Top 10 Free Things To Do and Attractions in Finchley

"It would be wrong to omit Hyde Park from a list of London’s most beautiful and prominent green spaces. The Grade I listed 350-acre royal park is the biggest in London, renowned as the city’s ‘green lung’, and hosts an array of major annual events, from Winter Wonderland to music festivals such as British Summer Time Hyde Park. Visit the memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, picnic in the prepossessing Rose Garden (post lockdown), or go swimming in the Serpentine Lido, which opens from June to early September."

"Arguably the most traditional romantic place in London, Hyde Park offers a number of simple romantic activities. I would personally recommend horse riding around the park. It’s active, fun and a fantastic way to explore the beauty and splendor of Hyde Park."

"Hyde Park is centrally located and loved by many residents as well as international students. This gorgeous park is spread across 350 acres of land. It has more than 4,000 trees, a lake, a meadow, a rose garden and several ducks enhancing the beauty."

"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"

"In June 2018, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries opened. The galleries, which are reached by the newly build Weston Tower, house historical exhibit and treasures owned by the Abbey. Admission to the Galleries is currently an extra £5.00 and requires a timed ticket as space is limited."

"When Asian hospitality chain Shangri-La opened in the Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, in 2014, it was literally head and shoulders above the rest of London – as well as being the first luxury hotel south of the river. The hotel, which occupies the floors from level 35 upwards, pairs its pared-back guestrooms – lots of business-friendly beige and black lacquer – with panoramic views across the entire city. Deep baths are positioned by the glass windows to maximise the views."

"It’s definitely a unique-looking structure, and you can see it from all over London; that’s because The Shard is a 95-story skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The Shard was built with the idea of it being an architecturally stunning vertical city, and it more than lives up to that. It houses restaurants, hotels, offices, residences and more."

"The Shangri-La Suite is the top suite at the Shangri-La at The Shard, designed to maximise the view of London’s skyline from every direction possible. The 2,000 square foot one bedroom suite is plush and homely with one of the best views you’ll see from any hotel room. Click to read about the Shangri-La Luxury Circle programme which gives guests access to a host of added value amenities."

"While visiting the historically important Tower of London does require a paid entrance ticket, the daily Ceremony of the Keys – the traditional ‘locking up’ of the Tower – is completely free to watch. At exactly 21:53 each evening, the Chief Yeoman Warder (or ‘Beefeater’) marches through the Tower carrying the Queen’s Keys. Escorted by four armed guards, he performs a series of specific rituals as he locks the gates to the Tower for the night before returning the keys to the Queen’s House at 10pm."

"One of London's most recognisable sights, familiar from dozens of movies, Tower Bridge doesn’t disappoint in real life. Its neo-Gothic towers and sky-blue suspension struts add extraordinary elegance to what is a supremely functional structure. London was a thriving port in 1894 when it was built as a much-needed crossing point in the east, equipped with a then-revolutionary steam-driven bascule (counterbalance) mechanism that could raise the roadway to make way for oncoming ships in just three minutes."

"Topping our list of must-see London attractions is the iconic Tower Bridge. Completed in 1894, Tower Bridge is one of the world’s most famous bascule (a French term for “see-saw”) bridges: It opens in the middle to allow tall boats on the Thames to pass through. Catch a glimpse of the bridge opening (lift times are posted on the Tower Bridge website), and walk across its high-level glass floor walkways 42 metres above the Thames!"

"Tower Bridge is without a doubt the most famous drawbridge in the world. This alone makes it a must-see landmark when visiting London. A lot of photographs have been taken from this spot already and the pedestrian ways seem to be crowded 24/7."

"This beautiful little 18th-century church was James Gibbs’ first commission. It sits in the middle of a busy traffic island on the Strand"

"Not only is St Helen’s one of the oldest surviving churches in the City of London, but it is also the largest, and contains more monuments than any other church in London (except Westminster Abbey of course). The church was designed with two parallel naves, which is why is it is so much wider than a usual church, and it was actually divided in two at one point, with half serving the nuns and the other half serving the parishioners (it is also the only nunnery still standing in the City of London). Among the more famous parishioners of this church was William Shakespeare who lived nearby in the 1590s."

"St Helen Bishopsgate was formed originally of two medieval churches joined together. On the left is the nave of a Benedictine Nunnery, which, in the early 13th century was built onto the existing parish church. The two congregations were then separated by a solid screen (now columns)."

"This church dates from the 12th-century and managed to survive both the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz"

"St Lawrence Jewry is a splendid Baroque church by Sir Christopher Wren, built on the site of an earlier church destroyed in the Great Fire. It’s across the square from London Guildhall, and is the official church of the Lord Mayor of London and the City of London Corporation. The Jewry in its name refers to the London Jewish ghetto, which was centred around the street named Old Jewry, which can be found less than 100 metres east along Gresham Street from the church – it’s on the right."

"St Lawrence Jewry was founded in the 12th century and dedicated to St Lawrence, roasted alive on a gridiron in 3rd century Rome. The church was rebuilt by Wren in1670-87. It was one of Wren’s most expensive City Churches and was badly gutted on 29th December 1940."

"Situated next to the Guildhall in the old Jewish quarter, this was rebuilt by Wren after the original burned down in the Great Fire"

"Why: Found a short distance from Harrods and other upmarket shopping destinations, Harry's Dolce Vita is perfectly accomodating for a spot of post-shopping dining. If lugging around all of those bags has worked up a sweat, you can cool down with one of Harry's delicious ice cream sundaes. You're able to enjoy them either inside or out on the terrace, and flavours to choose from include an apricot, mango and yoghurt combination or lemon sorbet topped with candied lemon and whipped cream."

"27–31 Basil Street, London SW3 1BBForget tiramisu and ice-cream sundaes – there’s a new pudding in town and it’s called the Toadstool. It might look like straight out of Super Mario, with its glossy red dome and cute white spots, but the white-chocolate, raspberry and pistachio creation at Harry’s Dolce Vita, the latest venture from Caprice Holdings, is the talk of London right now. And the rest of the menu’s not bad either."

"Restaurants Italian Belgravia. Directly behind Harrods, Harry’s is a glamorous Italian bistro with a breezy European-style terrace out front that’s often packed with people enjoying a spritz and a plate of pasta after a day of shopping across the road. Foodwise, stick to the simple Italian things: seafood spaghetti and fresh antipasti plates."

"The one-time Ramsay protégé won over London with Pollen Street Social and now has a mini-empire of restaurants including Social Eating House, Berners Tavern and this small spot near Regent Street. Here, Atherton has created a menu of French bistro classics with modern — and often British — twists. Think Cornish cod with cockles, terrine with smoked duck, ox cheeks with bone marrow, or a cottage pie ‘Bourguignon’."

"On the other side of the rose pergola from the Agius Evolution Garden, you’ll find the Kitchen Garden where Kew Gardens grow edible plants to learn more about producing healthy and sustainable food. I love bringing the kids here during the summer to see the various crops, and in the autumn to see the pumpkin patch. Keep an eye out for their Kitchen Garden sales, where they sell fruits and vegetables from the garden from May to September."

"The Kitchen Garden is a vegetable garden with fruits and vegetables, and can be seen growing different products in all seasons. Vegetables are selected for maximum flavor and to provide mature products in all seasons. There you find asparagus, potatoes, peas, spinach, strawberries, carrot varieties (including purple and yellow), gooseberries, garlic, beans and many other foods."