London's Hidden Walks: Volumes 1-3

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And so, having crossed over one of London's underground rivers - you won't actually know that you've done so, so Richard will ensure that he informs you of the exact moment when you are doing so - we move, seamlessly, into our next hidden enclave of historic London.

This loveliest of secret London walks is perfect if you like to be on the water and take in a variety of sights and neighborhoods as you go. It’s a good alternative to the Thames Path, and a great way to see some local London neighborhoods. Walk along Alma Terrace, Heathfield Road, and Magdalen Road, passing the Beatrix Potter primary school. You’ll pass near Wandsworth Prison. Just remember that if it ever comes down to us being contenders for the last table. St James’s Palace

You see, the whole of the South Bank area used to be a breeding ground of rather scandalous occupations – whoring, gambling, fighting – it all used to happen on the South Bank. There were brothels aplenty, as well as some of the city’s poorest slums. If you’re up for going on it, you can take a look at my Dulwich walk post for the route, photos, video, and map.

That means you can go and enjoy the delicious street food and *cough cough* boozy drinks in the golden main hall in a relatively crowd-free setting – or at least without the hoards that you’d expect elsewhere. Long read: Distillation of a brilliant guide’s many years’ experience probing the hidden places and forgotten nooks of the world’s most elusive city. Exploring secret London – up creeping lanes, round out-of-the-way corners, past veiled islands of green – Shaughan’s at his inimitable best. As the New York Times put it, the walk is “a highly entertaining… blend of historical commentary and bizarre anecdote laced with mildly scurrilous gossip about past and present celebrities and defunct royals.”In such places and with such a guide, the past becomes our present. The original church had the misfortune to burn down in the Great Fire of London. It was rebuilt by Christopher Wren, only to be bombed to a shell during The Blitz. Follow the railway line by Estreham Road. After the road bends right, turn left through the subway under the railway to Potters Lane. All this stuff is on sale, so if you find something you like and you’ve got a few quid to spare you can even treat this as a shopping trip. Perhaps there’s a special someone who would really like a piece of some of this precious metal…

LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!

Fun fact: Islington’s Barnsbury Wood is London’s smallest nature reserve at just 0.35 hectares. Nestled in Barnsbury, this secret space used to be a vicarage garden until the 1840s. As nature began to grow around the ruins, it encouraged an abundance of wildlife including rare forms of ladybirds. So, if you fancy the idea of searching for long-tailed tits, lesser stag beetles, toads and sixteen-spot ladybirds, this is the walking spot for you. This is one of the most beautiful hidden walks in London, with wooded areas, incredible greenery, posh park paths, great architecture, and creepy cemetery vibes. Want to find them? Read our handy guide (hint: there’s a map to help you along with the task) Mercato Mayfair Still, there’s no denying that some of London’s mews are rather attractive – but as they pop up on the ‘gram with increasing frequency, some of them are starting to feel like a rather boring slow-mo circus of awkwardly posed models.

Ye Olde Mitre bills itself as one of the most difficult to find pubs in London and, you know, they might just be right. You’d think that was a pretty far-fetched story but that’s exactly what happened with the Seven Noses of Soho . This canal walk goes past everything from the colorful boats in Little Venice to the buzzing stalls in Camden Market. It even goes through the London Zoo in Regent’s Park. And, for one last surprise, despite the fact that, over the course of the tour, you'll have made twists and turns that will have completely disorientated you, you'll actually be a mere five minutes walk from the spot at which the tour began. A FASCINATING TOUR IN A GREAT AREA These are special areas of the library that aren’t accessible to the general public. That is unless you have a reader’s card…This cool, lesser-known section of the Capital Ring offers a mix of urban and green spaces, taking walkers through interesting residential streets, commons, and notable landmarks. As you approach the river’s edge, you’ll join the Thames Path National Trail, then turn right on Odessa Street. We can’t see how you can resist just the smallest amount of wonder as you poke around through thousands of exotic plants, vines trailing from the upper levels and greenery winding between the concrete structures. We just can’t… but you do you boo. So it was pretty much a given that we’d love London’s largest legal street art wall – Leake Street Tunnel.

But what comes next really is a wonderful final section of a tour that is made up of wonderful sections. Mayfair might feel like an unlikely place to discover London’s secrets. After all, anyone who has ever heard of The Ritz and Green Park knows that Mayfair’s all about the old-school spenny glamour. London is a city that pays dividends – if you take the time to invest in it that is. There are so many hidden gems in London that if we’re frank, if you’re not taking the time to explore the city, you are not doing it justice. We’re not throwing shade. Believe us, we are not (well, we kind of are but in the friendliest, loveliest way).

Hidden Gems in London

Highlights of this London walk include Richmond Park, charming alleys like Brewers Lane, and great riverside pubs and restaurants. Moving on from tales of devils and debtors, Richard will demonstrate that his walks can encompass contemporary events, as we drill into London's more recent history with a visit to the exterior of the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company, scene of one of Britain's largest and most audacious ever heists in April 2015. SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST By 18th Century standards that meant fluted columns reminiscent of the reason of Ancient Athens (or would it be the might of Imperial Rome?) and a ceiling that evokes the Sistine Chapel: Far above you on that high ceiling is an enormous mural painted by Sir James Thornhill that depicts heroic fragments of English history, kings, battles, inventions. The Painted Hall is part of the Old Royal Naval College and actually functioned as a sort of dining room, a place for officers to chow down away between classes. Does it even bare saying that the room had to be fit for the men that lead the empire into battle?