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Original poster

Most magical places in London? Feeling so depressed to be back. Help me find some joy and wonder!

209 replies

Bionacan · 01/04/2023 18:01

All that in the title really…

Hampstead Ladies’ Pond is my most magical London space.

Please give me some others and stop me from feeling gutted to be back (was living abroad in my favourite country but had to return for family reasons).

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
Redlorryyellowlorryblue · 02/04/2023 06:31

Highgate cemetery is stunning and not surprisingly peaceful

Redlorryyellowlorryblue · 02/04/2023 06:32

It’s a bit out, but Eltham Palace is gorgeous, especially if you like art deco

SharonEllis · 02/04/2023 07:09

What a lovely thread. Pretty much anywhere along the river after dark lifts my spirits. I recently had reason to mooch around Southwark, behind Tate Modern (avoid the horrible Tate cafes, there's a Gail's behind it). What a revelation! You get a sense of historic London, despite the modern developments squeezed in. A performance at the Globe is a great experience too.

pharmachameleon · 02/04/2023 07:42

@ChateauMargaux wow that brought tears to my eyes! Thank you.
I'm going to London on holiday tomorrow for a week and this thread is really going to make me look at the city differently. Every time I go I dream of living there. I know you don't feel like it right now OP but you are so lucky loving in London.

Bouledeneige · 02/04/2023 08:08

Kew Gardens is a favourite of mine.

Today I'm going to the Royal Academy (I'm a friend) and I will look at some pictures and have some lunch and then walk through Green Park cross the Mall and then wander round St James Park, Horseguards and then back to Trafalgar Square.

ilovewispas · 02/04/2023 08:37

I love walking along the river at Canary Wharf

Thames clipper down river (used to get it home and on a Friday buy an alcoholic drink!)

Greenwich market

Walking around the city on a Sunday

Alltheprettyseahorses · 02/04/2023 08:42

We've just had a fantastic short break to watch Frozen (incredible, just incredible) and our highlight as non-Londoners was St James' Park where we hand-fed the parakeets and the cheeky squirrels ran up our legs.

I wish we'd gone to the British Library, we were right by it, staying opposite London Euston, but we never had time after queuing for platform 9 3/4 for an hour because we had a couple of shows etc. Will definitely do it next time.

DinosApple · 02/04/2023 08:52

The Serpentine gallery,
Sir John Soames house,

Also place marking as there's lots of places mentioned on this thread that I'd love to see.
(We live in the sticks so it's a bit of a trek.)

Original poster
Bionacan · 02/04/2023 09:18

ChateauMargaux · 01/04/2023 23:50

In September, I dropped my son off to university in London with great intrepidation. We live in a small village in rural France and he is my eldest and very young. I was apprehensive. I started my day with a swim at the Ladies Pond then danced at the Hampstead Heath Tumulus which feels like a powerful place, and then admired the impressive view from Parliment hill. I met my son under the wings in Angel after picking up some essentials from Argos, where some lovely women looked after my parcels while I got a coffee and then chatted to another beautiful traveller who told me about her travels in South America. I had been browsing independent book shops and picked some paperbacks which were covered in brown paper, with descriptions on them and labeleed 'A blind date with a book'.. my son LOVED his.. Later we were standing outside a bank, where a man was playing music and getting a bit of a buzz around him, when we came out the man was cutting a homeless man's hair. Later outside a mobile phone shop, a youngish woman was talking to a middle aged woman about a homeless support shelter that would help her.

It was like the city was telling me... your son will be safe here.. this is a place of magic, of opportunity and of community where people will be taken care of.

This is beautiful - brought tears to my eyes!

OP posts:
Kentishbornknitter · 02/04/2023 09:26

Westminster Cathedral; just stunning!

efeslight · 02/04/2023 11:18

Place marking , thanks all

Crikeyalmighty · 02/04/2023 11:20

@ChateauMargaux my 24 year old lives in a lovely bit of London (Belsize park) sharing with one other- great flat too - he loves it and has made many friends too-he's a kind caring lad , London can be great if you have enough to get by and a few good friends. He's always a bit skint but has worked hard in IT since he was 16 but I would rather top him up to have a decent life there than live somewhere he hated

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 02/04/2023 11:29

Queen's House, Greenwich.

hettiethehare · 02/04/2023 13:16

Just crossing the river is always magical for me - I've lived in London for nearly 25 years now and don't think I've ever not been reminded of how much I love this city when I go over one of the bridges.

EmileFord · 02/04/2023 13:28

Agree with pp about Postman's Park - very poignant stories.
I really enjoyed a trip to The Museum of The Order of St John in Farringdon. Fascinating history and a lovely chapel and garden to visit too.

Needhelp101 · 02/04/2023 16:38

What a fabulous thread.

Second so many suggestions but will add the odd dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park.

Halsall · 02/04/2023 17:41

If anyone goes to the Watts Memorial in Postman's Park and fancies exploring more to do with William de Morgan (designer and creator of the fabulous original tablets), the Tabard pub in Chiswick is a nice place to see more of his work while enjoying a drink - it’s decorated with his tiles. It’s just round the corner from Turnham Green tube station (District Line).

While you’re there you can wander round the lovely Norman Shaw houses of Bedford Park. And it’s quite a pleasant walk - 20 minutes or so - to Hogarth's House. (this is all making me very nostalgic for the area where I used to live!)

Hogarth's House - Hogarth's House

Hogarth's House in Chiswick contains a collection of Hogarth's prints. The Weston Studio and Mulberry Garden provide further learning opportunities.

https://hogarthshouse.org/hogarths-house/

SqueakyDinosaur · 04/04/2023 11:37

Oh, another good thing to do is sign up for the Ianvisits weekly round-up of interesting stuff going on. Quite a bit of it's free, and there's masses of fascinating bits on his website too.

www.ianvisits.co.uk/

Beowulfa · 04/04/2023 12:43

Another shout for the Crystal Palace dinosaurs and the Ian Visits newsletter.

The London Transport Museum do tours of some of the unused Tube stations which are fascinating: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london

At the LTM giftshop I got two maps of great Art Deco buildings and interesting trees in the capital which can turn into interesting walks.

A tour group inside a tunnel shining a torch

Hidden London | London Transport Museum

Explore ‘forgotten’ parts of the Tube network on atmospheric tours of disused stations and tunnels, go behind the scenes at some of London’s busiest stations, and uncover some of the City's fascinating history with our expert guides.

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london

CeliaNorth · 04/04/2023 17:34

https://alondoninheritance.com/ is a blog which digs into the history of some less well known parts of London, off the tourist track. Wapping, Clerkenwell and the South Bank are some of his favourite parts, but he goes all over, writing about things to see and walks to do.

A London Inheritance

A Private History of a Public City

https://alondoninheritance.com

ArianahX · 04/04/2023 18:40

Watching this thread

Makesense12 · 04/04/2023 18:45

@Halsall
. I've been there and much prefer it to the sky garden! It was like being in manhatten. Loved it.

lightlypoached · 04/04/2023 18:49

I live near Richmond park. It's stunning. Wild deer roam free

yogaretreat · 04/04/2023 18:54

Highgate Cemetery
Kenwood House
Trent Park
St Paul's
I love walking the old city near monument too
Greenwich
Hampton court Palace
Richmond park

yogaretreat · 04/04/2023 18:56

Dennis Savers House
Globe performance
National theatre for a coffee