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Getting Oriented | Top Attractions | Worth Noting
Updated by Jack Jewers
As civilized as a Gainsborough landscape, Regent’s Park and Hampstead contain some of the prettiest and most aristocratic architecture that London has to offer. The city becomes noticeably calmer and greener as you head north from Oxford Street, past the newly chic shopping streets of Marylebone and immensely regal mansions that encircle Regent’s Park, up to the well-tended lawns of Primrose Hill (no wonder Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow chose to live here) and the handsome Georgian streets of Hampstead. All in all, this area will provide a taste of how laid-back (moneyed) Londoners can be.
Rather like the Left Bank in Paris or Greenwich Village in New York, the residential areas north of Regent’s Park have long been associated with artists and writers—even though it’s been a long time since most of them could afford to live here. John Keats (1795–1821) lived in Hampstead as a virtual pauper; you’ll find Keats House, where the poet wrote his most famous work, among the homes of artistic types who these days are more likely to be millionaire film stars or musicians. However the neighborhood still retains a gorgeously bohemian vibe, which all but shimmers through the moneyed haze of swank boutiques and artisan food stores. Perhaps it’s something to do with the high concentration of wonderful, atmospheric pubs.
Also hidden among Hampstead’s winding streets are Fenton House, a Georgian town house with a lovely walled garden, and Kenwood House, with its remarkable art collection. Overlooking it all is Hampstead Heath (known locally as just “The Heath”), a huge, wild urban park with great views across London—although Primrose Hill has perhaps the most spectacular view you can find without getting onto the London Eye.
A livelier, cooler vibe prevails at Camden Market, a magnet for dedicated followers of fashion, while kids will adore London Zoo at the northern end of Regent’s Park.
This, the youngest of London’s great parks, was laid out in 1812 by John Nash, working, as ever, for his patron, the Prince Regent (hence the name), who was crowned George IV in 1820. The idea was to re-create the feel of a grand country residence close to the center of town, with all those magnificent white-stucco terraces facing in on the park. As you walk “the Outer Circle,” you’ll see how successfully Nash’s plans were carried out. The most famous and impressive of Nash’s terraces would have been in the prince’s line of vision from the planned palace, so was extra-ornamental. Cumberland Terrace has a central block of Ionic columns surmounted by a triangular Wedgewood-blue pediment and giant statuary personifying Britannia and her empire further single it out from the pack. There are those who find nearby Chester Terrace to be even more regal.
The southeastern exit of the park is just around the corner from two of London’s most traditional tourist destinations, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds.
Before you plunge back into the frenetic activity of central London, you can wander down the stylish Marylebone High Street and, just north of Oxford Street, check out the patrician Wallace Collection, an extraordinary collection of old-master paintings and palace furniture housed in an 18th-century mansion.
Enjoy the gilt at the Wallace Collection: Home to fabulous Fragonards and gilded French furniture, this 18th-century mansion is a homage to prerevolutionary France.
Ramble across Hampstead Heath: Londoners adore the Heath for its wild, unkempt beauty—and the unparalleled views across the city.
Listen to your muse at Keats House: Stroll through the very garden where the great Romantic strolled while writing “Ode to a Nightingale.”
Marvel at London’s grandest Regency terraces: With their Wedgwood-blue pediments, snow-white statuary, and porticos of Ionic columns, Nash’s 18th-century mansions make a splendid backdrop for Regent’s Park.
Strawberry Beatles Forever!: For countless Beatlemaniacs and baby boomers, a visit to No. 3 Abbey Road is an unforgettable experience.
Ginger and White.
Family-friendly and thoroughly modern, Ginger and White is a delightful fusion of continental-style café and traditional British coffee shop—all bound up with a sophisticated Hampstead vibe. | 9 South End Rd.,
Hampstead | NW3 2PT | 020/7431–9098 | www.gingerandwhite.com.
Marine Ices.
Marine Ices, near the Camden Lock market, has some of London’s best ice cream, while the indoor Italian restaurant section lures diners. | 8 Haverstock Hill,
Camden Town | NW3 2BL | 020/7482–9003 | www.marineices.co.uk.
Giraffe.
The Marylebone outpost of healthful eating chain Giraffe serves delicious burgers, burritos, smoothies, and salads in a relaxed atmosphere. | 6 Blandford St.,
Marylebone | W1U 4AU | 020/7935–2333 | www.giraffe.net.
Reaching Hampstead by Tube is as easy as it looks: Simply take the Edgware branch of the Northern line to Hampstead station, or the overground North London line to Hampstead Heath. The south side of Hampstead Heath can also be reached by the Gospel Oak station on the North London line. To get to Regent’s Park, take the Bakerloo line to Regent’s Park Tube station or, for Primrose Hill, the Chalk Farm stop on the Northern line.
It’s best to stay out of Hampstead Heath and Regent’s Park proper at night unless there’s an event taking place; both are perfectly safe during the day. Also to be avoided after dark: the Heath, Camden High Street, and the Canal towpath.
Depending on your pace and inclination, Marylebone, Regent’s Park, and Hampstead can realistically be covered in a day. It might be best to spend the morning in Hampstead, with at least a brief foray onto the Heath, then head south toward Regent’s Park and Marylebone in the afternoon so that you’re closer to central London come nightfall, if that is where your hotel is located. If you have time, you may want to return to Hampstead another day for a longer walk across the Heath.
These are two of the most walkable districts in London. Everything from Hampstead “village” to Regent’s Park (and its outlying terraced streets) are best explored on foot—even Hampstead Heath has marked footpaths.
Fodor’s Choice |
Hampstead Heath.
For an escape from the ordered prettiness of Hampstead, head to the Heath—a unique remnant of London’s original countryside, with habitats ranging from wide grasslands to ancient woodlands and spread over some 791 acres. Parliament Hill, one of the highest points in London, offers a stunning panorama over the city. There are signposted paths, but these can be confusing. Maps are available from Kenwood House, or the Education Centre near the Lido off
Gordon House Road, where you can also get details about the history of the Heath and the flora and fauna growing there. An excellent café near the Athletics Field offers light refreshment under the trees. Hampstead | NW5 1QR | 020/7482–7073
Heath Education Centre | www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/hampstead | Free | Station: To reach the south of the Heath, tube it to the Highbury & Islington Underground station, then switch to the North London Overground platforms at the same station and go to Gospel Oak or Hampstead Heath stations; for the eastern part of
the Heath, take the tube to Hampstead station, then walk through Flask Walk or Well Walk; for the north and west of the Heath, take the tube to Golders Green Underground station, then Bus 210, 268 to Whitestone Pond.
Highgate Cemetery.
Highgate is not the oldest cemetery in London, but it is probably the best known. After the cemetery was consecrated in 1839, Victorians came from miles around to appreciate the ornate headstones, the impressive tombs, and the view. Such was its popularity that 19 acres on the other side of the road were acquired in 1850, and this additional East Cemetery contains what may be the most visited grave, of Karl Marx, and those of other famous names including George Eliot
and Malcolm McLaren. At the summit is the Circle of Lebanon, a ring of vaults built around an ancient cypress tree—a legacy of 17th-century gardens that occupied the site previously. Leading from the circle is the Egyptian Avenue, a subterranean stone tunnel lined with catacombs, itself approached by a dramatic colonnade that screens the main cemetery from the road. If you wish to tour Highgate, contact the Friends
of Highgate Cemetery; space on tours is limited to 15, so call to book. Please dress respectfully, whether you come here on your own or on a tour. | Swains La.,
Highgate | N6 6PJ | 020/8340–1834 | www.highgate-cemetery.org | East Cemetery £3, tours £7; West Cemetery tours £7. No credit cards. | Daily; usually Apr.–Oct. 10–5, Nov.–Mar. 10–4, but call ahead as hrs vary according to whether a funeral service is scheduled. East
Cemetery tours, Sat. 2. West Cemetery tours, Mar.–Nov., weekdays 1:45, weekends hourly 11–3 | Station: Archway, then Bus 210, 271, or 143 to Highgate Village.
Keats House.
It was in February 1820 that John Keats (1795–1821) coughed blood up into his handkerchief and exclaimed, “That drop of blood is my death warrant. I must die.” He duly left his beloved home in Hampstead and moved to Rome, where he died of consumption, at just 25. Here you can see the plum tree under which the young Romantic poet composed “Ode to a Nightingale”; many of his original manuscripts; his library; and other possessions he managed to acquire in his short life.
There are frequent guided tours and special events, such as poetry readings. The house has been restored to its original Regency style of decoration, and the design of the gardens is inspired by elements of Keats’s poetry, such as “autumn” and “nightingale.” The ticket gives you entry for a full year, so you can come back as often as you like. TIP
Picnics can be taken into the grounds during the summer. | Wentworth Pl., Keats Grove,
Hampstead | NW3 2RR | 020/7332–3868 | www.keatshouse.cityoflondon.gov.uk | £5 | Apr.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. 1–5; Nov.–Mar., Fri.–Sun. 1–5; closed Good Friday and Christmas wk | Station: Hampstead; then exit to walk down Hampstead High St.,
with a left on Downshire Hill, then a right onto Keats Grove..
A Brief History
The well-worn, but entirely accurate cliché about the enclaves north of Regent’s Park (Primrose Hill, Belsize Park, and Hampstead) is that several of the residents claim to be artists—and yet the cost of a coffee at a café along Regent’s Park Road will run you as much as, if not more than, one in central London. In the last decade, real estate prices have skyrocketed, and the elephants of the London Zoo now count some of the best-dressed folks in town as their neighbors.
In the early 18th century, the commercial development of the mineral springs in Hampstead led to its success as a spa; people traveled from miles around to drink the pure waters from Hampstead Wells, and small cottages were hastily built to accommodate the influx. Though the spa phenomenon was short-lived, Hampstead remained a favorite place for many artistic figures whose legacies still mark the landscape as much as they permeate the culture.
Kenwood House.
This gracious Georgian villa was first built in 1616 and remodeled by Robert Adam between 1764 and 1779. Adam refaced most of the exterior and added the splendid library, which, with its curved painted ceiling and gilded detail, is the highlight of the house for lovers of the decorative arts and interior design. Kenwood is also home to the Iveagh Bequest, an extraordinary collection of paintings that the Earl of Iveagh gave the nation in
1927, including a wonderful self-portrait by Rembrandt and works by Reynolds, Van Dyck, Hals, Gainsborough, and Turner. Most iconic among them is Vermeer’s Guitar Player, considered by many to be among the most beautiful paintings in the world. In front of the house, a graceful lawn slopes down to a little lake crossed by a trompe-l’oeil bridge—all in perfect 18th-century upper-class taste. The grounds are skirted by Hampstead Heath. TIP
In summer the grounds host a series of popular and classical concerts, culminating in fireworks on the last night. A popular café, the Brew House, is part of the old coach house, with outdoor tables in the courtyard and terraced garden. | Hampstead La.,
Hampstead | NW3 7JR | 020/8348–1286 | www.english-heritage.org.uk | Free | House daily except Dec. 24–26 and Jan. 1, 11:30–4. Gardens daily dawn–dusk | Station: Golders Green, then Bus 210.
Fodor’s Choice |
London Zoo.
The zoo, owned by the Zoological Society of London (a charity), opened in 1828. A recent modernization program has seen several big attractions open, with a focus on wildlife conservation, education, and the breeding of endangered species. The zoo’s Reptile House is a special draw for Harry Potter fans—it’s where Harry first talks to snakes, to alarming effect on his horrible cousin, Dudley. Other major attractions include the huge BUGS
pavilion (Biodiversity Underpinning Global Survival), a self-sustaining, contained ecosystem with 140 species of exotic plants, animals, and creepy-crawlies; Gorilla Kingdom, where you can watch the four residents—Effie, Kesho, Jookie, and Zaire—at close range; Rainforest Life, a recreated nighttime rain-forest environment, home to tiny marmosets and other rain-forest-dwelling creatures, including bats; and
state-of-the-art Penguin Beach, the most popular place in the zoo at 11:30, when the penguins receive their main feed. TIP
Check the website or the information board out front for free events, including creature close encounters and ask the keeper’ sessions. | Regent’s Park | NW1 4RY | 020/7722–3333 | www.zsl.org | £16.60–£18.60, depending on season | 2nd wk in Nov.–Feb., daily
10–4; Mar.–1st wk in Sept., daily 10–6; 2nd wk in Sept.–Oct., daily 10–5:30; 1st wk in Nov., daily 10–4:30; last admission 1 hr before closing | Station: Camden Town, then Bus 274.
Marylebone High Street.
A favorite of newspaper style sections everywhere, this street forms the heart of Marylebone (pronounced “Marr-le-bone”) Village, a vibrant, upscale neighborhood that encompasses the squares and streets around the High Street and nearby Marylebone Lane. It’s hard to believe that you’re just a few blocks north of Oxford Street as you wander in and out of Marylebone’s small shops and boutiques, the best of which include La Fromagerie (2–6 Moxon Street), an excellent
cheese shop; Daunt Books (Nos. 83–84), a travel bookshop; “Cabbages and Frocks” market on the grounds of the St. Marylebone Parish Church, held Saturday 11–5, which purveys specialty foods and vintage clothing; and on Sunday 10–2, a large farmers’ and artisan food market in a parking lot on Cramer Street, just behind the High Street. | Marylebone | W1U 4QW | Station: Bond St.
Fodor’s Choice |
Wallace Collection.
Assembled by four generations of Marquesses of Hertford and given to the nation by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace (1818–90), bastard son of the fourth, this fabled collection of art and antiques is important, exciting, undervisited—and free. The salons of Hertford House, an 18th-century mansion, began to be filled by Wallace’s father, the 4th Marquess of Hartford, a particularly shrewd connoisseur and dealer. After the French Revolution he took a house in Paris, where
he went about snapping up paintings by what were then dangerously unpopular artists—Boucher, Fragonard, Watteau, Lancret—for a song. Frans Hals’s Laughing Cavalier is probably the most famous painting here, or perhaps Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Swing, which perfectly encapsulates the frilly decadence of the Rococo style and the playful eroticism of prerevolutionary French art. Everyone else is here, from Rubens and
Rembrandt to Van Dyck and Velázquez. English works include paintings by Gainsborough and Turner, plus a dozen by Joshua Reynolds. Some American artists are also on view, including Thomas Sully’s pretty portrait of Queen Victoria, which is fittingly housed in a rouge-pink salon (just to the right of the main entrance). Almost more famous than the paintings are the examples of French 18th-century palace furniture, including legendary examples by Riesener, Oeben, and B.V.R.B.,
many created for the Bourbon kings to use at Versailles. The museum restaurant is elegantly sited in a glass-roofed courtyard. | Hertford House, Manchester Sq.,
Marylebone | W1U 3BN | 020/7563–9500 | www.wallacecollection.org | Free | Daily 10–5 | Station: Bond St.
Regent’s Park.
Cultivated and formal, compared with the relative wildness of Hampstead Heath, Regent’s Park was laid out in 1812 by John Nash in honor of the Prince Regent, who was later crowned George IV. The idea was to re-create the feel of a grand country residence close to the center of town. Most of Nash’s plans were carried out successfully, although the focus of it all—a palace for the prince—was never built. Now the park is a favorite destination for sporty types and dog
owners. Not for nothing did Dodie Smith set her novel A Hundred and One Dalmatians in an Outer Circle house. (Nearby along East Heath Road is the Gothic manse that inspired Cruella DeVil’s Hell Hall.)
Regent’s Park Highlights
The most famous and impressive of Nash’s white-stuco terraces facing the park, Cumberland Terrace has a central block of Ionic columns surmounted by a triangular Wedgwood-blue pediment that looks like a giant cameo. The noted architectural historian Sir John Summerson described it as “easily the most breathtaking architectural panorama in London.”
The Broad Walk is a good vantage point from which to glimpse the minaret and the golden dome of the London Central Mosque on the far west side of the park. As in all London parks, planting here is planned with the aim of having something in bloom in all seasons, but if you hit the park in summer, head first to the Inner Circle. Your nostrils should lead you to Queen Mary’s Gardens, a fragrant 17-acre circle that riots with 400 different varieties of roses in summer. Spend a vigorous afternoon rowing about Regent’s Park Boating Lake, where rowboats hold up to five adults and cost £6.50 per hour per person. Times vary with seasons and weather. | 020/7724–4069
Regent’s Park Tips
Soccer, rugby, tennis, hockey, and softball are played on the park’s many sports grounds. Head up to the area around the Hub (0300/061–2324)—a state-of-the-art sports pavilion—to watch some action. You’ll have to book in advance if you want to join in, but you’re just as likely to find an informal soccer match in progress anywhere in the park, especially on a warm Sunday afternoon.
At the Garden Café (Inner Circle, Regent’s Park; 020/7935–5729), enjoy breakfast, lunch, or supper on a patio next to the rose gardens, or take away some smoked-salmon bagels and champagne (or cappuccinos) for an elegant picnic.
Check the Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre schedule—they have been mounting summer Shakespeare productions here since 1932 (0844/826–4242; www.openairtheatre.org).
Marylebone Rd., Regent’s Park | NW1 4NR | 0300/061–2000 | www.royalparks.gov.uk | Free | 5 am–dusk | Station: Baker St., Regent’s Park, Great Portland St.
Quick Bites: Wallace Restaurant. Bringing the outside in, this lovely restaurant is located in the glass-roofed courtyard of the Wallace Collection and is open for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea, and for dinner on weekends. The menu highlights French brasserie food, from pâtés and cheeses to oysters, lobster, and succulent steaks, or you can just linger over coffee or afternoon tea. It’s open Sunday–Thursday 10–5, Friday and Saturday 10 am–11 pm. | Wallace Collection, Manchester Sq., Marylebone | W1U 3BN | 020/7563–9505.
Burgh House.
One of Hampstead’s oldest buildings, Burgh House was built in 1704 to take advantage of the natural spa waters of the then-fashionable Hampstead Wells. A private house until World War II, Burgh was saved from near-dereliction in the 1970s by local residents, who have been restoring and maintaining it ever since. The building is a fine example of the gentle elegance common to the Queen Anne period, with its redbrick box frontage, oak panelled rooms, and terraced garden
(originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll). Today the house contains a small but diverting museum on the history of the area, and also hosts regular talks, concerts, and recitals. The secluded garden courtyard of the café is a lovely spot for lunch, tea, or glass of wine on a summer’s afternoon. Call ahead if you’re visiting on a weekend, however, as the house is often hired out as a wedding venue on Saturdays. | New End Square,
Hampstead | NW3 1LT | 020/7431–0144 | www.burghhouse.org.uk | Free | Wed.–Fri. 11–5:30; weekends 9:30–5:30.
Camden Market.
What started as a small group of clothing stalls in the 1970s has since grown into one of London’s biggest (and most crowded) tourist attractions. Centered on the Grand Union Canal, this isn’t actually a single market, but a vast honeycomb of them that sell crafts, clothing (vintage, ethnic, and young designer), antiques, and just about everything in between. Here, especially on weekends, the crowds are dense, young, and relentless, with as many as 100,000 visitors on
the busiest days. Camden Lock Market specializes in crafts; Camden Stables Market is popular with Goth kids and aspiring rock stars. TIP
Print out the (appropriately psychedelic) map of Camden Market from the website before coming; it’s super-helpful for first-time visitors. | Camden High St.,
Camden Town | NW1 8AH | www.camdenmarkets.org | Daily 10–6 | Station: Camden Town, Chalk Farm.
Electric Ballroom. A nightclub that doubles as a retro/designer fashion and music market on weekends, the Electric Ballroom has been a scuzzy, dilapidated, wild, and wonderful Camden institution for decades. Sadly, long-term plans to demolish the building are afoot, but so far the club has staved off developers. | 184 Camden High St. | NW1 8QP | 020/7485–9006 | www.electricballroom.co.uk
Hawley Arms Pub. Just around the corner, the Hawley Arms Pub gained fame as a hangout for celebrities such as Kate Moss and the late Amy Winehouse. It’s a good spot for an inexpensive pub lunch. | 2 Castlehaven Rd. | NW1 8QU | 020/7428–5979
Quick Bites: You will not go hungry in Camden Town, with its countless cafés, bars, and pubs, plus appealing restaurants at all price points on Parkway. Within the market at Camden Lock there are various stalls selling the usual hot dogs and burgers, but you can also find good value at the stalls selling ethnic food if you don’t mind standing as you eat outdoors, or perching on a canalside bench.
Fenton House.
Hampstead’s oldest surviving house, a National Trust property, shows off a fine collections of porcelain and Georgian furniture and has a superb walled garden, complete with an apple orchard that dates back to the 17th century. Baroque music enthusiasts can join a tour of the important collection of keyboard instruments, and there’s a summer series of concerts on these very same instruments on Thursday evenings. Check the website for details. | Hampstead Grove,
Hampstead | NW3 6SP | 020/7435–3471 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk | £6.50, garden only £2 | Late Mar.–Oct., Wed.–Sun. 11–5; last admission 30 mins before closing. Closed some Thurs. mornings, June and July; call to confirm. | Station: Hampstead.
Freud Museum.
The father of psychoanalysis lived here for a year, between his escape from Nazi persecution in his native Vienna in 1938 and his death in 1939. Many of his possessions emigrated with him and were set up by his daughter, Anna (herself a pioneer of child psychoanalysis), as a shrine to her father’s life and work. Shortly after Anna’s death in 1982 the house was opened as a museum. It replicates Freud’s famous consulting rooms, particularly through the presence of the couch. You’ll find Freud-related books, lectures, and study groups here, too. | 20 Maresfield Gardens,
Hampstead | NW3 5SX | 020/7435–2002 | www.freud.org.uk | £6 | Wed.–Sun. noon–5 | Station: Swiss Cottage, Finchley Rd.
Jewish Museum.
The focus is on the history of the Jewish people in Britain from medieval times to the present day, although most of the exhibits date from the 17th century—when Cromwell repealed the laws against Jewish settlement—and later. “History: A British Story” provides a general overview of the Jewish people in Britain over the centuries, through a mix of rare artifacts and interactive displays, including a re-creation of a Victorian street from what was then the legendary
Jewish quarter of East London. The Holocaust Gallery focuses on the incredible story of Leon Greenman (1910–2008), a British Jew who survived six concentration camps. Here, too, is one of the world’s largest collections of Jewish art. | Raymond Burton House,
129–131 Albert St.,
Camden Town | NW1 7NB | 020/7284–7384 | www.jewishmuseum.org.uk | £7.50 | Sat.–Thurs. 10–5, Fri. 10–2; last admission 30 mins before closing. Closed on major Jewish festivals | Station: Camden Town.
Off the Beaten Path: London Canal Museum. Near the St. Pancras International train station, in this former ice-storage house, you can learn about the rise and fall of London’s once extensive canal network. Children enjoy the activity zone and learning about Henrietta, the museum’s horse. Outside, on the Battlebridge Basin, float the painted narrow boats of modern canal dwellers—a few steps and a world away from King’s Cross, which was once one of London’s least salubrious neighborhoods. The quirky little museum is a half-hour walk along the towpath from Camden Lock—you can download a free audio tour to accompany the route, or join one of the several guided walking tours (£6 per person). | 12–13 New Wharf Rd., King’s Cross | N1 RT | 020/7713–0836 | www.canalmuseum.org.uk | £4 | Tues.–Sun. and holiday Mon. 10–4:30; last admission 30 mins before closing. First Thurs. open until 7:30. Closed Dec. 24–Jan. 1 | Station: King’s Cross.
A Trip to Abbey Road
For countless Beatlemaniacs and baby boomers, No. 3 Abbey Road is one of the most beloved spots in London. Here, outside the legendary Abbey Road Studios, is the most famous zebra crossing in the world, immortalized on the Beatles’ 1969 Abbey Road album. This footpath became a mod monument when, on August 8 of that year, John, Paul, George, and Ringo posed for photographer Iain Macmillan’s famous cover shot. The recording facility’s Studio 2 is where the Beatles recorded their entire output, from “Love Me Do” onward, including Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (early 1967).
Meanwhile, there’s never any shortage of tourists re-creating “the photo” outside. TIP Be very careful if you’re going to attempt this. Abbey Road is a dangerous intersection. One of the best—and safer—ways Beatle lovers can enjoy the history of the group is to take one of the excellent walking tours offered by the Original London Walks (020/7624–3978 | www.walks.com), including The Beatles In-My-Life Walk (11:20 am outside Marylebone Underground on Saturday and Tuesday) and The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (Wednesday at 2 pm, Thursday at 11 am, and Sunday at 11 am at Underground Exit 3, Tottenham Court Road), which cover nostalgic landmark Beatles spots in the city.
Abbey Road is in the elegant neighborhood of St. John’s Wood, a 10-minute ride on the Tube from central London. Take the Jubilee line to the St. John’s Wood Tube stop, head southwest three blocks down Grove End Road, and be prepared for a view right out of Memory Lane.
Lord’s Cricket Ground & Museum.
If you can’t manage to lay your hands on tickets for a cricket match, the next best thing is to take a tour of the spiritual home of this most English of games. Founded by Thomas Lord, the headquarters of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) opens its “behind the scenes” areas to visitors. You can see the Long Room with cricketing art on display; the players’ dressing rooms; and the world’s oldest sporting museum, where the progress from gentlemanly village-green game to
worldwide sport over 400 years is charted. Don’t miss the prize exhibit: the urn containing the sport’s most iconic trophy, the Ashes (the remains of a cricket ball presented to the English captain in 1883, a jokey allusion to a newspaper’s premature obituary for the death of English cricket published after the home team’s defeat by Australia). The two nations still play for possession of the Ashes every two years. | St. John’s Wood Rd.,
St. John’s Wood | NW8 8QN | 020/7616–8595 | www.lords.org | £15. Museum only, £7.50 match days | Museum Apr.–Oct., daily 10–5, except during major matches; Nov.–Mar., daily 11:30–5 (closes at 4 Fri.). Tours Apr.–Oct., daily 10, noon, 2, and 3; Nov.–Mar, weekdays 11, noon, and 2;
weekends 10, 11, and noon. | Station: St. John’s Wood.
Pubs with a Past
Hampstead has some of the most storied pubs in London—although a few have distinctly shady pasts.
Holly Bush.
Tucked away down the lolloping hills and leafy side roads of old Hampstead is this gorgeously unspoiled old pub, built in 1807. The dim, cozy interior has an open fireplace and wooden booths. The classic British food is excellent; take it in the bar with a pint, or in the rather swankier dining room. | 22 Holly Mount,
Hampstead | NW3 6SG | 020/7435–2892.
Magdala.
Meanwhile, a much sadder tale is associated with the Magdala, the site of a notorious murder in 1955 for which Ruth Ellis was the last woman in Britain to be hanged. It’s a sedate place these days, but the famous bullet holes near the door have been left untouched. | 2A South Hill Park | NW3 2SB | 020/7435–2503.
Spaniard’s Inn.
The legendary highwayman Dick Turpin is said to have been born at the Spaniard’s Inn, which was once frequented by the likes of Dickens, Shelley, and Stoker. The owners will happily tell you how the latter borrowed one of their many resident ghost stories to furnish the plot of Dracula. After a few hours in this atmospheric spot, you might even believe it. | Spaniards Rd. | NW3 7JJ |
020/8731–8406.
Wells.
A plaque outside this Georgian pub delicately informs visitors that it was originally built to provide “facilities for the celebration of unpremeditated and clandestine marriages.” These days the spot is far better known as one of the finest gastropubs in the area. | 30 Well Walk | NW3 1BX | 020/7794–3785.
Madame Tussauds.
One of London’s busiest tourist attractions, this is nothing less—but also nothing more—than the world’s most famous exhibition of lifelike waxwork models of celebrities. Madame T. learned her craft while making death masks of French Revolution victims, and in 1835 she set up her first show of the famous ones near this spot. Top billing still goes to the murderers in the Chamber of Horrors, who stare glassy-eyed at visitors—one from an electric chair, one sitting next
to the tin bath where he dissolved several wives in quicklime. What, aside from ghoulish prurience, makes people stand in line to invest in one of London’s most expensive museum tickets? It must be the thrill of all those photo opportunities with royalty, Hollywood stars, and world leaders—all in a single day. TIP
Beat the crowds by calling in advance for timed entry tickets, or booking online—where you can also buy non-timed, “priority access” tickets at a premium. | Marylebone Rd.,
Regent’s Park | NW1 5LR | 0870/400–3000
for timed entry tickets | www.madame-tussauds.com | £15–£32 according to time; call or check website. Combination ticket with London Eye, London Dungeons, and London Aquarium from £60.50 | Weekdays 9–5:30 (last admission); weekends 9:30–6 (last admission) | Station: Baker St.
Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre.
The theater has mounted productions of Shakespeare productions every summer since 1932; everyone from Vivien Leigh to Jeremy Irons has performed here. Today it also hosts musicals, concerts, and comedy shows. However, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the one to catch—never is that enchanted Greek wood more lifelike than it is here, enhanced by genuine birdsong and a rising moon. You can buy light suppers or choose from a (somewhat limited)
barbecue selection in the evening, or prebook a picnic lunch for matinees. The park can get chilly, so bring a blanket; only very heavy rain stops the plays, in which case you can exchange your ticket (umbrellas aren’t allowed during performances). | Open-Air Theatre, Inner Circle,
Regent’s Park | NW1 4NR | 0844/826–4242 | www.openairtheatre.org | £15–£45 | June–mid-Sept., evening performances at 8, matinees at 2:30 | Station: Baker St., Regent’s Park.
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
An Art Deco gem in elegant Portland Place, RIBA was built by Grey Wornum in 1934. Its distinctive Portland stone facade stands out amid the surrounding 18th-century mansions, and large bronze doors lead to a spacious foyer with a wide marble staircase. There are exhibition spaces; regular lectures and special events; a huge bookshop; and a delightful Art Deco café. | Park La.,
66 Portland Pl.,
Regent’s Park | W1B 1AD | 0207/580–5533 | www.architecture.com | Free | Mon.–Sat., 10–5 | Station: Regent’s Park, Great Portland St.
Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Outside Baker Street station, by the Marylebone Road exit, is a 9-foot-high bronze statue of the celebrated detective. Nearby is number 221B Baker Street—the address of Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective. Inside, Mrs. Hudson, “Holmes’s housekeeper,” conducts you into a series of Victorian rooms full of Sherlock-abilia. There’s more than enough photo ops, and it’s all carried off with such genuine enthusiasm that you almost believe that the fictional “great
detective” really lived here. | 221B Baker St.,
Regent’s Park | NW1 6XE | 020/7224–3688 | www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk | £6 | Daily 9:30–6 | Station: Baker St.
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