London hidden gems, any you’d care to share.

[LucyTamedOgres]

I’ve just found out about The Mayor of Scaredy Cat town, a bar that you enter via The Breakfast Club which I would have LOVED to explore and will do one day when child free (over 18’s only )

This then got me thinking of any hidden gems you’ve discovered and stumbled upon? Any you can recommend which would be good for a teenager too.

As we might be heading over there while it’s quiet (ish) thought it might be the prime time to explore the lesser known places, secret places, as we’ve visited many of the usual tourist attractions.

See the London Stone - not many ancient stones have their own website!

www.londonstone.org.uk/

@bookmum08, we have some very old family photos of me and my brothers with the CP dinos. So long ago that my youngest sibling wasn’t even born.I am sporting a delightful 1970s burgundy pvc raincoat. I moved out of London about 25 years ago, I’m really pleased the dinos are listed.

BikeRunSki there is a 1970s Topsy and Tim book where they visit the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. It's awesome.

Possibly the best Topsy and Tim book ever.

Leighton House Museum - not yet reopened, but here's a link if you want to keep an eye on it

www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/leightonhousemuseum1.aspx

(OP - would you consider asking MNHQ to move this to the 'London' topic? It'll be easier to find there - will get lost/buried in AIBU in no time at all)

The Sky Garden at Fenchurch Street

The Postman’s Park

The Conservatory at The Barbican

The Estorick Gallery & Gardens in Islington

The Chelsea Physic Garden

The water fountains behind Coal Drops Yard at Kings Cross

Bookmum08 ah! DM hated T&T, those books were banned in our house! Tbh, I can now see where she was coming from!

I just came to mention the Chelsea Physic Garden, and it’s definitely worth going on a guided tour.

St Bartholemew the great church near old Smithfield Market. One of the oldest churches in London, and you will recognise the interior as it's has been used for loads of films. Beautiful gothic atmospheric interior.

Ooh

Sky garden
The NLA centre off Guildhall to see a Roman amphitheater
Postman's Park
Coram's field of with small kids
Mudlarking on the south bank
Walk the Thames path
Brunch at The Ned on a Sunday
There's a free gallery next to the new Bank station exit that has all sorts of Roman stuff

Sir John Soane's museum, lovely place full of interesting things.

Following

@EdithWeston good idea. I’ll ask for this thread to be moved to the London topic.

Thanks everyone, I’m going to have a good read through your suggestions and research.

We’ve been to the Sky Garden, loved it, the free entry was fully booked so we booked one of the restaurants instead. Loved it, highly recommended.

If you do go to Monument, pop round the corner to St Dunstan in the East - a mysterious and romantic park inside a ruined church.

Brixton Market and Pop Brixton

All Star Lanes Bowling - Holborn .

The Wellcome Collection in Euston Rd - great library and lounging space and weird exhibits

There’s a nature reserve behind Kings Cross Station aimed at providing educational experiences about nature for kids. Afterwards you can walk along the canal path To Camden and buy ice cream at Chin chin

I really liked Samuel Johnson's House just off Fleet Street. And if you walk from there to lunch at say Covent Garden, that's covering an incredible range of London history in about 10 minutes (Fleet Street, the Old Bailey, the West End).

The naval museum and Greenwich observatory are my favourite place in London. You can then walk down the hill and visit the market for lunch and see the Cutty Sark. Not very hidden, but often overlooked.

Also I’m assuming you know the password for the Scaredy Cat bar?

Hunterian museum at the royal college of surgeons is fascinating.

Also the Orbit at Stratford Olympic Park - with the Helter-skelter type slide.
Actually, exploring the whole of the Olympic park is quite fun.

Sleepover in London Zoo.

@AriettyHomily

Sky garden The NLA centre off Guildhall to see a Roman amphitheater Postman's Park Coram's field of with small kids Mudlarking on the south bank Walk the Thames path Brunch at The Ned on a Sunday There's a free gallery next to the new Bank station exit that has all sorts of Roman stuff

Foundling Museum next to Corams Field. See if you can spot the Tracey Emin sculpture (only one in London) . Clue, look on the railings, it's not what you think it is.

Marylebone High Street, best shopping street in London. And there's a cheese shop.

Feeding the parakeets in Kensington Gardens. Google the location (it's near the peter pan statue). Take an apple and wait for them to descend on you! We usually combine this with a trip to the Diana Memorial Fountain but thats closed at the moment. It's not far from the science museum/natural history museum so you could combine it with that. I love to walk or cycle around hyde park and Kensington gardens. Really pretty bit of London. Theres a Victorian pet cemetery in hyde park somewhere!

If you go over the river to battersea park you can hire recumbent bikes which is really good fun. They've got a good adventure playground there too.

St Stephen Walbrook church in the City. A
Wren Church with a Henry Moore sculpted altar. Also where Chad Varah founded the Samaritans.

I also love notting hill for a wander around and camden is a fun little mooch around for teens. I tend to walk there along the canal from kings cross (go to granary square to get to the canal and walk right at the bottom of the steps - you can't miss the steps they have big plastic ice lollies on at the moment).

Oh and brick lane is great on a sunday for the market. You can do a tour of all the street art in shoreditch while you are there.

The best thing to do in London is just wander. But get away from Leicester Square etc. It's such a huge city with some great hidden spots.