Kingsway Witches’ Heads

The “witches’ heads” of Kingsway are decorative carved faces found on some of the early twentieth-century buildings along and around this central London street. With their dramatic expressions, stylised hair and slightly unsettling appearance, the stone heads are often described as witches, although there is no firm evidence that they were intended to represent real witches or any particular folklore. They are better understood as examples of the bold architectural ornament popular during the Edwardian period, when Kingsway was developed as a major new route through Holborn. Looking up at the façades reveals a distinctive piece of London streetscape: small, easily missed details that add character to the area’s grand commercial buildings.