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AIBU?

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Original poster

To expect to walk from London EC2 - museum lane?

38 replies

therenter · 04/04/2015 18:59

Ok I am a Cornish girl born and bred. I have been to London once a few years ago. We took the children to the natural history museum and the science museum. This was pre my little boy who is now 6. He has just completed a topic of the Great fire of London in school and was so into it he never stopped talking about it. We are off up to Derby on Monday and plan to surprise him with a trip down to London aswell. We are going to take him to the monument and pudding lane. But I know he would also love the museums.
Are they in walking distance? If not how long on the tube and how expensive would it be (we are a bit skint)? Is there anything else in the EC2 area worth visiting? Thanx.

OP posts:
LIZS · 04/04/2015 19:03

NHM and Science museum are near South Kensington tube so too far to walk. Museum of London is nearer as is the Tower of London

Jewels234 · 04/04/2015 19:04

My view is that for adults it's a perfectly acceptable walk...Really lovely actually past St Pauls, along the Thames path past the Globe, through St James park. It's about 6 miles though and a child may struggle with that distance. A bus would be cheaper than the tube, and you could definitely walk a chunk of the distance.

LIZS · 04/04/2015 19:08

Aren't Tube and Bus the same fare? British Museum is near the Central Line (Tottenham Court Road?)

Theycallmemellowjello · 04/04/2015 19:09

I'd say walking would be about an hour and a half to two hours. You could make it a nice one (walk down the mall, see Buckingham palace and st James park for eg) but sounds like it might be tiring. To check out tubes and buses just go to tfl.gov.uk and type in your start and end destinations. Buses might be a compromise - you get to see a bit of london and they're cheaper than the tube. Get an Oyster card rather than one day travel card. And remember your child is free on bus and tube (but you must him an Oyster card).

Theycallmemellowjello · 04/04/2015 19:10

Actually if you have a contactless card you don't need an oyster card for you.

LaurieFairyCake · 04/04/2015 19:10

Museum of London is easily walkable - has a great display and video on the fire Smile

And loads of other great displays

Northernlurker · 04/04/2015 19:10

Given his interest I would forget the science museum etc and go for the Museum of London. It's excellent.

Original poster
therenter · 04/04/2015 19:10

Ok 6 miles that is quite far lol- my nearest town is 1 mile away and I can get to at least two others in 6 miles. Will have a look at tube and bus fares thank you. Will also look up the tower of London- have had a quick look at the museum of London and may take the children there.

OP posts:
sunniest · 04/04/2015 19:17

I think Tottenham Court Road is closed at the moment, might be better with Russell square for British museum

mickeyfartpants · 04/04/2015 19:17

I would call it walkable but not with kiddies. South Ken wouldn't take long - Circle or District would get you there from Monument.

Although I am in agreement that you should do the musuem of london. Borough market is a short walk and you can go past the Globe too, up to St Pauls. We did it recently with our toddlers and they easily handled the walk :)

mickeyfartpants · 04/04/2015 19:18

There is a great geocache in Postmans Park there too!

MoanCollins · 04/04/2015 19:23

Been to the NMH today and there is a LOT of queuing involved, I would do one museum or the other if you want to go to see the Monument too in terms of time. There's not much round Pudding Lane at the weekend, just the monument and a load of shut offices.

Madsometimes · 04/04/2015 19:38

If you use your contactless card and stick to buses, your fare will be capped at £4.40 for as many journeys as you want. If you add in tubes/DLR then the maximum cap will be £6.40. Your son will be free. Riding up top on a London bus is quite fun and it doesn't have to be an expensive open top tourist bus.

The museums are quite tiring so your son might not be able to do it all on foot.

Ubik1 · 04/04/2015 19:50

Museum of London is a good bet. It's close and lots to see. Also Tower of London.

Natural history museum requires queuing for 40 mins/an hour to get in. And there are lots if exhibitions you have to pay for admission.

No queuing fir Science Museum though and there's loads to see

Madsometimes · 04/04/2015 19:52

There isn't a direct bus from Monument to S Ken, so I would take the tube.

I would avoid the Tower of London if money is tight, but the museum of London has free admission.

balletgirlmum · 04/04/2015 19:53

Tottenham court road is open (I was there last week) but central line trains don't stop there.

Monument station (Pudding Lane & the Monument) is quite a distance away in the financial area.

abuhamzamouse · 04/04/2015 19:53

Avoid the natural history museum as it is too busy. I was there today as well and although I can jump all the queues (as a member) it was like the seventh layer of hell on a stick today. As other posters have said, go to the museum of london. It's less busy and had an excellent section on the fire of london. You can also do the Shaun the Sheep trail near St Pauls which looks like fun.

Jungfraujoch · 04/04/2015 19:54

Long time since I've been but I lobec Museum of London - is go for that!

Jungfraujoch · 04/04/2015 19:54

Loved!

HarlotOTara · 04/04/2015 19:56

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood is fun and free

penny13610 · 04/04/2015 20:09

If you walk from Pudding Lane to The museum of London, check out some of the buildings that survived. And you can even go via Bread Street and Milk Street.

To expect to walk from London EC2 - museum lane?
Lindy2 · 04/04/2015 20:15

A little while ago we did this London trip:

  • A walk up the Thames past the Globe and HMS Belfast
  • a walk around the outside if Tower of London (it was when the poppies were there)
  • Pudding Lane (to be honest there is nothing there really apart from a plaque but DD had also just done the fire of London at school)
  • up the Monument (its good but it has about 300 steps and is really hard work!)
  • walk along the river past the London eye, houses of parliament and Big Ben etc
  • through St James Park to Buckingham palace
  • up the Mall to Trafalgar square.

My 4 and 6 year olds loved it and managed the walking just fine with some food, drink and ice cream stops.

Original poster
therenter · 04/04/2015 20:31

Thank you all for your ideas. I definitely will take him to pudding lane as he will want to see where it all started. Then plan to take him up the monument (i hear you get a certificate for doing that?). Both the museums of London and the docklands look really interesting - dd3 has recently done WW2 and I think she would find the bomb shelter really fascinating. Finding the surviving buildings from the fire also sound interesting as does the walk up to Trafalgar square ( Lindy2 how long did that take you to walk?) . Think I may give the big museums a miss if they are that busy.
Ds is quite interested about the sights in London- he knows about the London Eye and big ben so would quite like to see those ( although he keeps asking if our local town clock is Big Ben lol).

OP posts:
LIZS · 04/04/2015 20:38

Best way to see Big Ben etc is to take a bus or Duck tour. You should be able to find a tour you can get on and off. Or take a river bus from the Tower to Westminster pier.

CaTsMaMmA · 04/04/2015 20:41

walking along the river from the shard back towards st pauls is good....stay south till the tate modern, you'll go through the London Dungeon area, see the Golden HInd, i think there are some pavement fountains along there somewhere, then the Globe, the tate, and across the Harry Potter millenium foot bridge to St pauls....have a wander around the churchyard and watch the squirrels.

from st pauls you can get the bus on the same side to head back to the tower, or across the road will take you back toward trafalgar square
also some buses go on toward the city/financial district for some old buildings.

London Wall/Barbican area used to be interesting too...but not been that way since the children were smaller.

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