Historic Sites in London Borough of Bexley

"Another location with a long association with British royalty, Westminster Abbey stands on a site that's been associated with Christianity since the early 7th century. Officially known as the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster, Westminster Abbey was founded by Edward the Confessor in 1065 as his place of interment. From his burial in 1066 until that of George II almost 700 years later, most sovereigns were not only crowned here but were buried here, too."

"This Gothic architectural masterpiece has hosted almost every coronation of English monarchs since 1066, when William the Conqueror was crowned on Christmas Day. Over 3,300 people are buried here, including at least sixteen monarchs, eight Prime Ministers, and the Unknown Warrior."

"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."

"Over 900 years old, this great castle is located in the centre of the city. It has been used for a wide range of purposes over the years including holding the crown jewels and housing various prisoners. It is for this reason that tourists hardly ever miss a chance to take a trip back in time and explore this medieval masterpiece."

"Discover the unique history of this medieval fortress, royal palace and infamous prison. 🏰 The Tower of London is home to the dazzling Crown Jewels 👑 and legendary Beefeaters 💂‍♀️ and ravens."

"At present it’s a hotch-potch of scaffolding and sheets holding the magnificent old building together like a set of sticking-plasters. And then there’s Big Ben, the famous clock-tower shorn of all its slender grace by a mass of scaffolding. Big Ben is perennially near the top of any London must see list, especially in the age of digital photography and Instagram."

"The Houses of Parliament—also known as the Palace of Westminster—is the seat of Britain’s political power. Completed in 1870, the Gothic-style building, and its Elizabeth Tower (housing the 13-ton bell, Big Ben) is one of the most iconic London attractions. Book a tour and get the political scoop on the House of Commons and House of Lords."

"North of Oxford Street, there’s no missing the striking buildings of the Wallace Collection, one of the most interesting free art museums in London. Inside the buildings, you’ll find paintings from the 15th to 19th century, with a particularly impressive collection of 18th century French artworks said to rival the collection at Versailles. This free museum is the only place you’ll ever be able to see these masterpieces – when Sir Richard Wallace’s widow bequeathed the collection, she made it a condition that not a single piece should ever leave the imposing building."

"One of London's best small galleries, hidden away just north of Oxford Street, the Wallace Collection is an enthralling glimpse into 18th-century aristocratic life, set up in a lavishly restored Italianate mansion stuffed with 17th and 18th century art."

"More of a yard than a proper park, Postman’s Park is still one of the largest green spaces in the City of London yet it remains a hidden gem. It’s also full of plaques dedicated to everyday heroes – these stories of self-sacrifice were collected by artist George Frederic Watts and turned into a memorial in 1900 – making it a very peaceful spot."

"One minute the sea will be there, then at low tide it’s literally completely disappeared. (Hence why the pier needed to be so long back in the day!). The largest beach which is closest to everything is Jubilee Beach."

"Why: Don’t let the name on the door fool you, Paul A Young may be a master chocolatier, but he also sells ice cream at his trio of upmarket boutiques across the capital. Scoops here are provided by Hackney Gelato, while chocolatey toppings are naturally left to Young and his team. Complete your ice cream by showering it with the likes of cocoa nibs, dark chocolate pearls and hot chocolate sauce, or just go all out and ask for all of the toppings at once (we won’t judge)."

"Shopping Specialist food and drink Angel. Chocolatier Paul A Young takes the sweet stuff seriously, so when he decided to start selling ice cream in his gorgeous boutiques on Islington’s Camden Passage and at the Royal Exchange in Bank, he called in the experts. East London’s gelato wizards Hackney Gelato make three flavours for him, using the same top-notch ingredients that go into the truffles."

"Address: 33 Camden Passage, The Angel, London N1 8EA and 143 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1F 8WA and 20 The Royal Exchange, Threadneedle Street, London EC3V 3LP. For all you chocoholics (and really, who isn't) this top chocolatier is the place to go for your chocolate ice cream hit. Okay, so there's not a huge range of flavours and crazy toppings, but you know what you're getting and you know it's going to be top quality."

"Restaurants Ice-cream parlours Camden Town. A Filipino take on an ice-cream parlour, Mamasons peddle the kind of ‘dirty’ stuff you’ll find on the streets of Manila. The signature flavour is ‘ube’ (made with a native purple yam), but also brace yourself for salty cheese-based ‘queso’, vegan-friendly kalamansi or goth-tastic ‘black buko’ (coconut combined with activated charcoal made from the coconut shell)."

"So-called 'dirty ice-cream' is actually a term of endearment used to describe the homemade ice-cream you'll find on the streets of Manila. Expect to find quite different flavours to what you might be used to - their signature is Ube - a purple-hued ice-cream made with Filipino purple yam - but they also serve up a salty queso flavour and a vegan guyabano sorbet. Delivery: via their online shop"

"Omar Shah and Florence Mae Magnaloc’s Mamasons is packaging up its range of Filipino-influenced ice creams for delivery and is open for takeaways, with ube, milo, and calamansi among the flavours. Expect bilog, the pandesal ice cream sandwich, to go quickly, with the Chinatown branch open from 12 p.m."

"It’s tricky to resist Bubblewrap – not just the plastic kind and its addictive popping potential, but also the Chinatown dessert sensation and its waffle-wrapped desserts. The West End dessert shop sells waffles made in a bubble-indented iron, inspired by the egg waffles of Hong Kong. The curiously textured dough is then shaped into a cone and stuffed with ice cream, nuts, fresh fruits, oreos and sauces, among many other rotating toppings."

"You may have seen some of these massive cones floating around on Instagram, and it’s definitely one of the best desserts in London. The egg waffles made at Bubblewrap are filled with incredible gelato, and you can pack as many toppings onto your monstrous creation as you wish. Located in Chinatown, it’s one of those crazy desserts in London that you need to try once!"

"Their ice cream is top class, but it’s all about their delicious bubblewrap waffle cones here. They truly enhance the experience. They make the cones fresh in house and are the perfect balance of chewy and crunchy texture to compliment the ice cream and toppings."