London’s Alleys: Nelson Passage, EC1

This narrow slip of a gap between large buildings near Old Street is roughly 200 years old, emerging when the area was first developed in the 1820s.Although Nelson Passage is the only Nelson in the area, it was actually named after Nelson Street, a new street that was built sometime between 1799 and 1828. Nelson Street still exists, but was renamed Mora Street fairly quickly, leaving the alley untouched and a lingering remnant of the original street names around here.
Originally, the area was do