London’s only museum dedicated solely to itself, the Museum of London was born in 1965 out of the Museum of London Act. When it opened in 1976, it featured the combined collections of the City of London at London Guildhall and the London Museum at Kensington Palace. Its exhibits are dedicated to the city’s history and are separated into various eras from prehistoric London … [Read more...] about Ten Things to See at the Museum of London
Guides
LONDON TOP FIVE: Our Favorite London Pubs
Over the years we’ve had the pleasure of visiting many pubs all across London. Some have been terrible. Some have been wonderful. Here’s a list of five of favorites that we go back to again and again. The Mayflower - Rotherhithe The Mayflower tries to claim the title of the oldest pub on the Thames (the history is murky). This pub was founded in 1550 as The Shippe and is … [Read more...] about LONDON TOP FIVE: Our Favorite London Pubs
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Balham
Balham is a neighborhood in South West London that is old enough to appear in the Domesday Book, where it was listed as Belgeham. It was meadows and farmland for centuries until the expansion of the city engulfed it and turned it into another suburb. Without much history of note, today, Balham offers a lot for people visiting. Those who are into greenspace will want to visit … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Balham
London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
While London has many fantastic free museums and galleries there are some that have an admission charge. This list is by no means exhaustive but these are the ‘pay for’ London museums we would like to highlight. We’ve tried to focus on the best museums and have avoided listing common tourist traps. When you have to pay to get into a museum, especially in London where most … [Read more...] about London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
Ten Interesting Things to See at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
Greenwich has been an important place to seafaring and exploration for centuries since the Romans first landed their boats here to King Charles II establishing the Greenwich Observatory for “finding the longitude of places”. Recognizing this long history, the National Maritime Museum was officially established in 1934 in the Royal Greenwich Park, with the building itself … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Things to See at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
The London Fiver – Opening in 2020 – Five New Bars and Restaurants to Visit
So it’s a new year and you might be wondering, “where should we go tonight?” After ticking through a list of bars and restaurants you’ve been to a hundred times already, you could be at a loss. Fear not, for we at Londontopia have looked into this and found some new nightlife spots for you to consider whether you’re a longtime London resident or just visiting. Each of the … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Opening in 2020 – Five New Bars and Restaurants to Visit
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Hounslow
The London Borough of Hounslow was one of many crafted by the London Government Act 1963 and was a combination of three other government bodies: Brentford and Chiswick, Heston and Isleworth, and the Feltham Urban District. Formerly home to a number of farms and large estates, several of the latter still exist in the borough as house museums and grand parks. Of course, these … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Hounslow
Top Ten Things to See and Do at Westminster Abbey
Known formally as the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, Westminster Abbey has been at the center of Christian life in London since the 7th Century when the first church was founded on the site. The Abbey got its start when Saint Dustan and King Edgar founded a Benedictine community there around the 960s or 970s. Edward the Confessor then began construction of … [Read more...] about Top Ten Things to See and Do at Westminster Abbey
LONDON TOP FIVE: Trendy Chain Restaurants To Try On Your Next Trip to London
American style chains proliferated in London in the ’90s and ’00s, but as tourists have developed a more refined palate for good dining while traveling, the restaurant market in London has provided a series of innovative new trendy chain restaurants that focus on specific cuisine and do it well. Here are our favorites. Flat Iron - Flat Iron is a restaurant concept that focuses … [Read more...] about LONDON TOP FIVE: Trendy Chain Restaurants To Try On Your Next Trip to London
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham had its origins as far back as the 6th Century when the Jute Leof settled in the area, making it “Leofshema”. The name then evolved into Levesham and then the Lord Manor of Lewisham by the Saxon period. As with much of inner London, it went from pastoral estate to suburban metropolis as London expanded and the Borough of Lewisham was officially … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Lewisham
LONDON TOP FIVE: Our Personal Favorite Bookstores in London – What’s Your Favorite?
I love books. I love London. London has the best bookshops in the world. Here’s my roundup of my top five favorites. We’ve made a note of which ones will be happy to send your book finds back home, so you don’t have to worry about cramming everything back into your suitcase! Hatchards -The word I would use to describe Hatchards is Stately. It’s the oldest bookstore in Britain … [Read more...] about LONDON TOP FIVE: Our Personal Favorite Bookstores in London – What’s Your Favorite?
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stockwell
Stockwell was once part of a sprawling country estate before the expanding London turned it into a middle-class suburb in the 19th Century. Since that time, Stockwell has seen mixed fortunes, much was rebuilt after World War II and the district became a home to several public housing estates. Part of the larger Borough of Lambeth, Stockwell today offers plenty to see and do … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stockwell
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury is one of the busiest areas of London and with good reason. Quite a number of the city’s museums are here along with several green spaces and University College London. Bloomsbury was described in the Domesday Book as having hogs and vineyards, though the modern name for the area didn’t appear until the 13th Century. As London grew, Bloomsbury began to develop in … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Bloomsbury
Top Ten London: Top 10 Things to See and Do in Paddington
Most people might associate the name Paddington with a certain bear; in fact, doing the research on this article requires some modifiers to my search to specifically point out that I’m not looking for him. However, the area from which the famous fictional character takes his name has plenty of distinction in itself. Once a medieval parish and then a London borough, the latter … [Read more...] about Top Ten London: Top 10 Things to See and Do in Paddington
Top 10 London: Top Ten “Small” Museums
London certainly as a lot of great museums to visit: The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Natural History Museum, The London Museum, and of course The British Museum. However, there are dozens more museums that might get overlooked because they’re not as large, even though they can be just as fascinating. These museums are dedicated to different facets of British culture, … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten “Small” Museums
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stepney
Stepney is a district in London with an interesting history. Also known as Stepney Green, this area is a part of East London that blew up during the 19th Century as new residents flooded to London for work. This new population was mostly made up of immigrants and low-income workers, shaping the district into a place largely known for poverty, a reputation that changed little … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stepney
Fancy a Pint? Ten of London’s Most Beautiful Pubs
When it comes to a good pub, the ale is the thing you’re looking for most, then the food, and then the atmosphere. Of course, the appearance of any pub is an important part of the experience, and whether you’re looking for your new local or visiting from out of town, you want to be in a place that meets your expectations. Plenty of London’s pubs are beautiful places inside … [Read more...] about Fancy a Pint? Ten of London’s Most Beautiful Pubs
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and do in Kennington
Kennington has long been a place for gatherings, dating back to ancient times when burial mounds were sacred places to honor the dead. Today the people who assemble in Kennington are most likely there for a cricket match at the Kia Oval where a very different kind of sacred activity is taking place. Kennington as a district has seen its ups and down, swelling in the … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and do in Kennington
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Places for Christmas Shopping On Your Holiday Visits to London
The mad shopping season of Christmas is upon us. As we venture out of our homes, we brave crowded streets and shopping centers in search of those items that will tell our friends and family how much we love them. London is a shopper’s paradise throughout the year, but things turn up a notch after Halloween ends. The Christmas decorations go up on the high streets, the … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five of the Best Places for Christmas Shopping On Your Holiday Visits to London
Top Ten London: Top 10 London Street Markets
Perhaps one of the greatest things about a city like London is the number of street markets all over the city. Each borough seems to have its own commercial thoroughfare that’s filled with produce, street food, vintage clothes, antiques, and more. Whether you intend to buy anything or not, you can spend a wonderful afternoon perusing the stalls and shops of London’s street … [Read more...] about Top Ten London: Top 10 London Street Markets
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Enfield
Enfield is one of London’s boroughs that was named in the Domesday Book, where it was listed as Enefelde in 1086. Since that time, it was home to a palace lived in by King Edward VI and his sister, then the Princess Elizabeth (years before she would become Elizabeth I). Enfield grew with the Industrial Revolution, as much of London did, and today is one of the many outlying … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Enfield
Top Ten Works of Art to See at the Tate Britain
The Tate Britain is the flagship of the Tate museum group and has been a fixture in British art since it opened in 1897. Its collection is full of art from throughout the United Kingdom going back to the Tudor era and includes some of the country’s biggest names from J.M.W. Turner to William Blake. With so many works over such a long span of time, there are plenty of … [Read more...] about Top Ten Works of Art to See at the Tate Britain
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Waltham Forest
One of the northernmost boroughs of Greater London, Waltham Forest formed in 1965 from the merger of Leyton, Walthamstow, and Chingford. Like much of Greater London, the area that is now Waltham Forest was mostly undeveloped until the Victorian period, but now is a thriving part of the city which offers plenty of things to do and places to see. We’ve outlined ten of our … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Waltham Forest
Top Ten Things to Do in Kensington
Perhaps one of the most (if not the most) affluent areas of London, Kensington is part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. As befitting its title, Kensington is home to some of the city’s most expensive real estate as well as many of its biggest tourist attractions. Whether you’re looking for some high-end shopping or to spend time with the wealthiest museum … [Read more...] about Top Ten Things to Do in Kensington
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Wandsworth
Wandsworth is one of the oldest parts of London. The area’s first reference goes back to the Domesday Book when it was a large manor before the ever-encroaching city swallowed it up. Following the Industrial Revolution, Wandsworth built itself up with a gas plant, Young’s Brewery, and the iconic Battersea Power Plant. Today, Wandsworth is very much a cosmopolitan place, … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Wandsworth
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!