Churches and Cathedrals in Chessington

"The mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Westminster Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. Opening in 1903, the building is in a neo-Byzantine style, filled with attractive decorative mosaics and constructed from a blend of brick and concrete. The Grand Organ, constructed between 1922-1932, is considered one of the most successful and impressive of its kind."

"Westminster Cathedral is located in central London and is an iconic monument in the heart of England’s Government. The Cathedral itself is a Catholic Church and was bought by the Diocese of Westminster in 1885, before becoming the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The Church is built in the neo-Byzantine style and takes up over 5000 square metres of space."

"The second London cathedral is the one Roman Catholic church on our list. Westminster Cathedral is quite a surprise as you walk along Victoria Street towards Westminster. The red and white striped church looks like something out of Ravenna or Constantinople rather than London."

"Towering over diminutive Ludgate Hill in a superb position that's been a place of Christian worship for over 1400 years (and pagan before that), St Paul’s is one of London’s most magnificent buildings. For Londoners, the vast dome is a symbol of resilience and pride, standing tall for more than 300 years. Viewing Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece from the inside and climbing to the top for sweeping views of the capital is a celestial experience."

"Day 1: Arrive in London, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, the London EyeDay 2: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Whitehall, Covent GardenDay 3: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sky GardenDay 4: National Gallery, Greenwich, Prime Meridian, Up at the O2Day 5: British Museum, Portobello Road Market, Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrod’s"

"Year Built: 675 CE Location: Byward Street, City of London Purpose:  Church (Current Denomination – Church of England) Still Standing:  Yes. photo source: Wikimedia Commons. Although St. Bride’s Church is considered older, All Hallows by the Tower often cites itself as the oldest church in the City of London – unlike other early churches, All Hallows has a definitive founding date backed up by well-kept records."

"A post shared by Spring Education London (@springedulondon) on Mar 29, 2019 at 4:06am PDT. Though bombed in WWII, All Hallows by the Tower remains a gorgeous Grade I listed church. The oldest in the City, having been founded by the Abbey of Barking in AD 675, it was from this church that Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire spread in 1666."

"Reconstruction during 1955, after extensive damage in the Blitz. Image source: Ben Brooksbank / CC BY-SA 2.0. Located on the doorstep of the Tower of London, this church has buried the bodies of numerous victims sentenced to death on Tower Hill, including those of Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher and Archbishop Laud."

"A post shared by Hugo de Groot (@hugo_de_groot_creative) on Mar 22, 2019 at 10:18am PDT. Among the oldest churches in London, Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar, an order of crusaders founded in the early 12th century to protect pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. Serving as a HQ from the order’s early days, the Round Church was modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and contains the effigies of some of medieval England’s most important men."

"This historic site was first built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters back in the late 20th century. These days the church prides itself on its musical output and together the choir and the Harrison & Harrison organ produce some of the most sonorous gospel music in the city. It's one of the very oldest churches in the city, sure to fascinate history buffs."

"St. Giles-in-the-Fields is known as the Poets’ Church and has a number of important burials plus a burial pit of plague victims"

"Otto’s may only have been open for seven years, but it feels like it’s been an integral part of London’s restaurant scene forever. And at a time when restaurants were all about sharing plates and open kitchens, this Grays Inn Road restaurant was properly old school from day one - reintroducing Londoners to the joy of Gueridon service with dishes like the steak tartare prepared tableside. But really there’s only one dish to order at Otto’s - the Canard Presse which is one duck for two guests over three courses of sheer theatricality."

"Dinner and a show is a classic way to impress a date – but at Otto’s, dinner is the show. The Holborn restaurant is something of a hidden gem favoured by food critics, and its famous dish of canard à la presse – or pressed duck – is a theatrical performance like few others in the capital’s restaurants. The bird is prepared tableside, often by the charmingly eccentric Otto himself, using a silver press to extract the blood (possibly not one for the squeamish)."

"Otto’s is somewhat of an institution when it comes to the best French restaurants in London. They do classic French cuisine which is old-school, traditional and deliciously hearty. Dine here if you’re after lobster bisque, foie gras terrine, French rabbit and veal sweetbreads."

"He's worked with the likes of Rene Redzepi at Noma, and with Tom Aikens, Adam Byatt and Thomas Keller. Now Tom Sellers has his own restaurant in London called Story. They set out their stall as serving humble ingredients but thrown together in a creative, inspired way - including beef dripping candles that you can eat."

"As the name of the restaurant suggests, the food here tells a beautiful story, or many stories. And these stories have earned the restaurant two Michelin stars this year. Chef Tom Sellers uses luxurious ingredients and refined techniques to create modern dishes that are both imaginative and delightful."

"If following a, well, story, is what you’re looking for alongside your dinner, then look no further than Restaurant Story in Bermondsey. A Michelin star after five months of opening really tells a, erm… you get the picture. Restaurant Story199 Tooley StreetLondon SE1 2JXVisit website: Restaurant Story"

"Set on a pedestal in the centre and top of the Sky Garden that occupies the uppermost level of the Walkie Talkie skyscraper (officially known as 20 Fenchurch Street), Fenchurch Restaurant is the most high-end of the building’s eateries. Dishes on the “British contemporary” menu are beautifully presented and consistently impressive – grilled red mullet with braised octopus and piperade was a burst of colour and flavour; lamb with yoghurt, artichokes and cumin was perfectly seasoned and pleasingly unpretentious. Service, both from wait staff and our enthusiastic sommelier, impressed too, and the team works hard to compensate for the unexpectedly diminished views."

"Also found within the Sky Garden is another of the best restaurants in London with a view, Fenchurch Restaurant, named after the street on which the iconic skyscraper can be found. The 47th-floor fine-dining establishment offers a contemporary British menu created by their incredible new Head Chef Michael Carr, paired with an award-winning wine list. Treat yourself to a delicious and luxurious dinner with some of the most spectacular views over the capital."

"First of all, Fenchurch roof top restaurant is a dining experience you should definitely not miss. Located at the top of the famous Walkie Talkie shaped sky scraper (20 Fenchurch Street) in the Skygarden. Yes, a garden in the sky!"

"Tucked behind Lambeth Palace, the playground here won’t thrill anyone over the age of about four – though there are things to climb on, a sandbox, and swings. But the location, in central London, make this a good pit-stop between cultural visits – particularly if the Jubilee Gardens playground by the London Eye, with its climbing web and little else, is too crowded. Archbishop’s park is completely cut off from the street, so children can roam freely across the large grassy field."

"On the cusp of Westminster and Lambeth you’ll find the excellently located Archbishop’s Park, which is great for little ones aged four and under. It makes an excellent place to have a rest in between sightseeing and it isn’t known for being too crowded."

"Chez Bruce celebrated its 25th birthday in 2020 and this longstanding restaurant is top of many a restaurant critic's all-time favourites list. Co-owner Bruce Poole and his head chef Matt Christmas set out their stall thus: "We are not particularly into gadgets and tricks in the kitchen and there are doubtless some who view our food as slightly old fashioned in this regard. We take this as a compliment!" Back when Marina O'Loughlin was at the Guardian she declared her meal there as one which "encourages you to wallow in sheer, sybaritic pleasure". More about Chez Bruce"

"Bruce Poole and partner Nigel Platts-Martin opened Chez Bruce in 1995 but it remains relevant and vibrant to this day. As Marina O’Loughlin put it recently, “It is, and will continue to be, an absolute classic.” Under Bruce and Head Chef Matt Christmas, the kitchen here cooks up dishes “based loosely on classical and regional French/ Mediterranean cuisine”. But that might see everything from the classic Foie gras and chicken liver parfait on the starter menu along with a spiced fish samosa with baked aubergine, tarka dhal, raita, ginger and coriander."

"Charming bistro strongly influenced by French regional cuisine. Next to the Parish Church with a secluded courtyard for al fresco dining."

"Over 20 years ago, Club Gascon caused a storm on the London scene with chef Pascal Aussignac focusing on the delights of Toulouse cuisine and, in particular, duck and foie gras. But while the ingredients may be trad, Aussignac’s treatment of them is anything but, as anyone who has tried any of his many winning Taste of London dishes will know. So yes, there’s still foie gras on the menu but it’s served as a brulee with mandarin and cocoa dust."