You’ve seen Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the museums and galleries etc, all the usual suspects. But what else is there to see in London? Well there is a ton of stuff still to visit within Greater London but away from the West End core. Here are a few suggestions of things to do in London away from the West End:
Kew Gardens
Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens is a 300 acre UNESCO World Heritage site and was founded in 1840. It contains over 30,000 species of plants and is home to some impressive Victorian botanical glasshouses, especially the huge 1848 Palm House. Attractions include a treetop walkway 18m above the woodland floor. See the Kew Gardens website for more information.
Richmond Upon Thames
Nearest Tube: Richmond
One stop further south from Kew on the District Line is Richmond which is technically a London borough, but feels like a very pleasant English market town. Shopping in the town is a pleasant change from Oxford Street. The riverside is lovely and I recommend a stop for lunch at the iconic White Cross by the water’s edge. It is one of my favourite pubs in London.
A walk up Richmond Hill to the massive Richmond Park is well worth the effort, especially if you spot some deer. As you are walking through the park you have to remind yourself that you are still in the largest city in Western Europe.
The Visit Richmond website has information about the area and details of other attractions.
Hampton Court Palace
Nearest Rail Station: Hampton Court (train from Waterloo)
Henry VIII’s magnificent palace is a short distance from Richmond and is well worth a visit for both the house and gardens. Details about the palace can be found here.
A very pleasant way of getting to Hampton Court, and as an alternative to arriving by train, is to take a River cruise (Summer only) from Westminster. Details of this and other London river cruises can be found on the Transport for London website.
Brick Lane
Nearest Tube: Aldgate East
The Brick Lane area of East London used to have a dodgy reputation as it was associated with the Jack the Ripper murders and slum housing. However it is now a lively area with popular galleries, markets and, of course, restaurants. The area is famous for the authentic curry restaurants. Check out the Visit Brick Lane website for more information.
Docklands
London’s docks were massive and at one time were the largest in the world. The invention of standardized shipping containers and the larger ships that carry them killed off the docks as these vessels couldn’t get up the river, so the port business moved to Tilbury and Felixstowe. The docklands area was derelict for years, but was redeveloped in the 1980s/90s and is now a thriving financial hub. The centre is Canary Wharf (nearest Tube: Canary Wharf), with an underground shopping mall, restaurants and the nearby Museum of London: Docklands.
If you are coming from the West End, I recommend getting the Tube to Bank, or better still Tower Hill and take the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to Canary Wharf. The DLR station at Tower Gateway is a short walk from Tower Hill, and is quieter than Bank Station, so you are more likely to get the front seat. This is the best seat on these automatic driver-less trains as the view is very interesting as you go through Docklands on (mostly) elevated track.
More information on the area can be found here.
Greenwich
Nearest Rail Station: Greenwich (trains from London Bridge)
Nearest DLR: Cutty Sark or Greenwich
Alternatively, take the DLR to Island Gardens, look at the spectacular view of Greenwich from the other side of the River Thames, then take the historic Greenwich foot tunnel to the Cutty Sark and Greenwich
Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is definitely a must see if you are in London for any length of time. You can easily spend a whole day there. Here are some things to see:
- Cutty Sark, the famous sailing ship and the only surviving tea clipper
- Royal Observatory
- National Maritime Museum
- Old Royal Naval College
- Greenwich Market
Emirates Air Line Cable Car
Nearest Tube: North Greenwich
Nearest DLR: Royal Victoria
In my view, this is a better attraction than the London Eye as the queues are much shorter and the views are spectacular. The cable car runs across the River Thames from the Royal Docks to North Greenwich, near the O2 arena. More information can be found here.
Stratford
Nearest Tube/Overground/DLR: Stratford
Nearest Rail Station: Stratford (trains from Liverpool Street)
Stratford in East London used to be a bit run down, but is much smarter now after all the redevelopment associated with the 2012 Olympics. It is well worth a visit to see the Olympic park, the huge Westfield shopping mall and the ArcelorMittal Orbit slide. More information can be found here.
Happy Exploring!
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…. or trying to seeing parts of the UK away from the tourist routes. London is a world city with many cultures, and no longer very ‘English” in my view.