London is considered by many to be the one of the world’s most photogenic cities. Famous palaces, statues and river views create the backdrop for the perfect tourist photos.
Having lived close to London for a few years now, I have come to really enjoy taking a walk through the city’s lesser known parks and districts and discovering the many surprises that the city hides away from the spotlight. Here are just a few of the things we have found in the last month. All are within an hour’s walk of the centre of the city.
Michelin Building, South Kensington: art-deco before its time
Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park
New Zealand Memorial, Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park, London (yes, this really is in the centre of London!)
Kyoto Garden, Holland Park
Colourful houses of Portobello Road
Sewing machines galore, in a clothes shop on Portobello Rd
Under the Thames: Greenwich Foot Tunnel
Traffic light tree, Canary Wharf
Home of Scott, the Antarctic Explorer, Chelsea - any offers?
MI6 Building - the home of the British Secret Service
Sailmakers House, Limehouses. One of the many historic buildings in London's docklands
Hard to believe all that diversity in just one hour’s travel distance from center city! Love the photography
The shop with the sewing machines is All Saints – they are a big chain store, although with quite off beat and fashionable clothing that have controversially recently opened up on Portobello Rd.
Great article – going to print it out so the next time I am down in London I can visit some of these places. Never been to Bibendum and keep meaning to go!
wow, i could have sworn i was in tokyo, not london (looking at some of the earlier photos). very nice.. i think i need to check out these hidden gems on my next trip to london:)
I love the traffic light tree, i have been to canary wharf loads of times but have never seen it
AWH i love battersea park!
and your photos are YUM
Thanks for all the kind comments. London has so many surprises to uncover. I’m sure most people who have lived in the city for their whole lives still have many parts of the city that they’ve never seen. Keep exploring!
Lovely piccies – London is such a fabulous place and a photographers paradise! Thanks for that! x
Great photos Andy, and good to see some of my favourites (such as the traffic light tree and the Greenwich Tunnel). Great blog, have just subscribed!
Some interesting photos here. For me especially seeing the New Zealand Memorial recently installed. I will look forward to revisiting London in the next year or two…and looking for some of these unusual features.
This pretty much sums up my love affair with London. So many surprises and sides to this vast city!
The MI6 building is called Vauxhall Cross. FYI.
Thanks Chris – love the aurora picture by the way
I love London and miss living there sometimes. Is that traffic light tree for real?
certainly is! We came across it by pure chance. A brilliant scultpure, and in what is a fairly low-profile location.
Those traffic lights at Canary Wharf are madder than the Magic Roundabout in Swindon !!
It is amazing that London has so many surprises!
This is the reason why I can’t leave London. I have now been here 16 years and I keep discovery amazing places. And my favourite saying is “if a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Samuel Johnson