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London Guide
PARKS and MUSEUMS within Walking Distance
London is famous for its parks. They are all free and are great places to relax and get some fresh air. The two within walking distance from the Notting Hill site are:
Holland Park — where the students have picnics in the summer months.
Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park — Hyde Park is enormous and is a wonderful place to relax after school. Don't miss Princess Diana's memorial playground.
Our South Kensington location is within walking distance of Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and minutes away from three of the world's great museums, which we visit during Study Week.
The Victoria & Albert Museum, was established to inspire the country's designers and manufacturers. As the National museum of art and design, its collection spans 2000 years of art in virtually every medium. www.vam.ac.uk
Across the road stands the Natural History Museum, the national museum of nature, with its fascinating displays of animals, insects, fossils and dinosaurs. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
Next door the Science Museum is a great favourite of our students. Our visits here usually conclude with a film at the popular IMAX theatre. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
MUSEUMS
British Museum, Great Russell St., WC1 (Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square) — one of the world's great collections of art and antiquities. Don't miss the Elgin Marbles.
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/
Museum of London, City Wall, EC2 (Barbican, St Paul’s, Moorgate) — tells the story of London and its people from pre-historic times to the present day. www.museumoflondon.org.uk
Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 (Waterloo, Westminster) — covers all aspects of warfare, from weapons to the effects on ordinary people. www.iwm.org.uk
National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 (Cutty Sark DLR) — set in beautiful Greenwich Park. Exhibitions on everything to do with the sea and the Greenwich Meridian. www.nmm.ac.uk
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ART GALLERIES
There are so many places to visit in London, from small commercial galleries to large museums with permanent displays. These are the main galleries which are free:
National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2 (Charing Cross, Leicester Sq., Piccadilly Circus) — This houses one of the world's great collections of paintings from the 13th century to 1900. www.nationalgallery.org.uk
National Portrait Gallery, 2 St. Martin’s Place, WC2 (next to National Gallery) — Paintings, sketches and photographs of famous people through history to the present day.
www.npg.org.uk
Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1 (Pimlico) — British art from 16th Century to now, housed in a magnificent building and fashionable area. www.tate.org.uk
Tate Modern, Holland Street, SE1 (Blackfriars, Mansion House, Southwark) — amazing converted power station housing a major collection of contemporary art. www.tate.org.uk
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CULTURAL CENTRES
South Bank Centre, SE1, on the river Thames (opposite Embankment) — the Royal Festival Hall is London’s main concert hall and has good community space with several cafés and restaurants. Here you can enjoy free lunchtime music and browse in good art and bookshops. www.rfh.org.uk Next door is the Hayward Art Gallery.
National Theatres, SE1, on the river Thames (opposite Embankment) — it houses three theatres: the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Cottesloe - all under one roof. The National presents an eclectic mix of new plays and classics, with seven or eight productions in repertory at any one time. It offers: backstage tours, foyer music, exhibitions and free outdoor entertainment. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, SE1 (Barbican, Moorgate) — 2 theatres, cinemas, galleries and concert hall. Bar, café and restaurant. Only a few minutes' walk from St Paul's Cathedral. www.barbican.org.uk
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INTERESTING AREAS TO WANDER
Covent Garden — The world—famous Royal Opera House has its home here, next to the old market area, now a lively shopping and eating area. Street artists perform here at weekends and evenings.
St. Catherine’s Dock, east side of Tower Bridge, north of Thames (Tower Hill) — old dock, now converted into an attractive area of water with interesting old boats, shops and cafes.
Greenwich (Cutty Sark Docklands Light Railway or take a boat down the river!) — historic area, now a World Heritage Site. The Cutty Sark, an 1869 tea ship, the Royal Observatory, the Queen’s House, Old Royal Naval College, the Ranger’s House and more!
Chinatown, Gerrard St, W1 (Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus) — centre of London’s Chinese community. Lots of Chinese restaurants and shops.
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
Too many to count! The most famous are:
The Tower of London (Tower Hill) — very interesting old prison, but expensive. The Crown Jewels are here. www.hrp.org.uk
Buckingham Palace (St James’s Park, Victoria) — home of the Queen. Changing of the Guard happens every day 11.30am Apr – July, alternate days rest of the year.
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (Westminster) — home of the British Government. You can sit in the public gallery of the House of Commons or House of Lords and watch parliament in action. www.parliament.uk
Westminster Abbey (Westminster) — incredible building with much history. Started in 1050, and is the burial and coronation place of most of Britain’s kings and queens. www.westminster—abbey.org
St Paul’s Cathedral, Ludgate Hill, EC4 (St Paul’s, Mansion House) — architectural gem built by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Famous for its dome with Whispering Gallery. www.stpauls.co.uk
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MARKETS
London has numerous markets. Here are a handful of the most colourful.
Portobello Road, W10 (Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove) — general market during the week, but best on Saturday when hundreds of stalls sell antiques. At the far northern end there is a flea market. NOT TO BE MISSED!
Petticoat Lane, Middlesex Street, E1 (Liverpool St, Aldgate, Aldgate East) – 9am – 2pm Sunday. Sells clothes, leather goods, cheap jewellery, toys and fast food of all nations.
Old Spitalfields, Commercial Street, E1 (Aldgate East, Liverpool Street) Best on Sundays 9.30am to 5.30pm. Young designer clothes, food, hand-made craft items and bric-a- brac.
Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 (Camden Town) — very trendy. Clothes, food, books, records and antiques. Great atmosphere.
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SHOPS
There are several shops or shopping areas that are a must for the visitor to London:
Harrods, a beautiful department store in Knightsbridge, with its wonderful Perfume Hall and Food Halls
Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly, wonderful food emporium
HMV and Virgin record shops in Oxford Street, Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus
Oxford Street for clothes and shoes
Kensington High Street for clothes and shoes
Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Bond Street for expensive designer shops
Charing Cross Road for books
Hi-fi and computers in Tottenham Court Road
Department stores — John Lewis and Selfridges (more expensive) in Oxford Street
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MUSIC
There are so many venues for live music in London, both large and small. To find out what’s on, look in Time Out, the weekly listings magazine. Some venues have free music, such as pubs, Festival Hall (lunchtime) and the Barbican Foyer.
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THEATRE
Theatre ranges from sophisticated productions to fringe theatre productions in upstairs rooms in pubs. For cheap mainstream theatre tickets there is a half—price ticket kiosk on the south side of Leicester Square where you can buy unsold tickets on the day of the performance only. It’s worth trying. The Evening Standard sometimes has 2 for the price of one deals.
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