Myddelton Passage is a quiet road near Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London EC1. Initially a narrow footpath, the street was widened in the early 19th century as a result of nearby development, but despite this expansion it was considered to be a dark and dangerous alley throughout the Victorian era; a reputation making it notorious enough to feature in George Gissing’s 1889 novel, The Nether World.
Today you can walk along Myddelton Passage in the evening without fearing for your life. But look more closely at the wall running along its southern edge and you’ll see a hint of its shadier Victorian past.

Carved into the brickwork of the wall is a large collection of seemingly random numbers. They were mostly carved around the mid- to late-19th century by an array of police officers and each number represents the respective bobby’s collar number. Most of the numbers feature a a letter ‘G’ linking them to ‘Finsbury Division’; the team who operated out of the former King’s Cross police station.
Quite why so many Victorian coppers chose to create this swathe of graffiti in this particular location remains something of a mystery.
From Cabbie’s Curios: The Policemen’s Wall