Fun Things to do Solo in London/Kent Area

[MêmePasPeur]

I have (for various reasons) got a pretty much blank week ahead and rather than sitting on my arse scrolling… I thought I should explore. I have a Freedom pass, I’m not on too tight a budget and want to have some fun! I am based in SE London/Kent area.

Some thoughts…

• Imperial War Museum (have always wanted to visit)
• Coffee, cake and books in Crystal Palace
• Walking along the South Bank for an afternoon

I am not really an art or ancient history person but immersive experiences might be interesting?

Any ideas would be very much appreciated!

What are you in to?

i'm v excited about an impending day trip to greenwich and the planetarium ?

Also theatre?

I went to the Planetarium last year @MsRosewater and loved it!

Science (have done Science Museum recently), theatre definitely (am tempted by Book of Mormon!) and coffee and cake in quirky places. Not much of a shopper.

Is it sad that I really want to go to the Transport Museum?!

Churchill's War Rooms

Boat trip up the Thames

The Old Operating Theatre

Novelty Automation

British Museum

Ooh some great ideas there - thank you!

I am totally geographically challenged, I feel I should go wandering in an attempt to find my way around!

Thank you @NuffSaidSam just visited the Old Operating Theatre website and they have a Public Health walking tour, right up my street!

Behind the scenes tour of Royal Albert Halll or Royal Opera House

Boat trip down the Thames

The post office train under sorting office in London

South coast Kent, castles, Deal, Walmer, Dover.

Young V&A Bethnal Green. Really enjoyed this but was before Covid.

Meant to say if there's a good day weather wise a stroll through a London park or Kew Gardens, coffee and cake and people watch at a cafe

The Royal Courts Of Justice and The Old Bailey.

Things on my list of solo days out

Kew gardens
Eltham Palace
Barbican conservatory
matinee at the globe

Young V&A looks fab, but would I stick out like a sore thumb (especially over half term)?

There are free black history walking tours you could look for this month.

Houses are fun. We recently visited this one just of Kensington High Street and would strongly recommend it: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/sambourne-house

It's about ten minutes walk from Leighton House, which we went to some years ago. Both very worth seeing for an idea of what a wealthy Victorian family's house looked like. https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/

Then for a complete contrast there's Goldfinger's house in Hampstead: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/2-willow-road

Could be combined with a trip to the Keats House. https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/keats-house/visit-keats-house

This is glorious: https://www.soane.org/ Lincoln's Inn Fields. Wed-Sun. Free!

Darwin's house: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/home-of-charles-darwin-down-house/ Possibly nicer in the summer, but we had a lovely visit there a few years ago.

Also Samuel Johnson's house and the Dickens Museum. Not sure I've ever been to the latter.

Horniman Museum and the lovely gardens.

Bagpuss and Rupert Bear museum in Canterbury. Lots of lovely Oliver Postgate nostalgia.

Uber boat from Westminster Pier to Kew, using your Oyster discount, then Kew Gardens.

V &A to see Elton’s photos and / or Naomi exhibition, lunch or coffee and cake in the tiled tea room.

Wednesday matinee at the National Theatre using your over 60s discount and a browse in the second hand bookstalls on the South Bank, followed by a cocktail with a view at the OXO Tower.

Dulwich Picture Gallery, a walk in Dulwich Park and a browse in the bookshop and lunch / coffee in Dulwich Village.

A film at the Ritzy in Brixton or Everyman in Crystal Palace.

A one day course at City Lit in Covent Garden.

Take a trip out to Eltham Palace. It is a beautiful art deco house with an ancient history and a very nice cafe. You will recognise the interiors from TV and film.

Dennis Sever's House
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities
The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East
Cecil Court
Moco Museum
Wellcome Museum
Crossbones Graveyard
Sir John Soane’s Museum