Hidden London

Hidden London i Cover image: Wiltons Music Hall ii Chestertons Hidden London As Dr Samuel Johnson once said, 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.' London has many famous sights and instantly recognisable landmarks, but hidden down the side streets and tucked away off the beaten track are many equally fascinating, lesser known sights to be enjoyed. This booklet celebrates those hidden gems and shows you the sights of London that are often overlooked. Enjoy reading about Hidden London and have fun discovering it for yourself too. 2 The Parkland Walk Concealed by residential streets, the Parkland Walk is a much appreciated piece of ‘countryside’ in north London. It is 4.5 miles long and follows the course of a disused railway line, which used to run from Finsbury Park through Stroud Green, Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill to Alexandra Palace. The walk encompasses the bridges and cuttings of the line, passing through railway tunnels and incorporating the old station platforms. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1990 and is London’s longest Local Nature Reserve. Getting there: Southern section Northern section (Highgate to Finsbury Park) (Muswell Hill) Tube: Highgate, Tube: Highgate Finsbury Park www.parkland-walk.org.uk chestertons.com 3 Hubbub café and bar Set in a former Victorian chapel, Hubbub café and bar is a true Docklands gem. Everything about Hubbub has been designed to make you feel comfortable and at home: the staff label their favourite items on the menu in order to make their recommendations; the furniture is mis-matched and distressed in the same way a comfy pair of slippers would be; and the outdoor space gives you the option of al-fresco dining if the weather is fine. This is the perfect spot to unwind, read the papers and relax – and if you fancy a game of chess or want to spend time playing a board game, there is a even good selection here for you to borrow. 269 Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs, London, E14 3RS Getting there: DLR: Mudchute www.hubbubcafebar.com 4 chestertons.com Dennis Severs’ House Imagination and an open mind are Through antiques, scents and sound effects all that are needed for a visit to this the visitor is invited to explore the home Georgian townhouse in Spitalfields. of a family of Huguenot silk weavers as Dating from around 1724, it was lived their fortunes change with each passing in by the artist, Dennis Severs, from decade. 1979 until his death in 1999. The peal of distant church bells; the During his time there, Severs created clatter of a passing carriage; creaking a time capsule or ‘still-life drama’ floorboards; a fire still burning in the throughout the ten rooms of the house. grate; and a half-eaten meal abandoned on the table all create the illusion that the family is still present as you wander around their home in silence. 6 chestertons.com 18 Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London, E1 6BX Getting there: Tube: Liverpool Street, Aldgate, Aldgate East London Overground: Shoreditch High Street www.dennissevershouse.co.uk 7 Wilton’s Music Hall Who would have thought that this dilapidated exterior could house such a stunning venue! But this is exactly what makes Wilton’s Music Hall so enchanting. Built as an alehouse in the mid-1700s, Wilton’s became a music hall in around 1850. Over 100 years later however, the building was scheduled for demolition as part of the slum clearance schemes of the 1960s, but fortunately, a campaign supported by people such as Sir John Betjeman, Peter Sellars and Spike Milligan managed to save it. This stunning Grade II* building is now the world’s oldest surviving Grand Music Hall and produces an exciting programme of entertainment that helps to fund ongoing repairs including theatre, music, comedy, cinema and cabaret. 1 Graces Alley Getting there: (off Ensign Street), London, E1 8JB Tube: Aldgate East, Tower Hill DLR: Shadwell www.wiltons.org.uk London Overground: Shadwell 9 Surrey Docks Farm With the towers of Canary Wharf as a backdrop, there are few places where urban and rural life sit as closely as they do at Surrey Docks Farm. Nestled on the south bank of the river Thames, this is a working city farm where visitors young and old can learn about farming and food production and can become actively involved in the life of a working farm. As well as enjoying the goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, ducks, geese and poultry that are reared here, there is also an orchard, vegetable plots, a working blacksmith’s forge and regular activities for visitors to enjoy, and if you are feeling hungry, there is a fantastic on-site cafe too. 10 Surrey Docks Farm, Rotherhithe Street, London, SE16 5ET Getting there: Great for families Tube: Canada Water London Overground: Canada Water, Surrey Quays www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk chestertons.com 11 The Thames Tunnel A historical engineering marvel built meaning walking tours are infrequent by Marc Brunel, the impressive and little- and only available when the line is known Thames Tunnel was also the first closed. The attached Brunel Museum project for his teenage son, Isambard with its welcoming bar, operates the Kingdom Brunel. Thames Tunnel Shaft (for accessing Opened in 1843, the Tunnel connected the main line) which is half the size docks north and south of the Thames, of Shakespeare’s Globe, and is now at Rotherhithe and Wapping. Intended a unique concert venue lauded by for industry, the first ever underwater Time Out and Radio 4. tunnel quickly became a 19th century Recently granted funds for a full tourist attraction. restoration to its 19th century glory, Impressively, the tunnel is still in use the opportunity to appreciate this today as part of the London Overground, rare sight is worth waiting for. Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 4LF Getting there: Tube: Bermondsey, Canada Water London Overground: Rotherhithe www.brunel-museum.org.uk 12 chestertons.com 13 The Museum of Brands Hidden in a quiet mews just around Whether it is a long-forgotten board the corner from the world-famous game, the Space Hopper, 100 year-old Portobello Road Market lies the Oxo cubes or any other of the 12,000 Museum of Brands, a treasure items on display here, we guarantee that trove of retro design and memories. you will find something that awakens old As you walk through the galleries full memories and stirs up some nostalgia. of products, packaging and advertising, entering a different decade with every corner your turn, you will see how hundreds of well-known brands have evolved through the decades – and how we evolved with them. 2 Coleville Mews, Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 2AR Getting there: Tube: Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove www.museumofbrands.com chestertons.com 15 Kyoto Gardens The beautiful and serene Kyoto Gardens were opened in 1991 as a gift from Kyoto to commemorate the long friendship between Japan and Great Britain and can be found within Holland Park. This peaceful haven is so authentically designed to reflect the key traits of a Japanese Garden that you could be forgiven for thinking that you were strolling through Kyoto itself. Stone lanterns, tiered waterfalls and Koi carp all add to the atmosphere and even five minutes spent here will help give you a feeling of peace and calm. Ilchester Place, London, W8 Getting there: Tube: Kensington High Street, Holland Park 16 chestertons.com 17 Leighton House Arab Hall Although the red-brick facade of Inspired by his travels to the Middle Leighton House is itself impressive, East, the Arab Hall is one of the house’s it also hides one of the most exquisite highlights and contains stunning interiors in London. examples of Islamic art from all periods as well as a breathtaking collection of The former home of the Victorian artist tiles, mostly from Damascus and dating Lord Frederic Leighton (1830-1896), from the end of the 15th and beginning Leighton House Museum is one of the of the 16th. most remarkable buildings of the 19th century and contains a fascinating This is truly a place where East meets collection of paintings and sculpture West (London). by Leighton and his contemporaries. 12 Holland Park Road, London, W14 8LZ Getting there: Tube: High Street Kensington, Olympia, Holland Park http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/ leightonhousemuseum1.aspx 18 chestertons.com 19 23 - 24 Leinster Gardens 20 Most passers-by will not notice, but Pranksters in the 1930’s played a there’s something not quite right about hoax on guests, who were sold ten- 23 and 24 Leinster Gardens and if you Guinea tickets to a charity ball at wander around the back and look over Leinster Gardens, only to turn up the wall, you’ll see why: these ‘houses’ in evening dress to discover that the are merely facades with false windows venue didn’t exist! It was also used and letter boxes. as a location for the TV adaptation of Sherlock Holmes’ “The Adventure These ‘houses’ were built in 1868 of the Empty House”. after the extension to the Metropolitan Line was cut through the middle of the 23-24 Leinster Gardens, street and were designed not only to London, W2 3AT allow the continuation of the terrace, Getting there: but also to mask the plumes of steam Tube: Bayswater that passing trains would have vented. chestertons.com 21 St Dunstan in the East Halfway between London Bridge and the Tower of London stands the forgotten ruins of the Church of St Dunstan in the East.

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