Free Museums in Gaddesden Row

"The second most popular tourist attraction in the UK, Tate Modern, is a striking London structure. Originally a Power Station, Tate Modern opened in May 2000 as a home to international modern and contemporary art. Displays in Tate Modern cover themes such as Transformed Visions and Poetry and Dream, and give visitors the opportunity to see works of art such as Pablo Picasso's 'Weeping Woman,' 'Metamorphosis of Narcissus' by Salvador Dalí, and 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Dorothea Tanning."

"If modern culture is more your style, we highly recommend a visit to the Tate Modern. From William Blake to Andy Warhol, you’ll find some of the most revered pieces of modern art housed in this red-brick temple of Brutalist architecture. The interior is almost as striking as the art it houses, with the mesmerisingly modern turbine room welcoming you to an afternoon of cultural exploration."

"The former Bankside Power Station was selected as the new gallery site in 1994. The original building, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, was constructed in two phases between 1947 and 1963. Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron were commissioned to convert the building into a gallery, making use of the power station’s iconic oil tanks."

"The crowning glory of Trafalgar Square, London's National Gallery is a vast space filled with western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable, Renoir, Titian and Stubbs. Some exhibitions require tickets."

"Quick Tip: Get here about 20 minutes before the National Gallery opens as it can get quite busy later in the morning. National Gallery(free to the public)"

"National Portrait Gallery / Self-Portrait As A Soldier By Ludwig Kirchner. Before there were selfies, you basically had to hire someone to paint you in order for your face to be immortalised for all to see. Next door to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of portraits of historically famous British people."

"A post shared by National Portrait Gallery (@nationalportraitgallery). In art, there’s nothing more intimate than a portrait, and at this landmark London art gallery, you can get intimate with some very famous faces. From Queen Elizabeth I to Queen Elizabeth II, The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of the United Kingdom’s most important monarchs."

"Located in an adjoining building to the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of historic portraits of important and famous British people. Nearest tube station: Charing Cross."

"One of the branches of Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Childhood was founded in 1872, but only in the 1920s began to concentrate primarily on children. With an enormous collection of childhood objects, the Museum successfully fulfils its mission of giving everyone the opportunity to explore the wonderful ways of the designated world. The unique exhibitions, galleries of toys (older and newer) and the entertainment programs prepared for children will definitely get them prancing around."

"The V&A Museum of Childhood, part of the Victoria & Albert Museum, is a London museum dedicated to housing collections by and for children. The museum's collection includes costumes, toys, and objects dedicated to celebrating childhood. In addition to its permanent collection, the V&A Museum of Childhood regularly hosts temporary exhibits."

"The Museum of Childhood is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum which specialises in objected designed by and for children such as toys, clothes and more. Nearest tube station: Bethnal Green."

"The Jack the Ripper Museum is devoted to one of London's most notorious and terrorizing serial killers. The museum recreates the setting in which the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders took place in 1888. The collection has original objects related to the crimes."

"It is home to Kirkaldy's giant testing machine that clocks in at more than 47 feet long, along with other smaller, modern pieces of equipment. The Kirkaldy Machine is kept in working condition at the museum. The museum is available to the public on the first Sunday of each month."

"Consisting of low-slung red-brick terraces and fronted by a large plaza featuring an oversized statue of Sir Isaac Newton, Colin St John Wilson’s British Library building is an architectural wonder. Completed in 1997, it's home to some of the greatest treasures of the written word, including the Codex Sinaiticus (the first complete text of the New Testament), Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and a copy of the Magna Carta (1215)."

"I love the striking red brick buildings of the British Library, home to the largest national library in the world. The British Library has so many books that no-one knows the exact number. The best guesses put it at between 150 and 200 million in the collections."

"For an Italian Restaurant near Hampstead Heath and for my favourite Italian place in Hampstead, visit Mimmo La Bufala!. They offer Neapolitan-style pizzas which are just as good, if not better, than many of the pizza’s I have had in Italy!. They also offer many other classic Italian dishes all served with fresh ingredients and many wine options too."

"It is clear that nothing was an after-thought at Rotorino, every bit of this place is full of personality. Rustic vibes in the décor translate into the delicious Mediterranean plates. You can't leave without trying one of the wood-grilled meats."

"This is the first restaurant in London to use purified seawater instead of salt, 'O Ver claims its dough is lighter and actually good for you... What to expect: Originally a street stall in Naples, 'O Ver, meaning "truth" in the local dialect, prides itself on authenticity. What 'O Ver boasts in height (four-meter ceilings) it lacks in capacity."

"On the seventh floor of The Stratford hotel lies this farm-to-table restaurant run by former Chiltern Firehouse chef Patrick Powell. Muted, Scandi-style interiors place full emphasis on the food – for good reason. Starters could include pistachio choux stuffed with liver parfait and preserved kumquat, and a delicate celeriac velouté, while mains might feature perfectly cooked monkfish doused in a rich shellfish sauce and Cornish plaice drizzled with Champagne sauce."

"This light-festooned terrace is hard to stay away from, especially as chef Patrick Powell dishes up seriously good food from the kitchen that usually also serves the stylish restaurant inside. It's as brilliant for brunch as it is for dinner and has the feeling of a New York rooftop bar. If you do opt for dinner, rest assured that they have heating and blankets if it gets a little chilly once the sun sets."

"Where: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 20 International Way, London E20 1FD. The wraparound terraces at Allegra’s seventh-floor restaurant at The Stratford are beautiful - imagine a wildflower meadow in the sky and you’re halfway there. The terrace menu makes full use of the wood-burning grill and their weekend brunch is a popular alfresco option."

"Offering chic interiors that mix rustic features with contemporary styling, Horvada is one of the prettiest restaurants in London. Interiors aside, they've got some gorgeous plates of food to boot, and a selection of cocktails that were made for the gram."

"Some of the most famous names from the comedy circuit feature at Comedy Carnival, stars of Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week among them. At Bar Rumba on Shaftesbury Avenue off Leicester Square, Comedy Carnival has shows every Friday and Saturday night from 8.00-10.00pm and also stages a gig on one Saturday each month at Infernos on Clapham High Street. The familiar faces of Reginald D Hunter and Holly Walsh are complimented by some of the freshest talent from across the world."

"Rich Mix allows creativity in all its magnificent forms – live music, theatre, poetry, film, art, design and drawing, so it’s a little distinct from the other places on the list, but the charity behind the cross-media arts centre, The Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, has a pretty inspiring goal. And that’s to offer the public space to discover more about the creative offerings of people from various migrant populations. Since taking over the former clothing factory on Bethnal Green Road, Rich Mix has put on many free exhibitions, screenings and concerts."

"This fantastic creative space in the East End, on the site of what used to be in a leather factory, has regular exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists. 39-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Free entryrichmix.org.uk"