connect with a forgotten sculptor’s work and the shifting layers of London’s architectural history.
If you pace slowly between the Strand and Temple Place, you’ll encounter these heads one by one.
It’s a quiet, unexpected art trail in plain sight, and I just wish there were more of these to enjoy.
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