I discover beautiful places in London addictive. The pleasure of exploring a new place; a journey full of anticipation (will it’s as beautiful because it seemed in the photos?); and sooner or later the payoff of getting my breath taken away. Glittering partitions; lush inexperienced as some distance as the eye can see; hues to compete with the Med or Marrakech.
London might be known for frenetic streets, shiny lights, and bowler hats. But it’s inside the residing, breathing gardens, parks and records that it’s at its most lovely.
The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College
‘The Sistine Chapel of the UK’, this fantastic phase of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich became designed via Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor as a dining hall for naval pensioners. Incredibly, it’s absolutely loose to go to.
The Great Conservatory at Syon House
Back within the early nineteenth century, greenhouses were small, brick affairs. That become, of direction, till Charles Fowler created Syon Park’s Great Conservatory and broke the mould. He did away with the brown stone and instead used ground-to-ceiling glass that rests delicately on a metallic body. It’s now open to the public; visit on a sunny day for the total impact.
Orleans House Gallery, Richmond
There’s extra to Richmond than the park, and the vicinity’s hidden gem is this 18th-century baroque gallery. On a clear day, the mild pours in thru the excessive home windows, filling the space with sunshine.
Hampstead Heath Hill Garden and Pergola
This “secret” garden in Hampstead has London at its heart (literally): the hills inside the pergola have been built with earth eliminated at some stage in the extension of the Northern Line to Hampstead inside the early 1900s.
The pergola turned into the creation of Lord Leverhulme — the then-proprietor of the manor that sits ‘next door’ — for extravagant summer season events but was neglected after the breakout of World War II, giving it an eerie, other-worldly experience.
Eltham Palace’s front hall
The adolescence domestic of Henry VIII is now an art-deco paradise, the primary enchantment being the doorway corridor above. In its heyday, it turned into used for the glitziest and most glamorous of events and it provides a stark assessment to the surviving medieval fantastic corridor connected to it.
Watts Memorial, Postman’s Park
Beautiful in a specific experience to most of the opposite places on this list, The Watts Memorial is devoted to everyday men, ladies, and children of the beyond who gave their lives seeking to shop others. The tragic however poignant monument, adorned in traditional Victorian fashion, is a window into the forgotten each day lives of those long gone, and a reminder that lifestyles is too brief to waste.
Kyoto Garden, Holland Park
What is it about a waterfall that is so relaxing? Whatever it is, you can anticipate this colourful little nook of Holland Park that will help you overlook approximately the gray, boring international of tax returns and concrete.
Painshill Park
Journey to the very fringe of south-west London (I’m speaking just earlier than the M25) and wander away in this panorama lawn. It has sufficient hidden treasures to keep you busy for an entire afternoon: crystal grottos, a lovely lake and hidden ruins, in addition to 158 acres of greenery.
Chumleigh Gardens
Chumleigh Gardens is five kinds of garden in one: Mediterranean, Islamic, Oriental, African and English gardens sit facet by using facet to reflect the location’s range.
St Bartholomew the Great
This 12-century constructing is London’s oldest surviving church. It’s hard to agree with that this cavernous dome of an area fits behind its modest outdoors, but assignment via the Tudor gatehouse that shields it from the rest of Smithfield and you’ll enter another global.
Fairlop Waters
The water here is still, and there isn’t a high-upward push in sight. A scattering of boats line the water and the rolling hills on the horizon will almost convince you which you’re nowhere near the Central line.
Ham House gardens and orangery
Even the extravagant Charles I cherished Ham House: he noticed healthy to provide the rent to certainly one of his closest friends. Nowadays it’s owned by means of the National Trust and it comes whole with lovely gardens and an orangery.
Wat Buddhapadipa
The first Buddhist temple in the UK (and the handiest Thai temple to be built in Europe) turned into at the start located in Richmond and has been in its current vicinity in Wimbledon for the reason that 70s. It’s a proper temple, too: the grounds encompass an ornamental lake, an orchard, a residence for the monks and a cottage.
The view from Severndroog Castle
This little fortress in south-east London is known for its imposing outside, but less regarded for its outstanding view stretching over London: it beats The Shard palms-down.
The Hogarth Staircase at St Bart’s Hospital Museum
If the ceiling of the Painted Hall at ONRC leaves you looking extra, then you definately simplest want to go to the again of St Bart’s Hospital Museum, where you’ll discover the beautiful Hogarth Staircase.
To make it even greater special, a number of the humans inside the paintings were based totally on real sufferers of the health facility.
Leighton House Museum
The quantity of detail inside the flamboyant, tricky, and colourful home of 19th-century artist Frederic Leighton is hard to soak up on a first glance, and that’s earlier than you have a look at the art connected to the wall (instead of art this is the wall). Therefore, depart enough time to wander round each room to soak all of it in well.
St John’s Lodge Gardens, Regent’s Park
This small garden to the north of the internal circle in Regent’s Park turned into designed for meditation for the 3rd Marquess of Bute, so it’s hardly ever unexpected that it’s each serene and delightful. St John’s Lodge is a personal residence, but you can nonetheless access the lawn through the small gate along the inner circle.
St Dunstan-in-the-East
This battered 12th-century church became grew to become to ruins via The Blitz, and considering that was a magical blend of outdoor and in; branches wind themselves round doors to the unique church, and you can nevertheless walk from the graveyard, “internal” to the nave after which returned “out of doors” to the garden. Go for the duration of the weekend, when it’s quieter.
Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park
Created from boggy ground in the 1830s, this garden inside Richmond Park is at its top in past due April and early May, however its evergreen azaleas and different uncommon plant life surrounding the streams and ponds suggest it’s stunning all year round.