What were our favorite things to do in London?
There is no question that we have had a wonderful seventeen months in London. For most of this blog though, I have written about places we have gone to away from here; Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, etc; and only to a small degree the places and events we have enjoyed here. But, as we prepare to wrap up this part of our lives, and wrapping up itself not really being that interesting, it seemed a good time to pick a Top Ten. For my fellow boomers, I do not mean a Letterman top ten, but an actual; “this may be useful” top ten. So here goes.
Plan to be out and about in the afternoon. Go to the Westminster area, and in particular the Victoria Tower Gardens. This is a beautiful little park which fronts the River Thames. So close to so much activity, it is literally a breath of fresh air. It is also the location of the Emmeline Pankhurst Statue (https://www.biography.com/activist/emmeline-pankhurst) which is specifically placed within a rocks throw of Parliament. Women fought the world over for the right to vote (many still do), but British women truly paid the price for this ‘right’ by their forceful efforts, and the punishments that those efforts drew, to bring attention to women’s rights. Walk out of the park and past the Houses of Parliament (tours on Saturdays). Look up to see Big Ben, or as much as you can through the scaffolding. Cross the Westminster Bridge to reach Southbank; the other side of the river. Slowly make your way east, passing the Sea Life Aquarium and The London Eye (we have not done this, if you want to, buy tickets ahead of time online). You are on the Thames Path. You can walk this all the way to where the English Channel meets the North Sea but making it to Tower Bridge should be far enough. Note, it is not a straight path, as buildings get in the way – watch for signs. Along the way you will pass The Royal Festival Hall, The National Theatre, The Tate Modern (stop for a coffee and view on the 9th floor), and Shakespeare’s Globe. Borough’s Market, The Golden Hinde, The Shard and City Hall. All are between or next to small shops, coffee shops, restaurants, and pubs. If you are hungry, think of stopping for Afternoon Tea to expand your British experience. (https://southbanklondon.com/guide-to-the-best-afternoon-tea-in-south-bank) With a bit of luck, the sun will be going down as you pass City Hall to reach the Potters Fields Park just before Tower Bridge – that is the best. Do you see all the folks taking pictures? Pictures of the bridge, pictures of the skyline, pictures of the river. Walk across the bridge to take in the view of this ancient river lined with buildings both old and new. If you are hungry again, go to your right over the bridge to St. Katherine’s Docks. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Katharine_Docks) There are several good restaurants in this area. We recommend the Bravas Tapas. Then start your walk back toward the west to take in the whole of Tower Bridge. All these places, all this view, all this River Thames, is my number one of my Top Ten.
For shear, this is London, you can’t beat visiting The Tower of London. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/#gs.zic5kr We would absolutely recommend this. You get history, art, and the Crown Jewels. We spent several hours there, the better part of an afternoon; well actually, we closed the place. A free tour is included, and we would definitely recommend that you make time for it while at the Tower.
Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/ We have thought several times, ‘we’ve seen enough churches already.’ But then you cannot be in London and not see Westminster Abbey. It is beyond just a church; it is the location that Kings and Queens have held their coronations since 1066. It is the burial place of not just royalty, but notables like Sir Isaac Newton, Robert and Elizabeth Barret Browning; it has memorials to among others, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill. It is truly something to see. Make sure you pay the extra five pounds to enter The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/plan-your-visit/the-queens-diamond-jubilee-galleries#i16906 You can take an elevator to the Galleries, but it you take the stairs, you also get an up-close view of the outside of the Abbey.
There are those who say the British stole art from all corners of the world – many are now saying further that they want it back. But, in the meantime, much of it is housed at The British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/ This is another large commitment of your time, but where else can you see beautiful art from the Americas, China, and Egypt. To see the whole museum is to see the world. And, its free.
The Museum of London, at the Barbican, is worth several hours too. It’s free too. https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london In a few hours you can learn the history of London from 450,000 BC to present day. The exhibits are well organized via timeline and the exhibit on the London Olympic Torch is simply awe inspiring. The Barbican as a development is also of interest for building junkies and history buffs, as the land was available for development as a result of the Blitz. https://londonist.com/2015/01/mapped-barbican-before-the-blitz
London is a top location for fashion museums. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/the-10-best-museums-for-fashion-fanatics-in-london/ Number three on the list, is the Victoria and Albert Museum; “the largest art and design museum in the world.” (https://www.vam.ac.uk/) This huge building is not just dresses, not just fabric, it is art and architecture through the millennia. I have spent whole days there several times. They also have several cafes, including the first café to be included in a museum. Entry is free here too – snacks extra.
Only 4 items left. I’m going to add another museum here: The Natural History Museum. (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/) Generally speaking, I’m not big on birds and the science of animals – but, I went in this building because it is beautiful building and huge and right next door to the Victoria and Albert. It won me over. We are talking whole dinosaurs and whales and the best exhibit on evolution ever. Another whole afternoon can be spent here – also free. If you have any brain cells left after this and it’s not too late, go behind the Natural History Museum to the Science Museum, another amazing collection. (https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/home)
Make a day to go to Greenwich. If the weather is nice, take the Clipper on the river. The Clipper is essentially a river ‘bus’, run by Transport for London, but unlike other busses, you go along the river and you have restrooms and a bar. (Remember, alcohol is always appropriate in London). At Greenwich you have a very charming small village with lots of shops in addition to several museum spaces, such as The Cutty Sark, The Queen’s House, The Maritime Museum, and of course, the Greenwich Observatory. It will take all day. https://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/
Take a walking tour. There is no better way to learn about a city than on foot. We have taken many tours with London Walks. (https://www.walks.com/) You don’t have to sign up ahead of time, you just need to be at the right location at the right time. Cost is 10 pounds ‘regular’ and 8 if you get a concession for being young or old. The tour leader will take your cash at the start of the tour. Tips are appreciated at the end, but not expected. Some of the ones we have done are Jack the Ripper, The Beatles, and Brunel; all were excellent and definitely worth the time and money.
Lastly, see a show. Go to the TKTS book in Leicester Square and get tickets for something that looks good to you. (https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/) West End productions are every bit as good as any we have seen in New York. TKTS does not sell for every theater, but they usually have a brochure with what is playing in town and how to contact theaters directly. We have seen some amazing performances in some beautiful old theaters.
If you need another snack after TKTS; we suggest you walk on Irving Street to the A400, past the National Portrait Gallery and before you turn the corner to your right for the National Gallery, look across the street to your left. You will see a small, glass building that houses an elevator and a set of stairs. They go to The Café in the Crypt. (https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/visit/cafe-in-the-crypt/) This is literally the crypt of the big church on the corner; Saint Martins in the field. You can have your Afternoon Tea over the markers of folks who are buried there. It may sound eukie, but it is a very cool spot; and many times when the places you can see on the street to sit down and have a coffee are overflowing with folks, you can still find a table in the Crypt.
This was hard. We have really liked so many places. Below is a portion of the spreadsheet I have kept on the places we have gone in London. It does not include my comments, but I think it may be enough information for you to start your own list.
Happy travels,
Linda
| Type | Location/ Name | Recco |
| Building | Royal Albert Hall (Tour) | Absolutely. |
| Building | The Churchill Arms Pub | Absolutely. |
| Building | Fuller’s Brewery – Chiswick (Tour) | Absolutely. |
| Building | Buckingham Palace (in the summer) | Absolutely. |
| Building | Windsor Castle | Absolutely. |
| Building | The Shard, Viewing level | Absolutely. |
| Building | St. Stephens of Wallbrook, Church | Absolutely. |
| Building | Walkie-Talkie, Roof top garden and viewing | Absolutely. |
| Building | Pitzhanger Manor – Ealing | Possibly |
| Building | London Mithraeum (Roman Ruin) | Possibly |
| Drink | The Cauldron, Bar | Absolutely. |
| Eating | Afternoon Tea | Probably. |
| Entertainment | West End live theater | Absolutely. |
| Entertainment | Movie Theaters, Battersea, Archlight | Absolutely. |
| Entertainment | Movie Theaters, VUE | Probably. |
| Entertainment | Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club | Probably. |
| Entertainment | Nells, London, Music venue | Probably. |
| Entertainment | Islington Assembly Hall, Music venue | Probably. |
| Entertainment | Union Chapel, Music and Lectures | Probably. |
| Entertainment | Apollo in Hammersmith, Music venue | Probably. |
| Entertainment | Royal Festival Hall, Music and Lectures | Probably. |
| Garden | Hydepark/Kensington Gardens | Absolutely. |
| Garden | Kew Gardens | Absolutely. |
| Garden | Chiswick House and Gardens | Probably. |
| Museum | Warner Brothers, Harry Potter | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Science Museum | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Natural History Museum | Absolutely. |
| Museum | British Museum | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Museum of London | Absolutely. |
| Museum | British National Gallery | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Westminster Abbey/Galleries | Absolutely. |
| Museum | The Design Museum | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Churchill War Rooms | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Greenwich; Royal Museums | Absolutely. |
| Museum | Greenwich; Old Royal Naval College | Absolutely. |
| Museum | The Tower of London | Absolutely. |
| Museum | The Saatchi Gallery | Possibly |
| Museum | British Library | Possibly |
| Museum | The Jewish Museum of London | Possibly |
| Museum | Royal Academy of Arts | Probably. |
| Museum | Tate Modern Museum | Probably. |
| Street | Portobello Street Kensington | Absolutely. |
| Street | Boroughs Market, London Bridge | Absolutely. |
| Street | Greenwich; the town | Absolutely. |
| Street | Camden Market | Absolutely. |
| Street | Coal Drop/ Kings Cross | Probably. |
| Street | Leicester Square | Probably. |
| Street | Piccadilly Circus | Probably. |
| Street | Covent Gardens | Probably. |
| Walking Tours | http://www.walks.com/ | Absolutely. |