The West End
Designed by John Nash in golden-hued Bath stone as an eye-catching monument for Regent Street, All Souls features a circular columned porch and a…
Must-see attractions in London
The West End
Not many public buildings of note were built during the first 15 years of the 20th century, apart from the Admiralty Arch (1910) in the Edwardian baroque…
North London
Eager beavers won't want to beat around the bush and delay entry to this unique exhibition – the only one of its kind in the world (though we’re told…
London
Completed in 1701, this Grade I–listed Sephardic synagogue was the first to be built in Britain after Oliver Cromwell allowed Jews to return in 1657, and…
North London
This charity-run gallery founded by the legendary Sir Quentin Blake (famed as the illustrator of Roald Dahl's books) is the UK's sole public gallery…
The West End
Dedicated solely to the British film industry, the London Film Museum has a heavy focus on the James Bond franchise. You'll see 007 vehicles (more than…
London Bridge Experience & London Tombs
South Bank
In the vaults beneath London Bridge, this historical if somewhat tacky attraction takes you on a whistle-stop tour of London’s dark past. Things ratchet…
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The West End
Housed in a Regency building designed by John Nash along the Mall, the untraditional ICA is where Picasso and Henry Moore had their first UK shows. Since…
East London
Although at times it does come over like an expensive advertisement for technology firm Siemens – whose groundbreaking sustainable building it inhabits –…
South Bank
The Rose Playhouse, for which Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson wrote some of their greatest plays and in which Shakespeare learned his craft, is unique:…
East London
Devoted to items relating to Hackneyites past and present, this interesting little museum is as diverse as the ethnically mixed community it serves. Most…
East London
The 36-hectare Mile End Park is a long, narrow series of interconnected green spaces wedged between Burdett and Grove Rds and Regent’s Canal. Landscaped…
East London
Entering Mudchute Park from East Ferry Rd through the canopy of trees, you’re greeted by the surprising sight of cows and sheep roaming in 13 grassy…
The West End
A tiny patch of wilderness in the heart of London’s theatreland, Phoenix Garden is at charming odds with its surrounds. Dotted with small ponds, thick…
London
Founded by 16th-century merchant Thomas Gresham as a centre to trade stocks, the Royal Exchange was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571. Today…
The West End
One of the original gardens within Westminster Abbey, the lovely 900-year-old College Garden was used for growing medicinal herbs and foods for the Abbey…
London
Discovered after a WWII bomb razed a 19th-century warehouse, this crumbling collection of brickwork is the remains of a Roman city wall and bastion with…
The West End
The ivy-covered concrete Admiralty Citadel is a heavily fortified, bomb-proof command and control fortress built for the Royal Navy in 1941 to prepare for…
Kensington & Hyde Park
This simple marker of stones in a grove of birch trees, a short distance east of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, is a quiet commemoration of those who died…
London
Opposite the Bank of England stands porticoed Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London since 1752. Built by George Dance the…
London
The first of Sir Christopher Wren's churches to be rebuilt after the Great Fire, St Nicolas was bombed down to its skeleton in the Blitz. The interior is…
London
First mentioned in the 10th century, St Andrew's was rebuilt by Wren in 1686 and is the largest of his parish churches. The airy interior includes large,…
The West End
This small museum looks at the roles and work of the two regiments of the Queen's Household Cavalry, the Life Guard and the Blues & Royals. The tour is by…
East London
One of two remaining mills from a trio that once stood on this small island in the River Lea, House Mill (1776) operated as a sluice tidal mill, grinding…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
The Black Cultural Archives is the only centre in the country devoted to preserving and telling the stories of African and Caribbean people in the UK…
North London
With more than 28 hectares of ancient woodland, this park is a wonderful spot for a walk any time of the year. It’s also teeming with life: 70 different…
The West End
At Soho’s northern end, this leafy square is the area’s back garden. It was laid out in 1681, and originally named King’s Square; a statue of Charles II…
The West End
Part of the University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), this gallery features permanent displays and exhibitions of art from…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
This cemetery just outside the city walls has been a burial ground for more than 1000 years. ‘Bunhill’ probably derives from the area's macabre historical…
East London
Painted on the side of the former St George’s Town Hall (now a library), this large mural commemorates the riots that took place here in October 1936,…
The West End
Surrounded by cinemas that host regular film premieres (if you're there at the right time, there will be crowds by the red carpet), Leicester Sq is a…
South Bank
This beautiful shopping arcade was an enclosed dock in the 19th century. The wharf handled all sorts of goods, although perishable foodstuff was the main…
North London
Completed in 1977 this striking large white mosque is topped with a glistening golden dome and a minaret, and can hold more than 5000 worshippers…
North London
Although there has been a church on this site since the 12th century, the oldest part of the present-day St Mary's is the tower, with its distinctive…
Greenwich
The graveyard of this late-17th-century church contains a memorial to playwright Christopher Marlowe. Murdered at age 29 during a brawl in a Deptford…
London
Bombed to bits in the Blitz, the atmospheric ruins of 12th-century St Dunstan's have been left to the elements, resulting in a beautifully sombre public…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
This imposing English baroque structure, with a tall spire sitting on a portico of four great Tuscan columns, was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and…
East London
If there's a less bucolic landscape than Hackney Rd, we can't imagine it. All the more reason to bring a slice of the country to kids who have only ever…
East London
A strip of green in an increasingly hip part of Hackney, London Fields is where locals hang out after a meander up Broadway Market. The park also has two…
The West End
A plaque on the traffic island at Marble Arch indicates the spot where the infamous Tyburn Tree, a three-legged gallows, once stood. An estimated 50,000…
