Marcus news, cropped by IgnisFatuus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
| # | Name | At a glance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sky Garden, not the Shard | Same city view for free at 20 Fenchurch Street. Book a slot online… |
| 2 | Sir John Soane's Museum, by candlelight | First Tuesday of the month the whole house runs on candlelight only.… |
| 3 | The Barbican Conservatory | One of Europe's largest indoor gardens, hidden above a concert hall.… |
| 4 | Columbia Road Flower Market, before nine | Sunday only. Arrive by nine for the best stock and no crowd, or come… |
| 5 | Leadenhall Market on a weekday, not a Sunday | Guides show it empty because most shops close on weekends. At… |
| 6 | Postman's Park, early or on a weekend | A tiny City garden memorializing ordinary people who died saving… |
| 7 | Westminster Abbey, for Evensong, not the day ticket | Skip the entry fee and come for free choral Evensong instead. Arrive… |
| 8 | The free viewpoint at Greenwich, at sunrise | Skip the paid Observatory and stand by the General Wolfe statue… |
| 9 | God's Own Junkyard, in Walthamstow | Europe's largest vintage neon collection, free to walk through. Open… |
| 10 | Two Temple Place, January through April | A neo Gothic mansion built for an American millionaire, free, but… |
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01
Sky Garden, not the Shard #
Same city view for free at 20 Fenchurch Street. Book a slot online well in advance. More room to move than the Shard's crowded platform.
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02
Sir John Soane's Museum, by candlelight #
First Tuesday of the month the whole house runs on candlelight only. No advance ticket, just arrive early and take a wristband.
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03
The Barbican Conservatory #
One of Europe's largest indoor gardens, hidden above a concert hall. Free, but open only a few slots a week. Check the calendar first.
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04
Columbia Road Flower Market, before nine #
Sunday only. Arrive by nine for the best stock and no crowd, or come at three when traders discount whatever is left.
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05
Leadenhall Market on a weekday, not a Sunday #
Guides show it empty because most shops close on weekends. At weekday lunchtime it is a working arcade, full and alive.
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06
Postman's Park, early or on a weekend #
A tiny City garden memorializing ordinary people who died saving strangers. Weekday lunchtimes it fills with office workers, otherwise it is nearly empty.
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07
Westminster Abbey, for Evensong, not the day ticket #
Skip the entry fee and come for free choral Evensong instead. Arrive twenty minutes early through the Great West Door for a seat.
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08
The free viewpoint at Greenwich, at sunrise #
Skip the paid Observatory and stand by the General Wolfe statue outside it. Same skyline over the Thames, empty before the day starts.
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09
God's Own Junkyard, in Walthamstow #
Europe's largest vintage neon collection, free to walk through. Open Friday to Sunday only, and worth checking it hasn't closed for a private event.
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10
Two Temple Place, January through April #
A neo Gothic mansion built for an American millionaire, free, but open only for its single annual exhibition each spring. Check the current dates.
Seven people to follow before you go to London
- 1Sonya Barber. News and Events Editor at Time Out London, posting what is actually opening, closing, and happening in the city, not just restaurant reviews.
- 2David Ellis. Restaurant critic and editor of the Evening Standard's Going Out section, a reliable single voice on what's worth booking.
- 3@newmiyamoto. An anonymous but widely cited London food account that restaurant people themselves watch closely, useful for finds that have not been written up yet.
- 4@TfLTravelAlerts. Transport for London's real time alert account, the one Londoners actually check before a Tube line ruins a morning.
- 5Jack Chesher (Living London History). A published historian posting the hidden backstory behind ordinary London corners, good for noticing things a normal guide skips.
- 6Arsenal FC. The club's official account, useful for match details and access information if a game falls during the trip.
- 7Windmill Brixton. A small, genuinely local venue booking grassroots and touring acts, worth a check before travel for who is actually playing.