Historic Sites in Barking

"Standing proudly next to the Westminster Houses of Parliament, the home of British politics, is the beautiful and hugely significant Westminster Abbey. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site back in 1987, this church is one of the most important in the UK and dates back to around 800AD. Westminster Abbey is steeped in history and has been the scene of royalty since William the Conqueror in the 1000s."

"Henry of Reyns (1245), Nicholas Hawksmoor (1745), George Gilbert Scott (1865)📕 Page 4. England’s royal history began here. Edward the Confessor rebuilt St Peter’s Abbey, a small Benedictine abbey, to provide himself with a royal burial church."

"Westminster Abbey is one of the most important historical places in London. The royal abbey church dates back almost a thousand years. It is also the burial place of many of Britain’s kings and queens."

"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."

"For a building still significant but just a bit (okay, a lot!) older, walk right across the River Thames to the Tower of London, which, having been founded in 1066, is nearly 1,000 years old!. Tours include exploring several different parts of the property – my favorite part of the tour during my visit was checking out the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom!"

"This well-preserved medieval castle is one of London’s premier attractions for families – adults and children love it. Interior exhibits are interactive and informative. The castle was eventually converted to a prison and the site of many executions."

"Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament – Iconic Big Ben is the name of the bell in the giant clock tower at the end of the Houses of Parliament, where the UK Parliament meets. This iconic sight is best viewed from the Westminster Bridge or from the south side of the Thames."

"» The building of Westminster Palace, called The Parliament, is one of the largest buildings in the world. That’s the palace of 1200 rooms, 5 kilometers of corridors, and 100 stairways. » The most famous among palace’s towers is often referred to as Big Ben."

"The Wallace Collection is a national museum which exhibits art collections that were compiled by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and the illegitimate son of the fourth Marquess, Sir Richard Wallace. In 1897, Lady Wallace, the widow of the late Sir Richard Wallace, handed the museum to the British Nation. The museum is housed in the historic Hertford House located in Manchester Square, Westminster."

"The Wallace Collection is a London art gallery made up of the collection of the Marquess family. The art all dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries and was gathered by five generations of the Marquesses along with Sir Richard Wallace, who was an illegitimate Marquess son. Today, the collection contains more than five thousand pieces."

"Wallace collection displays magnificent artworks in the historic London town. It has some of the most amazing old paintings, decorative arts, and world-class armouries. This stunning London museum is free and also has a glazed courtyard restaurant."

"If you’re into pageantry, just round the corner from Buckingham Palace, and officially part of the grounds, the Royal Mews is a fascinating place to visit, and much less popular than its exhibits deserve. Finally, if you’re into afternoon tea, you can experience a fashionable take on the high tea experience at the Berkeley."

"You can visit the Royal Mews (fee*) which showcases the royal collection of historic carriages and coaches, including the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. Art lovers will want to stop at the Queen’s Gallery (fee*) which displays regularly changing exhibitions of art from the royal collection."

"This magnificent neoclassical mansion stands at the northern end of Hampstead Heath in a glorious sweep of landscaped gardens that lead down to a picturesque lake. The 17th-century house was substantially remodelled in the 1760s and rescued from developers by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, who donated it and the wonderful collection of art it contains to the nation in 1927. Among its treasures are paintings by Rembrandt (one of his many self-portraits), Constable, Gainsborough and Vermeer."

"This largely Palladian villa offers an escape to a gracious country house with a magnificent collection of Old Masters and beautiful…"

"Japanese , Sushi"

"Like Sushi Tetsu, Wimbledon’s Takahashi is run by a husband and wife, chef and front-of-house team, with the chef both ex-Nobu and named Takahashi. Cornish red mullet and horse mackerel grace a specials card to make anywhere blush. Takahashi-san borrows from the Mediterranean elements of his former employers here, but superlative nigiri and sashimi — served with minute attention to detail to prevent spoilage of the rice at a restaurant with no sushi bar — are the things to come for."

"You could walk past this tiny spot on Merton Road five times before realising that this low-key restaurant is home to some of the best sushi you can get in SW London. It’s a small restaurant with an intimate feel, and a menu of nigiri, sashimi, maki, and small plates. The fish is excellent, and the spicy tuna and shrimp tempura maki are some of the best we’ve had in London."

"Unique in being one of the remaining independent and privately funded institutions of the arts in London, The Royal Academy of Arts has garnered a reputation as the venue for some of the most interesting art exhibitions that the country has ever seen. “The breadth of their show programme is so impressive, you can almost guarantee that at all times there will be a show on you have to see,” says Matthew. “We framed the Hockney exhibition there a few years ago,” recalls Matthew, who had a great deal of input into the frames used for some of Hockney’s vibrant and dreamlike landscapes inspired by the Yorkshire countryside."

"Head to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the evolution of contemporary art unfold before your very eyes. It’s no accident that this is known as the spot for finding London’s hottest talents. The academy is led by its Royal Academicians, a group of peer-elected artists, the works of whom are displayed in their defiant exhibits."

"Know a really cool free museum in London we forgot to include?. Tell us about it in the comments below and we’ll add it to the list ?"

"They are two contemporary art galleries, the Serpentine Gallery and the Serpentine Sacker Gallery linked by a bridge over the Serpentine Lake. Every year, a leading architect displays his or her design in a temporary summer pavilion near the Serpentine Gallery. Each Pavilion is completed within six months and is situated on the Gallery’s lawn for three months for the public to explore."

"You’ll find a range of contemporary art and architecture at the beautiful Serpentine Gallery. Make sure to also check out the Serpentine Pavillion – a site for international architectural experimentation that changes every year!"

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The Serpentine Galleries are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free but tickets must be booked in advance here. NEAREST METRO STATIONS: Lancaster Gate and Knightsbridge"

"The Bethlem Museum of the Mind is a museum focused on the history of the Royal Bethlem Hospital. Inside the museum is an art gallery that was created in 1997 as a way to showcase the art of artists who are currently or were once patients of the hospital. Famed patients with work on display at the museum include William Kurelek, Richard Dadd and Louis Wain."