Chat thread for Londoners (sorry for being quichey everyone else)

[Mintyy]

Right you laahvly cockerney sparrers. Cor blimey, apples & pears, luvaduck etc.

Having lived in London an exhilarating 30 years, I have resolved to make this the year I get to know it better.

Please can you recommend interesting walks and places to visit in areas that you know very well, because I want to head out with my oyster card and explore. Am taking a day off work every week from now on and I want to see slightly off-the-beaten-track London.

So, if anyone was asking me this question I would recommend walking from Chancery Lane Station, through the Inns of Court at Grays Inn, visit to the Sir John Soane Museum, walk up Doughty Street, quick pop in to the Charles Dickens Museum, Coram's Fields, Brunswick Centre, Russell Square (for eg.).

But there are huge swathes of London I know absolutely nothing about! I've never been to Portobello Road for instance, only been to Camden market a handful of times, don't really know much about West London, SW London, Docklands, East central London just outside the city (eg. Limehouse).

Oh there's tons of places to explore! If you have a favourite walk, little museum or park I should see, then please post.

Thank you

Has anyone said Postman's Park on Little Britain yet? With its marvellous plaques to unsung heroes.

Highgate cemetery and Crouch end, terminating at ally Pally

I use to live a 20 min walk from Eltham Palace ... the only thing good about living in Mottingham ... you really can forget where you are ... fab place

Maybe these have already been mentioned, but i'll share my favourite little bits of London that I have just happened to discover (not is any particular order)

-St Katherine's dock
-Thames path from London Bridge to Rotherhithe or Canary Wharf
-Rotherhithe Mayflower pub

• Museum of London Docklands at East India Quay, Canary Wharf

-Thames Clippers to anywhere -Greenwich park (rose garden is great in May), Maritime museum, Greenwich market -(Secret) Pergola at Golders Green park -Temple (there is a door on Fleet St and you enter a peaceful different world)

Perhaps this thread should be moved to UK in the Travel section?

I once did a good walk along the Thames from North Greenwich to Woolwich and then took one of the Thames river services up to London Bridge. We visited the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park, had lunch in the Anchor & Hope pub on Riverside, went past the Thames Barrier, back and forth on the Woolwich Ferry (free for pedestrians) and then walked through Woolwich Arsenal to stop off at the cafe in the Artillery Museum before getting the Clipper into central London. Some parts are still industrial so it's not 'pretty' all the way (eg walking past the cement works, seeing the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery on the other side of the Thames) but that's what I found interesting: to see parts of the riverside that still have their original industry and haven't been developed into glass-fronted office blocks or expensive flats. Not sure I would do the walk alone though - some of the paths can be a bit quiet. (Perhaps I should organise a Mumsnet Meet-up )

Someone up thread mentioned the writer Peter Ackroyd. I really enjoyed his book Thames: Sacred River especially the chapters on the docks. It really highlights the different aspects of the Thames: the wide river in the east with docks and industry, narrowing into the commercial heart of the City, and narrowing further and becoming more rural through West London. Taking the Clipper from Woolwich to London Bridge or beyond helps to illustrate that.

If you go to Orlean's House go a few years down the road to see the Italian Nymphs.

Also, you can do a low-tide walk along Deptford Creek once a month: www.creeksidecentre.org.uk/events/low-tide-walks/

Can I suggest Bunhill Fields Cemetery - on City Road half way between Old Street and Moorgate. Has the graves of John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake, among others.

To add to TinTins excellent Sarf of the river suggestions:
Morden Hall grounds
Market and lovely cafes and bakeries at Herne Hill (as well as Brockwell Park).

I've fond memories of the quiet little streets around Marylebone and Great Portland St too but suspect they might be a bit busier these days.

Oxleas Wood off Shooters Hill Road. Royal Borough of Greenwich but closest train stations are probably Woolwich. You can hop on a bus from Blackheath or Greenwich to get there easily though as it's about 10 mins walk from the QE2 hospital. It's ancient decidous woodland up to 8000 yrs old and stunningly pretty [though pretty muddy right now. It's part of the Green Chain Walk and shockingly is under threat as part of the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge which will pretty much cut the wood in two
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxleas_Wood

There is also a folly in the wood [grade 2 listed built in 1784] which after a lengthy campaign [also featured in the TV series "Restoration"] has recently been restored and is open twice a week so you can climb to the top. It's tiny but v tall and fab views over London and Kent
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severndroog_Castle

Shamelessly marking place to read later

I'll be home alone for a while next month with no dd so planning to explore my city. I love walking along the southbank seeing the performers. I once walked from Oxford st to Piccadilly (not far I know) then to Leicester sq where there was an Eid festival. It was good fun!

Really lovely thread. London has been home for nearly 13 years and I'm always trying to think of new things to do - spoiled for choice sometimes! Love all the suggestions

I agree with PPs.

Walking up (or down) Richmond Hill (road) is fabulous - don't miss the Terrace Gardens www.richmond.gov.uk/terrace_gardens_restoration, they're stunning - and have fabulous views.

My favourite pub in Richmond is the White Swan in Richmond www.whiteswanrichmond.co.uk/ - especially when the tide is high!

Goldsmith's Hall www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/goldsmiths%27-hall/ - is absolutely stunning, they frequently have exhibitions.

Holland Park gets my vote as most surreal park in London...peacocks, Japanese garden, woodland, giant chess...what more do you need?

Don't forget the Greenwich foot tunnel. It's amazing the number of Londoners who don't know about this and kids love it too because of all the amazing echoes

Cannizaro Park used to have some really weird sculptures in if you like contemporary art.

I went to Wimbledon school of art, and the sculpture students would exhibit their work in Cannizaro park- AFAIK they still do.

Tower Hamlets cemetary park (just near Mile End tube) is lovely for a woodland walk with Victorian graves. It's less creepy than it sounds!

I am lucky enough to live next to Victoria Park, and would recommend it to anyone, it's great. From there, you can stroll down the canal, past the gasometers, to Broadway market on a Saturday and marvel at all the beards and prices.

The Epping-Ongar steam railway is a great day out too. Take the central line to Epping, then a vintage routemaster picks you up and takes you to the steam train.

Experience a Victorian classroom at the Ragged School Museum

Apologies in advance if somebody has already suggested this but I haven't got time to read the whole thread at the mo (but am watching it for my own benefit later) but I am an exiled Londoner and what I would do every now and then is go on a 'London Walk' - touristy as they sound (and are) they give a good grounding about interest things in an area that you can then revisit later. You'll be able to find one of their leaflets in most leaflet stands or Google 'real London Walks' and go from there - I can recommend their one starting at Aldwych and taking in Spitalfields, the London Hospital, place where Sally Army started etc. They're not just for tourists!

This makes me want to come and live in London! (bit difficult as I live abroad!!)