Buildings

The London Stone

111 Cannon Street, EC4

"So long as the stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish," says the proverb. Brutus (the Trojan) was the legendary founder of London and the stone is thought to be part of an altar built by him.

Best views of London

Oxo Tower Bar, South Bank of River Thames ( eight floor)


Duck & Waffle, Heron Tower

(40th floor)


Paramount, Centre Point

(32nd floor + viewing gallery)


Vertigo 42, Champagne Bar

25 Old Broad Street EC2


Tower Bridge  (download App)


Primrose Hill

"Standing on Primrose Hill in the early morning light. It is always a wonderful experience."


The Shard

Joiner Street, SE1

“A skyscraper that is recognised immediately and which is already considered London's new emblem”


"We shall defend every village, every town and every city. The vast mass of London itself, fought street by street, could easily devour an entire hostile army; and we would rather see London laid in ruins and ashes than that it should be tamely and abjectly enslaved."          Sir Winston Churchill

Historic Houses worth a visit:


Dr Johnson´s House     

17 Gough Square, EC4

Händel House Museum 

25 Brook Street, W1

Benjamin Franklin House 

36 Craven Street, WC2

John Wesley´s House and The Museum of Methodism

49 City Road, EC 1

The Chapel, built in 1778 and designed by Gerorge Dance the Younger, is one of the finest Georgian builkdings in London. By the way -If you are a gentleman don´t miss going downstairs to the original 1899 gentlemen´s toilet. Have never seen one like this before! (Sorry Ladies - your toilet has been refurbished)

The William Morris Society

26 Upper Mall,Hammersmith

Welcome to The William Morris Society, founded in 1953 to make the life, work and ideas of William Morris (1834-96) better known.  The Society’s aim is to take its world-wide membership to new places, shares discoveries and deepen our understanding of a most remarkable man, his artistic and political networks, and his vision of ‘How We Might Live’.

Burgh House                   

New End Square, NW3

This beautiful Queen Anne-era gem is steeped in over 300 years of history. Burgh House was used as a private residence for much of its life, but it is now open to the public four days a week as an independent charitable trust for arts, heritage and the community.

Fenton House and Garden

Hampstead Grove, Hampstead, NW3

This beautiful 17th-century house is a hidden gem in London, a place of unique charm and ambience.


Lady Binning bought the house in 1936 and filled it with her highly decorative collections of porcelain, Georgian furniture and 17th-century needlework.


Emery Walker´s  House

The Arts & Crafts Home in London

7 Hammersmith Terrace, W6

Tours are limited to eight visitors, due to the size and fragile nature of the house and its many contents. Tours last one hour and must be pre-booked. After a short introductory talk, one of our experienced guides will accompany you through all of the main rooms and (weather permitting) the garden.

Hogarth´s House

Hogarth Lane, Great West Road W4 (Chiswick)

Hogarth's House in Chiswick, built around 1700, was the country home of the great painter, engraver and satirist William Hogarth (1697 - 1764) from 1749 until his death.

Keats House

10 Keats Grove, Hampstead NW3

Explore the life and work of Keats through new exhibits of his original manuscripts and artefacts which tell the story of how the young poet found inspiration, friendship, and love in this stunning Regency villa.

Carlyle´s  House

24 Cheyne Row, Cheksea

Hidden in the quiet back streets of Chelsea is the home of Thomas and Jane Carlyle.                                                   


When you pull the bell to enter you will follow in the footsteps of Dickens, Ruskin, Tennyson and many more.

William Makepeace Thackeray said: 'Tom Carlyle lives in perfect dignity in a house in Chelsea with a snuffy Scotch maid to open the door and best company in England ringing at it!'

Free guided tours at Somerset House!


Somerset House, now an exciting venue for arts and culture was once the home of three Catholic queens; Anne of Denmark, Henrietta Maria and Catherine of Braganza and played a vital part in the crisis of the Stuart dynasty.


Join us for a new guided tour, exploring the history of the site before this current building existed. A special highlight of the tour includes access to Strand Lane Baths.


Tours are at 12.45 and at 14.15 each Tuesday.


Tickets are available, on the day only, from the Information Desk. Tour last approximately 1 hour.


Buildings by Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723):

London´s Great Fire of 1666 gave Wren a chance to  present a scheme to rebuild the city. He designed 51 new city churches, as well as the new St Paul´s Cathedral. In 1669, he was appointed surveyor of the royal works. He was knighted in 1673. Travelling around London you will see works of Wren. 

Drury Lane Theatre                          

Hampton Court             

Marlborough House            

Royal Exchange                               

Royal Hospital Chelsea     

Royal Observatory Greenwich   

St Mary-le-Bow                      

St Paul´s Cathedral

St Stephen Walbrook                       

The Monument                                                   


"Clever men

Like Christopher Wren

Only occur just now and then"

Buildings by Inigo Jones (1573-1652):

The first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry in his buildings. Travelling around London you will see works of Jones. Inigo Jones is buried in  St Benet´s Welsh Church.

Banqueting House                            

Covent Garden Square               

St Paul´s Church           

Queén´s House, Greenwich                   

London Open House


Open House London is the capital's largest annual festival of architecture and design. Now in its 23rd year, it is a city-wide celebration of the buildings, places, and neighbourhoods where we live and work.


The dates for Open House London 2015 are 19 and 20 September.

(Below:Pillar Hall at Olympia)


No 1 London  (Apsley House)

Apsley House, also known as Number One, London, is the London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, facing south towards the busy traffic roundabout.

St Bartholomew-the-Great

West Smithfield. Tube: Barbican

One of the oldest churches in London having escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666.

It has become a popular site for film location, appearing in such movies as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sherlock Holmes, Shakespeare in Love, The End of the Affair, Amazing Grace, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and The Other Boleyn Girl.

10 Downing Street or not?

Number 10 Adam Street, The Strand looks almost exactly like its more famous counterpart over on Downing Street. Try to guess which is the REAL 10 Downing Street…

If you are going to visit the Prime Minister knock on the door to the right.

10 Downing Street, the locale of British prime ministers since 1735, vies with the White House as being the most important political building anywhere in the world in the modern era. Behind its black door have been taken the most important decisions affecting Britain for the last 275 years.

Oldest terraced houses

These terraces are dated back to 1658 and you will find them at number 52-55 Newington Green in Hackney/Islington. They survived the Great Fire of London and both World Wars, so they are in fact the oldest terraced houses in London. 

Greenwich Foot Tunnel

Cutty Sark Gardens

Walk under the Thames from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs in a tunnel built in 1902. Read more here.


Woolwich Foot Tunnel

Walk under the Thames from Woolwich to North Woolwich, Newham,  in a tunnel built in 1912. Read more here.

The Crossrail tunnelling under London has now begun. The Crossrail has a confirmed route - Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, with new rail tunnels (and stations) under central London as required. Picture below is from the Woolwich Crossrail tunnel.

For crossrail events look here.

Underground history

Look through the window as you travel between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn on the Central Line and you'll see a station - where no passengers have alighted since 1932. This used to be British Museum station. An interesting page by Hywel Williams

Bevis Marks Synagogue

4 Heneage Lane,EC3

Nearest tube:Aldgate

The oldest and most splendid synagogue in Great Britain, opened in 1701. Read more here.

Thames Flood Barrier

The Thames Barrier is located downstream of central London, on the river Thames on the eastern side of the capital at Woolwich. Boats from Westminster.

Read more here.


Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple

105-119 Brentfield Road

Neasden, NW10 Tube:Neasden Station

In the UK, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is respected as one of the largest and most active Hindu organisations within the Indian diaspora. The 'Neasden Temple' (BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir) in London, is where it is headquartered.


Heatherwick´s Rolling Bridge

The Rolling Bridge was designed by Thomas Heatherwick. You´will find it in Paddington Basin close to Paddington Railway Station.

During the day it looks like a regular bridge but at 12noon each Friday it rolls up forming an octagonal shape. (See video below)

Paddington Basin

Trafalgar Square Church Window

A new East Window designed by Shirazeh Houshiary has been installed above the altar at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church. Every evening the ellipse is insidiously lit and increases with the fading light creating a strong visual effect seen both inside and out.