Where to find Banksy art in London.
Love him or hate him, there's no denying Banksy's place in art history. The elusive satirist was synonymous with street art in the Noughties, and he remains the one graffiti writer that most people can name. Banksy still unleashes the occasional mural, but his London street art heyday is now long in the past.
Street art is, by its very nature, ephemeral. New works are quickly erased, either by unimpressed property owners or by other street artists and taggers. Banksy's works tend to stick around longer than most, however, because of the cachet (and cash) that a Banksy fetches. Here, we've photographed and mapped all the surviving works we're aware of — some of which are almost a quarter century old.
See also: How many Banksys were left in 2016.
Where to see Banksy rats in London
Banksy's earliest works often depicted rats. The stencils were all over London in the early years of the century, but most have now followed the Pied Piper into oblivion. Here and there, though, you can still find a murky murine mural.
Besides the Cannon Street rat above, another better-preserved rodent could, until very recently, be found skulking beneath the arch of London Bridge on Tooley Street — a rare Banksy south of the river. Sadly, it was whitewashed over sometime in late 2022. Perhaps the Banksy rat has been forgotten by many, and it wasn't recognised for what it was.
One that does still survive clings to the rear wall of the old Camden Town Hall annexe, protected from further deterioration by a sheet of plastic.
The best-preserved rat of them all, however, lurks on Chiswell Street to the north of the City. Here, a medallion-wearing rodent holds up a placard declaring its love of London. Despite a plastic overcoat, the stencil has been targeted several times. The blacked out text beneath 'London' once said 'Robbo' — a graffiti writer with whom Banksy had a long-term spat. It's now been overwritten by a sticker-tagger.
Further rats can no doubt be found across London. One additional critter we've not yet had chance to photograph seems to have survived on Whymark Avenue, Turnpike Lane, for example.
Other works by Banksy
One of the artist's best preserved murals is also one of his earliest. This mock royal family have been waving to the good people of Stoke Newington Church Street since 2001. It remains in good condition, despite several attempts at removal.
Less well-preserved is the double-yellow flower of Bethnal Green. This large mural appeared in 2007, along with images that may (or, more likely, may not) have shown the artist's face. The work didn't last long before being assaulted by a barrage of rival graffiti.
Another pair of images in good nick can be found beneath the Barbican in the Beech Street tunnel. These murals, which pay homage to street art pioneer Jean-Michel Basquiat, are much more recent, appearing in 2017. They were quickly covered in perspex to prevent damage.
The same cannot be said for the famous girl-clutched-by-cash-machine wheeze on Rosebury Avenue, Clerkenwell. Our image, below, taken in 2008, shows the mural in its prime. It is now fatally faded, though protected by a perspex sheet. (Similarly, a very poorly preserved piece on Essex Road, which once showed children flying a flag that's actually a Tesco bag, can just about be seen.)
Just about still visible, on the Thames Path at Bermondsey Wall, is this silhouette of a boy fishing. It's hard to make out now, but his prize catch was once a needle. Our photo is from 2015, but the mural still looks the same in a 2022 Street View image.
Notting Hill, meanwhile, is home to a panel depicting Velasquez. The work, dating from 2008, was covered up for many years, but has recently been restored to view. It's on the corner of Portobello Road and Acklam Road.
Two Banksy works survive in the Shoreditch/Spitalfields area. The first is in the much-weathered form of a pink car, which nestles in the Truman Brewery complex with another old banger by D*Face. They've been there for years, and frankly look a bit crappy.
On nearby Rivington Street, you can find the much-photographed Designated Graffiti Area mural, in the yard that belonged to the now-defunct club Cargo.
Finally, there's the famous image of the shop-till-you-drop lady and trolley on Bruton Lane, Mayfair. This was intact when last we passed in 2022, but the block seems to be earmarked for redevelopment.
Hidden Banksy works
It's never been 100% confirmed if the faded image of a pouting girl on Whitton Road, Hounslow is a genuine Banksy or not. But locals are convinced enough that the Smile mural, dating from 2007, has been protected with perspex. Sadly, the image was recently covered up by an advert for crispy dosas — at least according to the dubious reportage of MyLondon who've used my image without asking, and credited it to someone else!
Meanwhile, the above image was taken at the old Foundry site on Old Street in 2019. Demolition has revealed a giant Banksy rat (and a smaller work hidden by the digger), which dates from 2004. The works have apparently been preserved by Art'Otel, whose new drum-shaped building has since risen on the site. We'll pop round to photograph the works once the building opens.
All images by Matt Brown unless otherwise indicated. Let us know in the comments if you know of further surviving Banksy works around London.
