Historic Sites in Lemsford

"What better place to start your London itinerary than with a visit to the Tower of London, home to the English Crown Jewels and the site of numerous key historical events, including the execution of all sorts of people who were deemed inappropriate by whoever was in charge at the time. These days there’s less blood running on the grass, but you will still find plenty to do, from popping in to see the monarch’s crown through to exploring the White Castle at the centre of the keep. My advice for getting the most out of your visit is to arrive as soon as the Tower opens, which is around 9am, and beating the crowds to the crown jewels. You’re likely going to want to spend at least an hour here, if not two – there is a lot to see (and photograph!) here."

"London is an eminently walkable city, and you’ll be able to take in the majority of the key highlights, from the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace through to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Then, on your second day, take advantage of that car and head out to some of the attractions outside of London. I’m thinking Windsor Castle, or Hampton Court Palace – both eminently explorable, and easy to reach with a car."

"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"

"Arguably London’s finest smaller gallery, the Wallace Collection is an enthralling glimpse into 18th-century aristocratic life. The sumptuously restored Italianate mansion houses a treasure trove of 17th- and 18th-century paintings, porcelain, artefacts and furniture collected by generations of the same family and bequeathed to the nation by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace (1818–90) on the condition it remain displayed in the same fashion."

"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."

"With its Great Gallery stunningly refurbished, there's even more reason to visit this exquisite gem of an art gallery—although housing…"

"A pretty walk across Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens will bring you to the gorgeous Kensington Palace, most famous as the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria, for whom the whole Victorian era was named. One of the longest reigning British monarchs, she oversaw the huge expansion of the British Empire, as well as great leaps in science, technology, and industry. Currently, Kensington Palace is the official residence of a number of members of the Royal Family, including the Princes William and Harry."

"Once the home of Princess Diana (and before that, a young Queen Victoria), Kensington Palace is currently one of the residences of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge—that’s William and Kate. The lush gardens and the King’s and Queen’s state apartments are open to visitors year round. Here’s what Kensington Palace looked like right after Princess Diana’s death."

"Designed in 1775 for government departments and royal societies – perhaps the world's first office block – Somerset House now contains galleries, restaurants and cafes that encircle a lovely open courtyard and extend to an elevated sun-trap terrace. The Embankment Galleries are devoted to temporary exhibitions (usually related to photography, design or fashion). In summer, the grand courtyard hosts open-air live performances, dancing fountains for kids to cool off in and the Film4 Summer Screen, plus an atmospheric ice-skating rink in winter."

"A stately home with as opulent an exterior as the art it holds within, Somerset house was once a palace for the Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour in 1547. Now one of the more grandiose of London’s institutions, the palace hosts exhibitions from all over the world and continually draws enormous crowds. The gallery is “known for the breadth of cultural collaborations across photography, fashion, art, film and music."

"Every winter, skating at the ice rink in Somerset House is one of the most fun things to do in London. There are several other ice rinks around London (including at the Tower of London and Natural History Museum) but it’s pretty hard to top Somerset House. The courtyard is a great place to spend time in summer too, when th fountains in the courtyard are a great place to splash and cool off."

"Monument was built between 1671 and 1676 to commemorate the Great Fire of London. Today, you can access the viewpoint at the top for some great views of the city. However, you will be required to climb a spiral staircase comprised of 311 stairs (although it felt like a thousand!) and pay a small entrance fee."

"The Monument is, apparently, the tallest isolated column in the world. It's not horrifically high at just 202 feet and, visitors can only reach 160 feet high as that's where the caged-in viewing platform is. You do have to walk all the way up, and all the way down, and there are 311 steps."

"Ben Franklin’s House Ben Franklin, in London?. For sixteen years, from 1757 and 1775, Ben Franklin lived in London. This house is the only surviving house that he called home."

"Located on an island in the middle of the bustling Strand, St Clement Danes Church church offers an oasis of calm. Explore the famous London church, whose bells are mentioned in the traditional Oranges and Lemons nursery rhyme, and hear them ring out across the City of London several times a day. Reconsecrated as the Central Church of the Royal Air Force in 1958, the church is also home to books of remembrance and more than 1,000 RAF badges."

"St Clement Danes church is one of the best-known churches in Westminster, London. It’s a fine white Baroque building with a prominent spire on a traffic island in the Strand, close to the Royal Courts of Justice. It’s famous for the nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and lemons ring the bells of St Clement’s’, and it’s not the only church in our list to get a mention in."

"Christopher Wren and James Gibbs rebuilt the original 9th-century church, but only its outer walls and steeple survived destruction in the Blitz"

"From fully-qualified doctors to avid viewers of Holby City, this museum will remind you of how surgery used to be a whole lot more gruesome back in the day. Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre is in Southwark, dating back more than 300 years. Nowadays you can tour the theatre, which has been kept exactly as it was when it was used during a time of no anaesthetic (ow), no antiseptic (ew) and certainly no antibiotics (crikey)."

"The blood and viscera has long since been scoured away, making this museum a fascinating place to visit. Pioneering medical techniques were trialled here back in the day, and today, it holds the crown as the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe. Tickets for adults are £7.50."

"Not to be confused with St Paul's Cathedral (a big attraction that comes with a ticket price), this church on the western flank of Covent Garden Piazza is also known as the Actor’s Church. The first Punch and Judy show took place here in 1662, and there are memorials to Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh."

"Not to be confused with St Paul's Cathedral (a big attraction that comes with a ticket price), this church on the western flank of Covent Garden Piazza is also known as the Actor’s Church. The first Punch and Judy show took place here in 1662, and there are memorials to Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh."

"Also known as the Actor’s Church, this is situated next-door to Covent Garden and was designed by the famous architect Inigo Jones"

"Fans of the film Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, will recognise the name as the shrimp company Forrest sets up with his friend Bubba in Alabama: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The restaurant sticks to the movie theme throughout with fun references and merchandise, and of course plenty of shrimp alongside other dishes from America’s Deep South such as jambalaya."

"Based on hit film Forrest Gump, this southern American eatery near Piccadilly Circus is themed on the movie's main characters and Alabama location. It’s all about the shrimp at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., with lots of crustacean creations; but there’s plenty for all the family to enjoy, from grilled steaks and salads to jambalaya."

"The ideal destination for any occasion, Coast to Coast is casual dining at its best. Guests experience a gastronomic adventure from east to west coast America, with dishes and cocktails inspired by recipes from across the continent."

"In a railway arch in Bethnal Green, this New York-inspired tap room and shop stocks an impressive array of beers brewed in the capital and across the globe. The menu of beers available on tap changes regularly and there are 19 taps serving all sorts of different styles, including limited edition brews. Sharing plates are available and street food vendors congregate outside every weekend."

"Six of them, shoulder to shoulder, shelves full of anything from Amundsen to Wild Beer Co. Pair that with 23 taps on constant rotation, and it’s fair to say this tap room has one of the most extensive beer ranges in London."

"No prizes for guessing where Camden Town Brewery makes its beer. Well, actually, if you want to get technical, it has a larger brewery in Enfield these days… But we digress. The Camden town site offers brewery tours, and it also hosts food pop-ups, complete with a sun-drenched terrace just designed for day drinking all the Camden classics: Helles, Pale, Off-Menu, Week Nite and the juicy Show Off lager."

"Discover a proud team of brewers at Camden Town Brewery, set under the railway arches in Camden. Tour the brew house to see where the magic happens, before you try all the other brews in the tasting room, including lager, pale ale, stout and limited-edition beers."