The Diana Memorial Fountain is more like an artificial stream, gracefully flowing in an oval shape through an inviting, open grassy area. During typical summer months, this spot transforms into a lively paddling area, attracting both children and adults who enjoy the refreshing waters.
Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana,_Princess_of_Wales_Memorial_Fountain
Old train station with an enormous office and shopping complex in glass and pale stone. A lavish hotel is also on the site. The name comes from the Queen Eleanor (13th century) gothic pillar outside the station, which is actually a Victorian-era replica. Charing Cross Road was once famous for its vintage book shops, but these have now largely disappeared due to high rents and online competition; however, the road is still home to one of London's largest bookshops, Foyle's.
At 87 hectares this is the largest open green space in the district.
Eccentric Gothic home of 18th-century poet and author, Horace Walpole, son of England's first prime minister.
Garden founded by apothecaries in the 17th century to the medicinal properties of plants. It was only opened to the public in the 1980s, when it became a charity. The heat-sink caused by its thick walls, combined with the general waste heat of London itself, keeps the garden much warmer than it would otherwise be at this latitude. Due to this, the garden contains the world's most northerly example of a grapefruit outside of a greenhouse, and the largest fruiting olive tree in the country. The collection contains thousands of different plant species.
Houses the British national collection of western European art dating from the 13th to 19th centuries. A truly awe-inspiring collection, notable works include Hans Holbein's The Ambassadors, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Constable's The Haywain. The vast majority of art is free of charge to visit. Temporary exhibitions are generally fairly costly, but invariably well researched and presented. The audioguides are very comprehensive, have comments on most of the paintings in the museum, and are free though this fact is not advertised. A donation is suggested. In addition to courses, workshops, lectures and other events, the National Gallery has free talks and tours every day.
London Stone is a historic landmark housed in a public display case at 111 Cannon Street in the City of London. It is an irregular block of oolitic limestone measuring 53 × 43 × 30 cm (21″ × 17″ × 12″), the remnant of a once much larger object that had stood for many centuries on the south side of the street.
Probably the most popular of all the museums here and a must see for many visitors to London. Home to at least 70 million specimens from across all the life sciences. It's difficult to say what the most popular exhibit here is; the blue whale which towers over the entrance hall, the (now slightly tacky-looking) animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex in the dinosaur gallery, or the life-size model blue whale in the mammals gallery. Also well worth a check are the Darwin Centre (book on a free tour to see some of the most interesting, and sometimes gruesome, specimens not on public display); and the studio dedicated to BBC wildlife personality extraordinaire, David Attenborough. The NHM's "Earth Galleries" were once the adjacent Geological Museum, an independent institution until the 1980s, and still located in a separate building with a separate entrance.
Magnificent 19th-century bridge, decorated with high towers and featuring a drawbridge. The bridge opens several times each day to permit ships to pass through – timings are dependent on demand, and are not regularly scheduled. When Tower Bridge was built, the area to the west of it was a bustling port – necessitating a bridge that could permit tall boats to pass. Now the South Bank area sits to its west, and the regenerated Butler's Wharf area of shops and riverside restaurants lie to its east. You can get the lift to the top level of the bridge and admire the view. Glass floors provide an interesting perspective for the brave. The museum highlights the bridge's history and engineering, and there are photographic exhibitions along the walkways between the towers.
Former offices of the Greater London Authority. A radically-designed glass fronted and rounded building, previously headquarters for London's Mayor and Assembly. City Hall has now be relocated to The Crystal, a building in Greenwich, near to the cable car. The old building is disused and not open to the public, but can be viewed from the outside.
Dedicated to scientific exhibitions and collections bar those related to the life sciences. A number of famous historical machines and inventions are housed here, from steam locomotives to the Apollo 10 command module. The space exhibits are especially popular. Exhibitions tend to concentrate on explaining scientific principles with working models and there is a strong emphasis on education and attracting children. The Science Museum opened a "Children's Gallery" in the 1930s and it continues to lead the way in this area; now, there are three separate galleries aimed at all ages of younger visitor, from 5 to 16. The museum also runs "Science Nights" whereby children spend an evening learning principles and participating in experiments before spending the night sleeping in the museum with the exhibits. Also houses a vast library of scientific and medical books and journals.
Su Catholic Church of England with bells and smells (incense). There is an impressive model of the old London Bridge.
Remains of the wall that surrounded the City of London for almost two thousand years. The parts around the Barbican are mostly Tudor due to maintenance (Roman remains can be seen in and around the Tower of London). Other local remains are the 51.5169-0.095833 Noble St wall fragment and the 51.5177-0.092234 St Alphage Gdns wall fragment.
The Abbey charges tourists for entry, but not for worshippers. Attend a church service for free and enjoy some of the finest choral music in London from the choir. Choral Evensong at 3pm (Sa Su) or 5pm (weekdays), depending on time of year, is an especially good bet. The Abbey is the traditional scene for the coronation of British monarchs and the burial place of many past kings and queens. The Abbey contains a good gift shop and the Cellarium Café, which traces its history to the 14th century, is a good place to buy a noontime meal. Westminster Abbey is usually open to visitors from Monday to Saturday throughout the year. On Sundays and religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas, the Abbey is open for worship only. All are welcome and it is free to attend services. Visitor access to the Abbey is via the West Gate of the North Green.
The Serpentine is a long, thin artificial lake within Hyde Park which contains a range of waterfowl and fish. It was first made by damming the River Westbourne but it is now fed by three boreholes. The western end of the lake is actually in Kensington Gardens, in which it is called The Long Water. Swimming and boating are popular activities on the Serpentine; see 'Do' section.