Off the Beaten Track in London

London's Lesser-Known Attractions

Sometimes you tire of the large and well-known tourist sites which are generally busy and commercialised. Even if it's your first visit to London, maybe you'd like to see something out of the ordinary. If you've visited London before, maybe you're ready for the road less travelled.

Or you could be someone who passes through London often, maybe for business reasons. From time to time, you catch a glimpse of another, more intriguing side of the city, and you wish you had time to stop and find out more. Take the time. It will be worth it.

The following are my suggestions for places to visit if you do want something different. They fall roughly into five categories: gardens, houses, churches, pubs, museums, and one that doesn't really fit anywhere.

I've added a table with the area/postcode so that you can plan your visit by location if that's what you wish. Alternatively, you can choose the type of attraction that appeals to you.

Chelsea Physic Garden

An oasis of calm in the midst of the city, this garden of medicinal, historic, edible, and otherwise useful plants dates back to 1673. Only the University of Oxford's botanical gardens are older. You can take a guided tour (I recommend this), or you can wander at will, or both! There is a café to keep you going, and a shop.

There is a charge for entry. For current charges and opening times, visit their website.

The Basil Hume Quiet Garden

The garden, which was designed and created in memory of Cardinal Basil Hume, is not only a wonderfully quiet spot for meditation and reflection, but it also has an interesting story.

You will find it adjoining the Chapel of St Joseph, a small chapel in the basement of a former school dating from 1901. Before that, the building had been a school chapel, and it still contains stained glass windows dating from the 1820s. You can read more of its history on the Taking Stock website.

The garden is beside the church entrance in what was once a car park. It is a haven of peace in a built-up area.

Chumleigh Gardens

Chumleigh Gardens were once the gardens of the Chumleigh Gardens Almshouses which were opened in 1821 "for the winter of life" to "women of good character." The almshouses suffered severe bomb damage during WWII and were left derelict for many years. Now they have been renovated and provide a café, office space and a nursery, along with a peaceful garden for all to enjoy. The work of the original charity, the Female Friendly Society, continues elsewhere.

The gardens themselves form part of the larger Burgess Park and provide peaceful surroundings in a variety of styles: African, Oriental, Mediterranean, Islamic and English, to reflect the multicultural area.

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Amazing Experience of the 1000 Islands Cruise in Ontario, Canada

There is no charge for entry.

The London Wetland Centre

It's really amazing that you can find a wetland nature reserve in (virtually) the centre of London, but there it is! The reason it's possible is that it was developed on the site of four Victorian Thames Water reservoirs, beside the River Thames. It was opened in 200 and now is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

It's not only wetlands, there are sustainable gardens, activities for children, a shop and a café. There is an entrance fee, but book online and get 10% off.

The Garden Museum

This has to be a must for all garden and gardening enthusiasts. There are attractive gardens around the now-deconsecrated church of St Mary at Lambeth, including a reconstruction of a 17th-century knot garden.

Amongst the tombs still in place is that of John Tradescant (1570-1630) and his son. He was a naturalist and gardener who collected seeds and bulbs on his worldwide travels and brought them back to England. The plants of the genus Tradescantia are named for him. He and his son are the main characters in Philippa Gregory's novels, "Earthly Joys" and "Virgin Earth" respectively.

The church buildings, badly damaged during World War II, were due for demolition but rescued when the Garden Museum was set up. They now house displays of gardening history: tools, books, paintings, and historic ephemera from every imaginable type of garden, from royal gardens to humble allotments.

Leighton House Museum

The fairly mundane red brick exterior hides an amazing interior with a lot of Middle Eastern influences. You can see Lord Leighton's studio with a collection of his works, paintings, sculptures, drawings, and books. "A private palace of art."

Open every day apart from Tuesdays, it costs £11 to get in, half price if you are a National Trust member. There are guided tours on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons.

The Foundling Museum

When I mentioned to a friend that I was trying to get together a list of interesting but unusual places to see in London, she immediately came up with the suggestion of the Foundling Museum.

The Foundling Hospital was started in 1739 to look after abandoned babies and children. It was supported by well-known artists and composers of the time.

The museum contains furniture, period interiors, photos, and the works of art donated by the artists who supported the hospital. You can also see the tokens left with the children by their mothers, in the hope that one day they would be reunited.

The top floor is dedicated to the composer, Handel. There, you can learn about his life and how he helped set up the hospital. There are four armchairs where you can sit and enjoy his music.

It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, and again, National Trust members can have half-price entry.

Dennis Severs' House

This is another suggestion by a friend. This isn't a house that you just walk around, viewing the period interiors as you would in several other notable house museums. No, it's much more of an all-around experience.

The idea is that you've walked into a home where you've interrupted a family going about their normal day-to-day lives. They appear to have popped out, but only a moment ago, or they may be in the next room.

You can visit on Friday afternoons for a relaxed experience where talking is allowed, or partake in the silent visits on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (both experiences are £16 for adults). On Friday evenings, you can experience a "Silent Night" in the house which is more expensive at £25. It does include a short introduction.

Benjamin Franklin's House

It may seem an odd fact, but only one of Benjamin Franklin's residences is still in existence, and it is in London. He lived here for 16 years, where he acted as a diplomat, studied science, and wrote many letters. It is the first site outside the USA to gain a Save America's Treasures designation.

The house has been restored in a way that allows a visitor to have a multi-media experience with the historic rooms as a backdrop. Not only are there these Historical Experiences, but there are also guided architectural tours to learn about the Georgian building itself. There are also walking tours available of the surrounding area (Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street).

Booking is advisable for the Historical Experience and can be done online.

St Bartholomew the Great

If you've seen Four Weddings and a Funeral, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Shakespeare in Love, or The Other Boleyn Girl, you've seen part of the interior of St Bartholomew the Great. It is a wonderful old church with a beautiful Tudor gatehouse entrance. It was founded in 1123 as a priory, but of course, the Dissolution in 1536 meant much of it was ransacked. Parts of it survived, and much was restored in the 19th century. There is a café (recommended) now in what used to be part of the cloisters.

It was the first church to charge casual visitors admission to see the interior.

All Hallows by the Tower

This tranquil little church has seen its fair share of history dating, as it does, from 675AD. It is 300 years older than the nearby Tower of London from which it takes part of its name. Although it survived the Great Fire (Pepys climbed the tower to watch), it was heavily bombed during WWII.

A number of famous people have associations with the church, among them Thomas More, William Penn and his father, and John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the USA.

It is well worth a visit to feel the peaceful and historic atmosphere. It is open every day and is free to enter. There are guided tours available in the afternoons, and even these are free, so please consider buying a book or donating. These places don't survive on fresh air.

The Grenadier Pub

Belgravia, where you'll find The Grenadier, is one of the very wealthy areas of London. It is a "real" little pub, built in 1720 for the use of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards as an officers' mess. When it was first opened to the public, its name was The Guardsman, but this was changed to The Grenadier after the Battle of Waterloo.

It's reputed to be haunted!

Ye Olde Mitre

Ye Olde Mitre is considered to be London's most hidden pub because it's so hard to find, in a very narrow alley and surrounded by tall buildings. It was built in 1546. It has been used as a location in films such as Snatch, starring Brad Pitt, and TV too.

Next door is St Ethelreda's Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in England, dating from 673.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

St Thomas's Hospital is a modern and renowned London Hospital, but even in 1215, it could be described as ancient, run by monks and nuns to care for the poor and sick. It was originally in Southwark, but it was eventually rebuilt near Lambeth Palace.

Parts of the old hospital survive in Southwark, among them the church which itself was rebuilt in 1703. It contained a herb garret, part of which was converted into an operating theatre. This is now the oldest surviving operating theatre in the UK and a fascinating insight into medical history.

There is a charge for adults, but National Trust members pay half price. Open every day.

The List Goes On

In fact, there is no end to the interesting and out-of-the-way places to be seen in London, but I have to draw the line somewhere. I'd be delighted if you would add any suggestions for other places to see in the comments section below. And thank you for reading this far!!