Inside London’s Secret Silver Vaults: STORE CRAZY

Tucked away in an unassuming road in central London is the largest retail collection of fine antique silver in the world. If you’re looking to pick up some dazzling antiques, look no further than the London Silver Vaults. From sparkling jewelry, to decorative candle sticks, to a cucumber slice dated back to 1805, the vaults sell thousands of pieces of silverware.

John Walter is the current proprietor at William Walter Antiques, a third generation silver dealer who first opened their doors back in 1940, to keep London’s silver hoard safe against the Nazi's bombs. It was his grandfather who first came down there and opened a storage. From the on it grew to become an antique center.

William Walter Antiques is effectively like a safe deposit within a safe deposit, guarding items that are valued from a few pounds to nearly a million. It is one of the top five most secure buildings in the world, right behind Fort Knox and The Back of England, so if you want to enter the place, you will have to go through a vigilant system of safety measures. And for a good reason.

The London Silver Vaults cater to collectors, presenting pieces dating from well into the 1600s to the present. One of the retailers, Langfords, boasts a silver bowl from one of Queen Victoria’s sons and a silver teapot that dates from an era when tea was more expensive than silver.

Videographer / director: Adam Gray
Producer: Shannon Lane, Ruby Coote
Editor: Ian Phillips