Hidden Gems In London: 21 Most Wonderful Sights

London is full to the brim with immediately recognizable points of interest like Buckingham Palace, Huge Ben, and Westminster Abbey. However these well-liked London landmarks usually are not all there’s to see within the metropolis. All through the English capital, there’s a plethora of secret spots that vacationers and even locals don’t find out about. From a secret lush backyard hidden inside a skyscraper to the tiniest police station in Britain, we’ve rounded up the 21 best-hidden gems in London that’ll go away you in awe.

The 21 Greatest Hidden Gems In London

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Leadenhall Market

Leadenhall Market dates again to 1321 and is located in what was the middle of Roman London. Initially a meat, poultry, and recreation market, it’s now dwelling to various boutique retailers, eating places, cafes, wine bars, and an award-winning pub.

Situated in what was the guts of Roman London, the Leadenhall Market was based in 1321 as a meat, poultry, and recreation market. This history-filled market is about inside a Grade II listed constructing, which was designed by Horace Jones and includes a spectacular wrought iron and glass construction.

The market’s present ethereal and light-weight construction was created in 1881 to exchange the stone market beforehand created by Lord Mayor of London, Dick Whittington within the fifteenth Century. 

At this coated market in London, situated on Gracechurch Avenue, you’ll come throughout a pleasant number of boutique retailers, eating places, cafes, wine bars, and an award-winning pub — The Lamb Tavern.

Enjoyable Truth: A part of Harry Potter and the Thinker’s Stone was filmed at Leadenhall Market.

Chelsea Physic Backyard

If you’re itching to uncover hidden gems in London, be certain to go to Chelsea Physic Backyard. Situated on the sting of the Thames Embankment, this lesser-known inexperienced house was based in 1673 (it’s the oldest botanical backyard in London), by The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London for its apprentices to check medicinal vegetation and their makes use of.

Right here, you’ll discover a distinctive residing assortment of round 4,000 edible, medicinal and historic vegetation. A few of the dazzling species you’ll discover whereas exploring the backyard embrace the UK’s largest fruiting olive tree, the world’s most northerly outside grapefruit tree, and the spectacular Echium Pininiana with its 8-foot blue flower spikes.

Maltby Avenue Market

Maltby Avenue Market is among the must-visit hidden gems in London. Situated close to Tower Bridge, this quirky outside market occupies a slim non-public yard and reunites an array of distributors promoting contemporary produce, and mouthwatering meals.

You’ll discover a a lot smaller choice than the enduring Borough Market right here. However you received’t be disenchanted. A few of the highlights are La Pepia, well-known for his or her lip-smacking Venezuelan arepas, Duck Frites, identified for serving modern duck dishes, and Amen, praised for making lip-smacking Ethiopian sautéed meat with greens.

Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane’s Museum is a stunning home museum situated within the constructing that was previously the house of neo-classical architect and avid guide collector, John Soane.

The museum is dwelling to a valuable assortment of antiquities, furnishings, sculptures, and architectural fashions, in addition to jaw-dropping work by artists like Hogarth, Turner, and Canaletto.

You’ll additionally discover 30,000 architectural drawings, which might be seen by appointment on the Analysis Library.

Holland Park & The Kyoto Backyard

London is embellished with ver 3,000 idyllic parks wanted by these searching for to flee the town’s hustle and bustle.

Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Regent’s Park are a number of the most visited within the metropolis, however there’s a spread of lesser-known parks that present an alluring backdrop for idle strolls, picnics, and different enjoyable actions.

For a quieter park expertise away from the vacationers, go to Holland Park. This lush inexperienced house encompasses 22.5 hectares of gardens, together with the dreamy Kyoto Backyard, which is fantastically adorned with a bridge, stone lanterns, pink Japanese maple timber, and a koi pond.

Eltham Palace

Eltham Palace is a lavish property with an enchanting historical past. Usually considered “one of the best hidden gems in London” the home is situated within the southeast, inside the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and was as soon as one of many largest and most frequented royal residences in England.

Edward III spent a lot of his youth in Eltham and continuously visited the mansion as king. The property was additionally a well-liked looking spot of Henry VIII.

The royal palace fell into decline till the Nineteen Thirties however nonetheless managed to dazzle and encourage because of its wealthy historical past and architectural grandeur. This former medieval palace was reworked right into a lavish Artwork Deco mansion by eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld.

Inside, guests can uncover a sequence of rooms dramatically adorned with gold mosaics and onyx tiles, black and silver doorways depicting London Zoo animals, and a statue of the goddess Psuche.

Regardless of the renewed interiors, the mansion nonetheless preserves the magnificent nice corridor constructed for Edward IV within the 1470s for courtroom eating, entertaining, and receptions.

Eltham is fantastically surrounded by 19 acres of well-manicured award-winning gardens.

London Silver Vaults

Situated in central London, beneath Chancery Lane, London Silver Vaults is a big subterranean market relationship again to the Eighteen Eighties. This historic market options 29 retailers promoting vintage and fashionable silver, and jewellery from the early 1600s to the current day.

Hampstead Hill Backyard and Pergola

Hampstead Hill Backyard and The Pergola are a number of the most eye-popping hidden gems in London. They have been a part of an early Nineteenth-century villa that was rebuilt and prolonged by Sir William Lever, Viscount Leverhulme.

The dreamy and artfully landscaped backyard is dominated by an 800-foot-long pergola that rises magisterially 15 ft above the land and is entwined with beautiful climbing vegetation resembling wisteria, clematis, roses, and hops. This raised walkway overground with vines and unique flowers provides showstopping views over the Hampstead Hill Gardens.

The Smallest Police Station in Britain

Britain’s smallest police station is a picturesque treasure hidden on the southeast nook of Trafalgar Sq., in central London. The statue was in-built 1926 inside a decorative mild becoming in order that the Metropolitan Police may keep watch over the extra troublesome demonstrators.

This hidden-gem police station can accommodate as much as two prisoners at a time!

Charles Dickens Museum

The fascinating Charles Dickens Museum provides you with a glimpse into the lifetime of the best novelist of the Victorian period.

Situated at 48 Doughty Avenue, Dickens’s London dwelling from 1837-1839 and the place by which he wrote Oliver Twist, the museum is absolutely arrange as if Dickens himself had simply left.

On this pretty typical middle-class Victorian dwelling, guests will get the possibility to see valuable relics, together with a portrait of Dickens, generally known as Dickens’s Dream by R. W. Buss, a number of first editions, unique manuscripts, unique letters by Dickens, and plenty of private gadgets owned by Dickens and his household.

The one identified merchandise of clothes worn by Dickens nonetheless in existence can be displayed on the museum.

Leake Avenue Arches

Neighborhoods like Camden City and Shoreditch are normally the go-to locations for seeing avenue artwork in London. However there are hidden gems in London the place you’ll be able to see irreverent murals by worldwide well-known artists.

Beneath the behemoth that’s Waterloo Station, you’ll discover Leak Avenue, a 300-meter tunnel that’s thought of London’s longest authorized graffiti wall.

Often known as the Banksy Tunnel, the tunnel is the one place in London the place graffiti is tolerated even though it’s in opposition to the regulation.

St Bride’s Church

With a wealthy historical past spanning 2000 years, St Bride’s Church is among the most fascinating historic church buildings in London. Situated close to St Paul’s Cathedral, this parish church is among the oldest spiritual websites in London.

First erected within the sixth century on the location of an historic Roman constructing, the church was destroyed by the Nice Fireplace of London and rebuilt (1672–4) by well-known English architect Christopher Wren.

In 1940, St Bride’s was partially destroyed once more by German incendiary bombs, however miraculously its well-known spire and the outer partitions survived. Throughout a restoration course of that lasted 17 years, a number of treasures have been discovered within the church, together with archaeological stays spanning a number of centuries.

In actual fact, once you the church’s crypt, you’ll be able to nonetheless see the stays of a Roman pavement relationship again to round AD 180 and a set of Roman artifacts.

Outdated Working Theater Museum

Housed within the attic of the 18th-century church of the previous St Thomas’ Hospital, near London Bridge metro station, that is the UK’s oldest working theatre.

The working theatre consists of a desk surrounded by spectator galleries, the place surgical procedures have been carried out throughout Victorian instances.

Right here, guests will learn the way surgical procedures occurred in a time predating anesthetics and antiseptics and see the devices used for amputations and different operations.

The museum additionally preserves its unique timber-framed Herb Garret, as soon as used to dry and retailer herbs for sufferers’ medicines.

Saint Dunstan-In-The-East

Initially constructed round 1100, Saint Dunstan-In-The-East is a former church that was severely bombed within the Blitz of 1941.

After the bombing, solely the tower and steeple survived. The Anglican Church didn’t rebuild St Dunstan’s, and all that remained have been the bombed-out ruins, which have been donated to the town of London, and became a public backyard.

The gothic-style ruins of the previous church, framed by lush vegetation create an oddly peaceable place that contrasts with London’s energetic environment.

The Painted Corridor At The Outdated Royal Naval Faculty

Recognized for its architectural grandeur and historic significance, the Outdated Royal Naval Faculty is among the most prestigious buildings in Greenwich, London.

Inside this iconic riverside property lies one of the vital awe-inspiring treasures of London: the Painted Corridor. Often known as the “UK’s Sistine Chapel”, this Baroque-style corridor was designed within the early 18th century by Sir James Thornhill and flaunts 40,000 sq. ft of partitions and ceilings.

These surfaces are artfully coated in photos depicting 200 figures together with kings, queens, and mythological creatures.

Brown Hart Gardens

Brown Hart Gardens is a raised terraced backyard in Mayfair, instantly south of London’s Oxford Avenue.

Self-described as a “rejuvenated oasis in the heart of London”, Brown Hart Gardens have been in-built 1906 above the previous Duke Avenue electrical energy substation. Architect Sir Stanley Peach coated the substation with a 950 sq m roof, a domed gazebo, and steps at both finish.

This breezy terraced backyard situated close to Oxford Avenue now boasts a 50-seater café, a water function designed by Andrew Ewing, and a fairly distinctive set of by-laws.

Horniman Museum and Gardens

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a lesser-known various to the well-known Pure Historical past Museum. Open since Victorian instances, this off-the-beaten-path museum holds an award-winning assortment of round 350,000 objects masking pure historical past, cultural artifacts, and musical devices.

Right here, guests will come upon 80,000 objects from around the globe, an enormous assortment of taxidermied animals, round 4,700 butterflies, and a pair of bone clappers within the type of human arms made in Egypt round 3,500 years in the past.

Queen’s Home In Greenwich

Commissioned in 1619, the Queen’s Home was initially created to be a lavish backyard retreat for Anne of Denmark, the spouse of King James I of England.

This former royal residence — a superbly proportioned white dice of a villa — was masterfully designed by architect Inigo Jones and is taken into account one of the vital vital buildings within the historical past of British structure.

A few of the home’s most outstanding options are the swish white exterior, the Nice Corridor with its unique black and white marble flooring, and the putting Tulip Stairs, the primary geometric self-supporting spiral stair in Britain.

Queen’s Home is dwelling to an acclaimed artwork gallery, comprising over 450 artworks and that includes items by Holbein, Canaletto, Kehinde Wiley, and Tania Kovats. 

Sky Backyard

Completely hidden inside a towering skyscraper, Sky Backyard is London’s highest public backyard. From up there, guests can soak in 360º views of the town, together with big-name landmarks resembling St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge.

Little Venice

Little Venice is a dreamy place that appears as if plucked from a whimsical fairytale. Situated the place Regent’s Canal and Grand Union Canal meet, this picture-perfect space includes a stunning canal community fantastically framed by lush timber, Georgian buildings, pubs, and eating places.

Serene and stuffed with allure, Little Venice is the last word escape for these searching for peace and quiet. A few of the finest methods of experiencing this dreamy space are strolling alongside the canals, happening a scenic boat tour, or having breezy drinks at native pubs.

Columbia Street Flower Market

Established in 1869 as a Saturday buying and selling truthful, the Columbia Street Flower Market will entice you with its profusion of smells, colours, and sights. 

This vibrant flower market is the largest in East London and gathers small and unbiased merchants promoting a wide range of colourful flowers, houseplants, herbs, bulbs, and shrubs from around the globe.

High 30 Vacationer Sights In London

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