Top 10 Free Things To Do and Attractions in Ridge

"Hyde Park may be nearly 7 times larger, but I’ve always been partial to St. James’s Park, flanked on the east by Buckingham Palace and on the west by Number 10 Downing Street, the British government headquarters. I’m a particular fan of the St. James’s Parks lakes as well as the wildlife it supports, which include pelicans, ducks (lots of ducks!) and foxes!"

"Hyde Park lies between Mayfair, Knightsbridge, and Kensington and is contiguous with Kensington Park and Gardens, but is considered a separate park. Park Lane runs along its eastern side and Marble Arch is at its northeast corner. Hyde Park is home to Speaker’s Corner and The Serpentine."

"After visiting Kensnigton Palace, if the weather is nice, I’d spend some time exploring Kensington Gardens and adjacent Hyde Park. Within this large green space, you’ll find a number of gardens, sporting area, statues, biking trails, and boat rentals (seasonal)."

"Another building that took no time establishing itself as a London icon is the Shard, aka the United Kingdom’s tallest building. At over 309 metres tall, it towers over the rest of London with its unique pyramid shape and sharp point. Its unique and imposing design means there are endless options for capturing dramatic and beautiful shots featuring the Shard."

"Part of London’s new modern skyline, this skyscraper is the highest in the European Union at the time of writing. It rises to 309 metres. The building is a popular tourist destination, with great views of London."

"The Tower of London is such a great place to visit with kids if they’re into learning about the history of London, castles and stories of kings and queens – including a bit of blood and gore!. Kids will be enthralled by the stories of the famous tower ravens, Henry the VIII and his many wives, the Guy Fawkes plot, the yeoman warders and Beefeaters with their pomp and ceremony. Save the best until last – the spectacular Crown Jewels including dazzling crowns and jewellery that are still in use today."

"Built by William the Conqueror in 1066, this uncompromising slab of a building has been many things—including the site where Henry VIII ordered the execution of two of his wives. Now the Tower is most famous as the home of the Crown Jewels. Come, take a tour from one of the Beefeaters (offered every half hour), and gawp at the sparkling and the frightening alike."

"The London Pass is a pre-paid sightseeing card which gives you FREE fast-track entry to the city’s top tourist attractions, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and a Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. The view from the Shard"

"The bridge opens and closes almost 1000 times a year (schedule posted online and at the bridge). The Tower Bridge Exhibition provides a history of the bridge and allows access to the bridge’s top walkway by way of an elevator. You can see the river below through the reinforced glass section in the middle of the walkway."

"Basically Tower Bridge is one of the single most photogenic spots in London. From whatever angle you decide to photograph it, it looks brilliant. I personally love photos taken on the bridge, as it really gives you an idea of the scale and size of this architectural feat."

"Easily one the most cherished green spaces in London, this is a very popular and much-loved area of London which can be found in the well-heeled area of Hampstead. The ‘Heath’ is a natural-looking park with a variety of landscapes including hills, ponds, woodlands and open grassy places. For the more active visitors the area is home to eight playgrounds running tracks, three swimming pools, grassland, woodlands, ponds and sports areas."

"Hampstead Heath Park London is one of the most loved parks in London. There’s plenty of things to do like visiting the Parliament Hill, Golders Hill Park-with a zoo and a gorgeous butterfly house, an open-air Lido, swimming ponds, splash pools, countless sports pitches and facilities, athletics track, playgrounds, stunning listed Pergola and Hill Garden. The list of things to do at Hampstead Heath doesn’t end!"

"From wonderful walking trails to taking a dip in the bathing ponds, there is plenty to do and enjoy at Hampstead Heath. Branded ‘an island of beautiful countryside’, you’ll never get tired of visiting this thriving inner city escape."

"St Mary Woolnoth was said to have been founded originally by Wulfnoth, a Saxon noble, on a Roman Temple to Concord. The church is famous among architects. It was built by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1716-1721."

"This bizarre looking Anglican church was designed by Hawksmoor – his only City of London church. The original dated back to Norman times"

"One of London’s best views can be seen from the top of primrose hill, making the hike up well worth it. Passing through meticulously manicured gardens with beautiful flowers and fountains with a walk uphill to where the view awaits. A great place to watch the fireworks or simply get one of London’s best views, with plenty of green space for a picnic or a rest."

"While Primrose Hill isn’t a playground as such, Regent’s Park (and specifically Primrose Hill) is a wonderful place to just spread out a picnic blanket and look at the London skyline. With a toddler in tow, it’s important to bring some bubbles or other things to keep them occupied, but there is plenty of space for them to run around."

"St Mary at Hill is the old fisherman’s church, as for centuries, the fish trade was carried out at nearby Billingsgate and in the surrounding streets. So it is by Wren (1670-6), except the tower of 1780, on the site of an earlier church dating from the twelfth century. The historian Stow says that Thomas Becket was a parson there."

"A peaceful oasis amongst the buzz and bustle of the city, the Culpeper Community Garden is managed by and for the local people. It’s open seven days a week and is just a short walk from Angel station. COVID-19 UPDATE: Culpeper Community Garden is currently closed to the public."

"The Barbican isn’t a single building: it’s an entire estate. It’s in the northern part of the City of London, which was devastated by bombing during World War II. It was eventually replaced by the Barbican Estate, a series of residential towers and courts built in finest British concrete between 1965 and 1976."

"The Barbican Centre is the largest arts centre in Europe and home of the London Symphony Orchestra. It was opened to the public in 1982 after it took a decade of construction work. The arts centre is one of the places in London that is child-friendly."

"The Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide is the oldest organization in the world devoted to the study of the Holocaust. The Wiener Library was founded in 1933 to keep Jewish communities up to date on Nazi persecution. Later, it became a research institute and public access library following the end of World War II. The library today has an estimated 70,000 books, 2,000 document, 45,000 photographs and 3,000 periodicals."

"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"

"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"

"Set atop 20 Fenchurch Street (aka the Walkie Talkie building), Sky Garden is the highest public garden in London. Amidst a lush urban jungle, it offers stunning 360° panoramic views of the city. The unique setting and spectacular views easily make this one of the most Instagrammable places in London."

"Number two on our list of the bests building and architecture in London is the stunning sky gardens. This is one of the most modern buildings found in the city. Also, its one of the highest public gardens to be found in the United Kingdom."

"This farm is little further out of London, but a whole day of adventure and fun can be enjoyed here, thanks to a huge array of facilities, besides the friendly animals. There’s indoor soft play at the Bundle Barn, an alpine toboggan run, Dino Dig and Splash play area and an adventure playground. Unlike most of the other city farms in London listed, there is a small entry price for this one (£10) but this includes entry to all indoor and outdoor play areas, activities, animals, bird shows and a tractor ride to the dairy farm."

"A post shared by Georgiebd (@georgie.bd) on May 26, 2018 at 10:23am PDT. Cycle along the paths or take a stroll at Lee Valley Regional Park. Stretching 42km (26 miles) along the river Lee, past Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and up to Ware in Hertfordshire, there is plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife, relax or play."