Tucked inside a Walthamstow industrial estate, behind an unremarkable door on an unremarkable street, sits one of the most visually extraordinary places in London.
God’s Own Junkyard is a warehouse packed floor to ceiling with over 700 glowing neon signs, vintage film props, salvaged fairground lights, and custom artwork that collectively make it feel less like a gallery and more like stepping into a fever dream.
A very beautiful, very neon fever dream.
It’s free to enter. It’s open at weekends only. And somehow most of London still hasn’t been.
Consider this your sign.
The story behind it
God’s Own Junkyard is the life’s work of the late neon artist Chris Bracey, who spent four decades creating neon signs for Soho clubs, Hollywood film productions, and art galleries before his death in 2014.
His family still runs the archive. The collection spans everything from the signage he made for ’60s Soho sex clubs to pieces that appeared in Captain America, Eyes Wide Shut, and Byzantium.
It costs over £3,000 a month just to keep the lights on, which tells you something about the scale of what’s inside.
The result is the largest collection of neon signs in Europe and, genuinely, one of the most photographable spaces in London. Every wall, ceiling, and corner is illuminated.
There is no bad angle. Your camera roll will never recover.
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What to expect
Most visits run between 30 minutes and an hour, though the Rolling Scones café inside gives you a very good reason to stay longer.
The café does breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea under the glow of the neon, which is as good as it sounds.
Prosecco and carrot cake under hundreds of neon signs is a perfectly reasonable way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Time Out recommends sticking around the industrial estate afterwards for a pint at Wild Card or Pillars, two local breweries worth knowing about.
Evening visits hit differently. The lights look spectacular at any time, but after dark the whole place takes on an atmosphere that’s harder to describe and considerably easier to experience.
If you can make a Friday evening work, do.
Practical Information & Map
Price: Free entry.
Opening Times: Friday and Saturday 11am to 10pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm. Closed Monday to Thursday. Check godsownjunkyard.co.uk before visiting, as the venue closes early for private events on selected dates.
Tip: Photography is encouraged and practically the whole point. Go wild!
Location: Unit 12, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street, Walthamstow, E17 9HQ. The nearest tube is Walthamstow Central on the Victoria line, or Wood Street overground.
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