Our new research reveals the best hidden artworks across the UK.
The UK is full of street art, but not all of it is easy to find. Beyond the big murals and landmark sculptures, there are artworks in alleyways, underpasses and quiet corners hidden in plain sight. But where can you find the UK’s best hidden artworks?
To find out, the team at Betway Casino has uncovered the UK’s standout artworks, from the obvious to the overlooked. Each was ranked based on how hidden it is, using a weighted ‘hidden score’, factoring in online attention, visitor reviews, and distance to nearest landmarks.
What are the UK’s top 15 hidden artworks?
The top 15 hidden artworks in the UK
Artwork | Location | Average annual search volume* | Instagram hashtags | Hidden score |
Leake Street Tunnel | London | 64,800 | 81,646 | 1.4 |
Traffic Light Tree | London | 64,800 | 2,739 | 4.2 |
Dream Sculpture | St Helens | 52,800 | 1,410 | 4.7 |
The Singing Ringing Tree | Burnley | 52,800 | 5,331 | 4.3 |
Quantum Cloud | London | 34,800 | 961 | 6.8 |
The Lady in the Woods | Otterden | 1,080 | 62 | 11.0 |
The Hare and the Minotaur | Cheltenham | 1,320 | 117 | 8.0 |
The Mild Mild West | Bristol | 34,800 | 887 | 1.4 |
Brixton David Bowie Mural | London | 15,600 | 370 | 3.7 |
The Colinton Tunnel | Edinburgh | 840 | 217 | 5.3 |
Marcus Rashford Mural | Manchester | 2,520 | 270 | 4.4 |
Cable Street Mural | London | 22,800 | 409 | 1.7 |
Face of Wigan | Wigan | 1,680 | 144 | 4.3 |
Silvas Capitalis | Kielder | 8,640 | 552 | 3.3 |
Verity | Ilfracombe | 28,800 | 65 | 0.7 |
*Average monthly search volume was taken and multiplied by 12 to find annual search volume
1. Leake Street Tunnel, London
Leake Street Tunnel takes the top spot as the UK’s best hidden artwork. Located just a short walk from Waterloo Station, this tunnel has become well-known for its evolving graffiti and art installations. With 64,800 annual searches and over 81,00 hashtags on Instagram, it’s a popular destination for urban explorers and art enthusiasts alike.
Despite its popularity, the tunnel achieves a hidden score of 1.4, meaning it’s one of the easier pieces of artwork to find on our list, perfect for first-time visitors looking for a snapshot of London’s dynamic street art scene.
2. Traffic Light Tree, London
London’s Traffic Light Tree follows in second. This kinetic sculpture is meant to mimic the rhythm and energy of city life and stands tall in Canary Wharf, attracting 64,800 annual searches and featuring in nearly 2,740 Instagram posts.
While it remains a popular attraction, it achieves a hidden score of 4.2, a playful, thought-provoking landmark tucked away from the area’s main thoroughfares, waiting to be discovered.
3. Dream Sculpture, St Helens
In third place is the Dream Sculpture in St Helens. At 20 metres tall, its huge scale makes it impossible to miss once spotted, yet its slightly secluded location gives it a hidden score of 4.7.
With 52,800 searches per year and featuring in 1,410 Instagram posts rewarding those willing to take the time to find it.
4. The Singing Ringing Tree, Burnley
The Singing Ringing Tree in Burnley ranks fourth. This wind-powered sculpture produces haunting, melodic tones as the breeze passes through its metal pipes, creating an immersive auditory experience that attracts 52,800 yearly searches and appears in 5,331 Instagram hashtags.
Perched atop a hill, it offers panoramic views of the Lancashire countryside and achieves a hidden score of 4.3. Those willing to make the climb are treated to a memorable combination of sound, scale and scenery.
5. Quantum Cloud, London
Rounding out the top five is Quantum Cloud in London. This futuristic sculpture, with its abstract form and reflective surfaces stands near the Thames, and draws 34,800 searches per year and just under 1,000 Instagram hashtags.
With the highest hidden score among the top five at 6.8, it’s also the most elusive piece in the ranking. The sculpture interacts with light, weather and perspective, offering an almost otherworldly glimpse into London’s contemporary public art scene.
The UK’s Top 10 Most Instagrammed hidden artworks?
The top 10 most Instagrammed hidden artworks in the UK
Artwork | City/town | Instagram hashtags |
Leake Street Tunnel | London | 81,646 |
The Singing Ringing Tree | Burnley | 5,331 |
Traffic Light Tree | London | 2,739 |
Well Hung Lover | Bristol | 2,479 |
Knife Angel | Oswestry | 1,893 |
Dream Sculpture | St Helens | 1,410 |
Quantum Cloud | London | 961 |
The Mild Mild West | Bristol | 887 |
Tommy | Seaham | 756 |
The Folkestone Mermaid | Folkestone | 614 |
While some of the UK’s best hidden artworks can be easy to miss, it’s often their unexpected locations and bold visuals that make them irresistible to photograph and share online.
Outside of those that feature in the general top 15, Banksy’s Well Hung Lover in Bristol continues to surprise and delight visitors with its cheeky humour. With 2,479 Instagram hashtags, it’s one of the city’s most photographed artworks, alongside Mild Mild West, another Banksy mural that appears in 887 Instagram posts. Together, these works perfectly capture Bristol’s irreverent and striking street art scene.
For those looking for something slightly more thought-provoking, the Knife Angel in Owestry and the Tommy mural in Seaham engage visitors on a deeper level. The Knife Angel, crafted from over 100,000 confiscated knives, features in 1,893 Instagram posts. Meanwhile, the Tommy mural honours Seaham’s First World War soldiers, and is tagged in 756 Instagram posts. Together, these works show how some of the UK’s hidden artworks effectively combine impressive visual spectacle with impactful storytelling.
Each of these artworks, whether tucked away in quiet alleyways or standing out in city centres, has its own sense of wonder and invites contemplation. From towering sculptures to intricate murals and secret installations, these works turn everyday locations into a treasure trove for the curious and creative.
Methodology and sources
To identify the UK’s best hidden artworks, we created a seed list of 50 artworks based on various travel articles and Reddit threads. We then ranked them based on the following metrics to establish the top 10 best hidden artworks:
Instagram posts – Keyword.io
Google search volume – Google Keyword Planner
Average distance to nearest landmarks – TripAdvisor and Google Maps
Weighted score – The above metrics were then scored using a weighted score, giving slightly more importance to the average distance to nearest landmark metric, as this measures how ‘hidden’ the artwork is.
