What are your favourite secret or hidden parts of London?

[Dancergirl]

I live in the home counties and have decided that I don't make enough of my days off. I spent too much time pottering round the house and want to get out more.

I love London and am familiar with many parts of it but there must be more to see.

I've been to the big museums and galleries and love around Covent Garden, the Southbank, Trafalgar Square, Borough Market.

Where else can I go? What about smaller museums/galleries? Any tips very welcome!

The Chelsea Physic Garden www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk is lovely - an oasis of calm just behind Chelsea Embankment. It has a cafe, although I've never eaten there. But if you fancy a pub lunch, there's The Surprise www.thesurprisechelsea.co.uk close by - or The Cooper's Arms www.coopersarms.co.uk in Flood Street.

If military museums are your kind of thing, The National Army Museum www.nam.ac.uk is just down the road from the Physic Garden.

Sir John soanes museum. Do interesting and they only allow a few people in at a time so not awfully busy. Something I've really enjoyed on a weekday is some of the guided talks at the museum's.

The Geffrye Museum www.geffrye-museum.org.uk in Hoxton is fabulous - but most of it is closed for refurbishment for the next 18 months'ish, although I think they're doing some tours of parts of the refurbished areas.

Thank you, these are great!

I've heard of the Chelsea Physic Garden but never got round to visiting. I've been past it on the bus from Victoria when taking dd to one of many trips to the RAD.

I love Greenwich, the park and the market there.

Been to Greenwich once before, years ago, when we were staying near Dartford. I'd love to go again but is it really difficult to get to from NW London?

Another vote for the Chelsea Physic Garden, it's beautiful. The food in the cafe is gorgeous but pricey! (think £12 for a plate of salad) Tour is included in your entry fee and is very interesting. Just don't get it into your head that you can have a pleasant stroll up the river into Covent Garden, like I did, as it's really quite a long way and tube stations are few and far between

Columbia Road (not too far from Brick Lane) is fantastic on a weekend; loads of lovely cafes and interesting shops and of course the flower market on a Sunday which is amazing.

The opening times are a bit odd, but I loved the Denis Severs House on Folgate Street, a short walk from Liverpool Street station. He was an American who bought an 18th century house and transformed it into a kind of living history museum, telling the story of a fictional family from the 18th century to the early 20th, each floor being a different generation as the family fortune slowly dwindled -- bonkers and totally anachronistic but fab!

The Grant Museum of Zoology is a brilliant, tiny museum right near Euston Station. We have been about six times, it's wonderful!

I like the Wallace Collection on Manchester Square

And the Moomin Shop in Covent Garden

And I like free recitals at the Royal Festival Hall/South Bank.

That looks really interesting thanks idlenook Just checked it out, it's not open on a Friday daytime unfortunately - our wedding anniversary is a Friday this year and dh is taking the day off work. We're planning to have a nice lunch and something interesting to do.

Morden Hall Park
The northcote road
Anywhere in Balham for brunch
Crystal Palace Park
Brixton market

The Wellcome Museum - fascinating and has a good cafe too wellcomecollection.org/ Also the Design Museum which is in what was the Commonwealth Building. They have done a great conversion designmuseum.org/new-design-museum

Not very secret but the Wellcome Collection is really interesting. Would be walk-able to have lunch in the new King's Cross area as well

x-post with @gussiefox!

Greenwich is easy. Trains and the dlr go there from central London. Obv get the dlr so you can drive it

Not hidden as such, but i love wandering around the city, Blackfriars etc on a Saturday. Very quiet, and you get to explore all the lanes and back streets. There is normally a pub or two open, some by the river.

The garden museum in lambeth sounds lovely and is on my list.

Shad Thames - but it's not very hidden!
Second the Wallace collection.
Also the canals: canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/regents-canal

Dennis Severs' House in Spitalfields is great. www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/

I love the St John's Ambulance Museum in Clerkenwell but I am a person who likes esoteric museums that are sometimes described as boring (not by me though).

Leighton House in Kensington
then
Design Museum in Kensington (free)

London Mithraeum under the new Bloomberg building in the City (free)
then
Guildhall Art Gallery and remains of Roman Amphitheatre (free)

Sorry I see someone mentioned Dennis Severs House.

The Fan Museum in Greenwich is unexpectedly fascinating. Dh and I had our first date there.

The museum of brands, packaging and advertising.
The museum of Methodism, includes a tour round John Wesley's house.
The museum of London, one in barbican and one in docklands

In Southwark:
The Old Operating Theatre on St Thomas street
Crossbones Graveyard on Redcross way

I keep finding new bits lovely for coffee and a walk. The new Paddington Basin has some fab restaurants. Little Venice is lovely for a walk. I had a lovely hour at the British Museum recently which obv isn’t hidden but is kind of hidden in plain sight.

Dulwich Picture Gallery is beautiful

Battersea Park is my absolute favourite park in London and has a small gallery (The Pumphouse) plus a beautiful pergoda that was given as gift by Japan.
There is also a gorgeous cafe/restaurant called The Pear Tree which was set up by former chefs from Petersham Nurseries

The park is directly opposite Chelsea Physic Garden on the other side of the river, so would be easy to combine (and the Pear Tree food is nicer and far better value than the Tangerine cafe at CPG)

And if you are staying in the area, the Saatchi gallery at the top of Kings Road (Opposite Peter Jones) is lovely (and also has a great cafe plus some nice places just outside including Polpo)