London's Hidden Walks: Volumes 1-3

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London has no shortage of hidden palaces (see St James’s above) but we guarantee that you’ve never seen one quite like Eltham Palace before. At the North side of Regent’s Park, get into a little real estate porn with the canalside villas only billionaires could afford Finish at Wimbledon Park Station: The section concludes at Wimbledon Park station on the District Line.

We need to take a little detour off the towpath, but we’ll rejoin after the private section at Lisson Grove Conclude your journey at Radnor Gardens, where you can relax, visit a cafe, and consider continuing your walk towards Kew Bridge! If you’re curious about this secret London walk, you can find the full route, map, photos, and video on my Clerkenwell walking tour blog post. And yet, history, like nature, can prove incredibly resilient. Its tenacious roots run deep in this area, and from its germ have grown more hidden wonders that will surprise, astonish and fascinate you. BLEEDING HEARTS AND DIAMOND GEEZERSThe last of my secret London walks is in Holland Park. This local area in west London is not only full of elegant houses, but also home to one of London’s most beautiful parks.

If you’re interested in more A Lady in London walks, my blog post about self-guided London walking tours has all the ones I’ve published in one place. Meanwhile, the very names of the streets through which you will weave, will conjure up vivid images of the trades and activities that were once practiced in them. Pass through creepy – but incredibly beautiful – Abney Cemetery, with over 300,000 graves. It’s now a nature reserve. On the cusp of Farringdon and Holborn, the pub just so happens to be one of London’s historic drinking holes– there’s been a pub on these grounds since 1546 at least. The sister of Elephant & Castle’s Mercato Metropolitano opened in the beautiful setting of a converted church that makes quiet the setting for lunch. That said the venue still doesn’t garner as much attention as the E&C location does.By way of two charity children, that gaze down onto passersby below from an upper storey of a building that was, reputedly, the work of Sir Christopher Wren, the tour moves into its latter stages. Walk through Cloudesdale Road, Elmfield Road, and reach Balham High Road. Pass Du Cane Court and continue on Balham Park Road. These are some great residential streets to take in the beautiful homes and charming streets. This leafy, waterside section of the Thames is lovely even when it’s spitting rain. You’ll meander around and over the rivers and canals, passing posh high streets, historic pubs, manors and mansions.

This loveliest of secret London walks will guide you through the streets and green spaces in Dulwich village. It’s great if you’re looking to discover more of south London and want to find the best things to do in Dulwich as you go. 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. How would you like to have drinks amidst a jungle of palm fronds, flowers and rather delicious baroque decor in a light-filled conservatory? Thought so. 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. 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.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. Far from the stuffy suit-fest some people assume it to be, the financial district of The City of London is filled with hidden treasures including many a Roman ruin.