In message , at 13:45:05
on Mon, 7 Mar 2005, Tadej Brezina remarked:
pedestrian precincts, crowded public squares with a lot of pedestrian
space

Very new: Trafalgar Square, older: Leicester Square. The Chinatown area
(just north of Leicester Square) has also been pedestrianised in the
last 20 years.

and old ("ancient") precincts with winding narrow streets? (classic
districts of pre motorisation age)

There are often narrow back-streets if you go looking for them, but I'm
not aware of any one particularly dense collection of them.

For an experience of the kind I think you are looking for, try walking
west from outside London Bridge underground station (by the London
Dungeon) towards the Tate Modern, via Clink St and other interesting
roads close to the river.
--
Roland Perry