Visit the Hidden Side of London

Tour Alternative London’s Best Secret Tourist Destinations

Oct 17, 2008 Alistair McCulloch

London offers many lesser-known visitor attractions including Ghelsea Physic and Kensington Roof Gardens, the Kyoto Garden and Westminster Abbey College Garden.

London has much to offer the visitor. Here's a guide to some of the best of alternative London, including a number of gardens open to visitors.

The Chelsea Physic Garden

Visit England’s second-oldest botanical garden right in the heart of fashionable Chelsea. The four acres established in 1673 by the Society of Apothecaries is packed with medicinal herbs and plants and engages in teaching and research. Its opening times vary according to the time of year and can be found here or by phoning 020 7352 5646, extension 28.

Kensington Roof Gardens

As they walk by the building which houses Barkers department store in Kensington High Street, pedestrians would never guess that the building’s roof is home to Europe’s largest roof garden. The three gardens contain woodland, a lake, a fountain, palm trees and a folly. It’s free to visit, but not always open to the public as it’s a popular spot for functions. Check by phoning 020 7937 7994 Monday to Friday during business hours, or 020 7368 3993 on the weekends or visit the website.

Sir John Soane Museum

Set in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2, the Sir John Soane Museum exhibits Sir John’s personal collection in the Georgian townhouse designed specifically for that purpose. A real old-fashioned museum and gallery in which every nook and cranny, including some hidden behind other nooks and crannies, is crammed with evidence of Sir John Soane’s good taste. Opening hours are 10-5pm Tuesday to Saturday with other special events from time to time. For details phone 020 7440 4263 or visit the museum's website.

The Fan Museum

Highly specialised museums can be fun and London’s Fan Museum, set in Croom Hill near to Greenwich Railway Station, is no exception. The 18th century building houses over 3,000 fans. Should interest in the fans begin to fade, women can visit the ladies restrooms which, in 1999, won the English Tourist Board’s Lavatory of the Year Award. The Fan Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday between 11am and 5pm and on Sundays between 12 noon - 5pm. The Museum closes on a number of days each year, for detail either phone 0208-305 1441 or visit its website.

College Garden, Westminster Abbey

Set directly across the road from the Palace of Westminster with its Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, College Garden offers a secluded spot in the midst of London’s political quarter. Originally used to grow fruit, herbs and vegetables for the monks of the abbey, it is currently open mainly at weekends. Its website contains a calendar showing opening hours on any specific day during the year.

The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret

St Thomas Street, near London Bridge Station, is home to a long-lost operating theatre which was shut in 1862 and not re-discovered until 1956. The operating theatre has now been completely renovated and reminds visitors of what surgery was like in the days before modern medicine. The Herb Garret is where the hospital apothecary’s herbs were stored and dried and the building was also the one where Florence Nightingale began her nurse training. The attraction is open10.30am to 5.00pm every day including bank holidays, although it is closed Christmas and Boxing Days and from15th Dec to 5th Jan. Further details can be found on its website or by phoning 020 7188 2679.

Kyoto Garden, Holland Park

This Japanese garden is home to a number of white peacocks and is set out in the style of a traditional Japanese garden. Whether the need is for a place to spend time contemplating life, the planet and one’s place in it, or just to rest feet wearied by a tour of London’s secret places, the Kyoto Garden provides the perfect location between 7.30 and dusk every day.

Concluding Comments

The attractions described here represent some of hidden London's best-kept secrets which by their nature can have variable opening hours and entrance charges, so its best for the visitor to check out opening times and charges through the links provided before travelling to them.

The copyright of the article Visit the Hidden Side of London in U.K./Ireland Travel is owned by Alistair McCulloch. Permission to republish Visit the Hidden Side of London in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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