St Bartholomew-the-Great

Completed in 1823, this attractive church near Broadcasting House is one of John Nash's masterpieces, with a prominent spire and circular vestibule. As of May 2025, it accessible only for worship.

Discover mementoes of the famous fictional detective. In reality, this was a lodging house used in the late 1800s and has three floors. The first floor contains Sherlock Holmes' study with Watson's desk, and has bullet holes spelling the initials VR (for Victoria Regina, Latin for Queen Victoria) much to the chagrin of the landlady Mrs. Hudson. Next to that is Holmes' bedroom with a rogues' gallery containing photographs of several notable Victorian-era murderers including Lizzy Bourdain. The remaining rooms upstairs have waxwork figures and artefacts referencing the novels, as well as their adaptations to stage and screen. Photography allowed, though filming requires permission. Prebooking is recommended to circumvent long queues.

A lovely park on the southern banks of the Thames known or its wildlife and some splendid examples of mature trees.

At 87 hectares this is the largest open green space in the district.

Beautiful Italianate church created during the Catholic revival of the 19th century.

Not as popular with tourists as St Paul's north of the river, Southwark Cathedral has been the site of worship since the year 852. Literally in the shadow of London Bridge, the Cathedral is a shelter from the noise of the city. Next to the Cathedral is the Borough Market open Th-Sa with a wide range of speciality food to buy, a good area for lunch.

A vast collection of cartoons and comics on display with special, often topical, exhibitions.

Official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London, completed in 1753.

A 900-year-old tree stump carved and painted to feature elves and small animals.

191-m (627-ft) skyscraper can be seen from far away and is the sixth highest building in UK.

Eccentric Gothic home of 18th-century poet and author, Horace Walpole, son of England's first prime minister.

This garden square was established by Lord Southampton in 1665 and is the oldest square in London. It was opened to the public in the 1950s. The square is surrounded by a number of beautiful 18th- and 19th-century buildings and terraces.

Includes a small but beautiful quad and an interesting Neo-Classical facade. The core buildings of UCL were built after the university's foundation in 1826.

The Royal Academy no longer has a permanent exhibition space, instead hosting art exhibitions. Notable exhibitions have included the paintings of Monet, contemporary art associated with the theme of apocalypse, and Aztec art. Each Summer, the Royal Academy plays host to a Summer Exhibition, displaying 1,200 new works by established and new artists selected by the academy, most of which are available for visitors to buy. Each member has to donate a work of art, so over the years, the academy has built a sizable collection. Exhibitions are invariably excellent, and it is worth paying for audio guides, if they are not included. Visitors should book tickets in advance, as exhibitions are often very popular – particularly shortly after opening.

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.

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.

Founded by veteran designer Zandra Rhodes.