Top 10 Things To Do, Activities and Attractions in Greenhithe

"Throughout its history, the abbey has been home to every coronation since 1066 and has seen sixteen royal weddings, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Visitors to the abbey can take in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Poets Corner, as well as pay their respects to leading British cultural figures including Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Geoffrey Chaucer. With more than a million people visiting Westminster Abbey each year, it’s a great place to explore some of the greatest moments in British culture."

"A splendid mixture of architectural styles, Westminster Abbey is considered the finest example of Early English Gothic. It's not merely a beautiful place of worship – the Abbey is still a working church and the stage on which history unfolds. For centuries, the country's greatest have been interred here, including 17 monarchs from King Henry III (died 1272) to King George II (1760). Much of the Abbey's architecture is from the 13th century, but it was founded much earlier, in 960 AD."

"Westminster Abbey is a pretty imposing building with stunning architecture. Needless to say, it makes for some pretty beautiful Instagram shots. If you want the perfect Instagram shot just walk a little further away from it along one of the roads that lead to it."

"Never has a traffic jam on the Old Kent Road looked so enchanting – everything seen from The Shangri-La looks enchanting. The hotel occupies floors 34 to the 52 of Renzo Piano's 87-storey London landmark. The rooms (contemporary, creamy, Asian-influenced), restaurants (especially the romantic Ting) and bar (gin and rosemary – divine) are all fantastic, though nothing can compete with the extraordinary views over London, which turn every guest into a slack-jawed infant, lost in wonder, gazing out, palms to the window, all day long."

"The Shard has one of the most beautiful and photogenic views over London (if you manage to go on a sunny day, unlike the one when I went and snapped the photo below). My advice for visiting The Shard is to go enjoy the view from the cocktail bar, instead of the viewing floor. As you can imagine cocktails are expensive, however they are only a couple pounds more expensive than the entry ticket to the viewing deck."

"London’s tallest skyscraper with superb city views from the Skydeck on the 72nd floor. The 306m-tall building is the tallest in the EU and on a clear day you get 360-degree views for up to 40 miles. Using binoculars you can zoom in on London’s different landmarks, from the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge."

"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."

"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."

"Nowhere else does London's history come to life so vividly as it does in this mini city of 20 towers, the intimate details of lords and…"

"From prison to palace, treasure vault to private zoo, the magnificent Tower of London has fulfilled many different roles down the centuries. One of Britain's most iconic structures, this spectacular World Heritage Site offers hours of fascination for visitors curious about the country's rich history - after all, so much of it happened here. Inside the massive White Tower, built in 1078 by William the Conqueror, is the 17th-century Line of Kings with its remarkable displays of royal armaments and armor."

"Some people thought I was being brave when I posted shots like this on Instagram, but this composition is actually taken from an island in the middle of the road (so it’s totally safe). Try using a tripod, long exposure and taking pictures at night for a similar result to below. Best time for pics: Blue hour/nightCost: FreeLocation:Link on Google Maps"

"Tower Bridge is one part of the London skyline that isn’t always visible and only at certain viewpoints will you catch a glimpse. As Tower Bridge is a lot lower to the ground than the other buildings, it is easily hidden amount surrounding structures. However, that hasn’t stopped it becoming one of the key elements of the iconic image."

"Home to the world’s most famous clock, Big Ben (officially the Queen Elizabeth Tower, but no one calls it that), the Houses of Parliament is a neo-Gothic wonder built in the mid-19th century. It is made up of two houses – the Commons and the Lords – and if you reserve ahead (or just try your luck on the day) you can go inside to watch British democracy in action."

"A visit here is a journey to the heart of UK democracy. The Houses of Parliament are officially called the Palace of Westminster, and its oldest part is 11th-century Westminster Hall, one of only a few sections that survived a catastrophic 1834 fire. The rest is mostly a neo-Gothic confection built over 36 years from 1840. The palace's most famous feature is its clock tower, Elizabeth Tower (but better known as Big Ben), covered in scaffolding until restoration works are finished in 2021."

"The Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster) is, of course, one of the most popular buildings to photograph for Instagram. For some of the best spots go directly opposite and take pictures in this little archway and also the steps above that lead from Westminster Bridge down to the walkway. The best bet for good photographs is to get here around sunset for the golden hour as the sun often sets behind the building."

"Fleet Street is the former home of London’s printing and publishing industry. It has an old-timey appearance, with tall grey buildings stacked high on either side of the street. It’s a great spot for raw street photography."

"The Ragged School Museum in London opened in 1990 at the former Dr Barnardo's Copperfield Road Ragged School. The school opened in 1877 to provide the children in the area with a basic education, making it the biggest school of its kind for the period. By 1908, the government had taken over public education and the school was closed."

"If you’re familiar with a Monopoly board then you’ll know that Regent Street is a slightly more upmarket area than Oxford Street in which you can spend some money. Tourists to London in particular will appreciate the upscale high street designers and labels that you’ll find here, including Banana Republic and Liberty. This area is also where London’s main Apple Store is and where people queue for hours anytime there is an updated product set for launch."

"The absolute best that the West End has to offer, in terms of shopping, is located on Regent Street. Brands like Anthropologie, Liberty, Hamleys (the legendary toy store) or Apple are available, as well as many other internationally-renowned shops. You can also find the finest restaurants, hotels, art galleries and even spas."

"The spot is well-located for an easy walk to the West End theaters and Regent Street, one of London’s major shopping streets."

"This attraction is perfect for those visiting North London as King’s Cross can be so easily reached. Granary Square’s fountains are composed of 1,080 water jets, each controlled individually and lit up. This provides hours of entertainment for children who enjoy splashing around."

"Opened last summer, Kova Patisserie focuses on fine French patisseries embellished with Japanese twists. Embracing the Japanese tradition of incorporating and adapting elements from other cultures, whilst keeping its own unique identity, the patisserie will champion Japanese tea and fruit flavours, matched with French classics, using the finest natural ingredients. Many of these desserts, including their Matcha Mille Crepes, are now available for delivery via Slerp."

"Kova Patisserie is a small cafe specialising in Japanese patisserie and mostly known for their mille crepe cakes made multiple layers of French crepes and light cream. Get one of those and wash it down with a matcha tea for a full Japanese experience. They are set just off the beaten track of Soho and are a bit of a hidden gem."

"Strawberry shortcake comprised of Japanese chiffon cake – very airy, as soft as a cloud – vanilla whipped cream and fresh strawberries, it’s not too sweet and incredibly light."

"The Orangery[39] was designed by Sir William Chambers, and was completed in 1761. It measures 28 by 10 metres (92 by 33 ft). It was found to be too dark for its intended purpose of growing citrus plants and they were moved out in 1841."

"10/05/2021: My visit to Kew Gardens was excellent and only spoilt by the lunch at the Orangery. The serving staff need training in customer service. I had to ask twice if I could have some vegetables to go with my casserole."

"Your favourite spot to eat is open for indoor and outdoor dining, with outdoor pop-up stalls available too. Why not warm yourself with one of our amazing toasties, burgers or new Lebanese Barbeque served on the terrace."

"Jacob Kenedy has been extolling the virtues of Italy at Bocca Di Lupo for more than a decade, but it’s all about the deep South at his Islington pub-restaurant Plaquemine Lock. Gumbo, the Louisiana classic, is at the heart of the menu, a soul-soothing smokey stew of shrimp, chicken and homemade andouille sausage. An essential second order is the buttermilk fried chicken with pineapple salsa and mustard gravy – one of the best portions of fried chicken in the capital."

"What do you get when a chef famed for his Italian food opens a pub in Islington serving Cajun cuisine?. The answer is Plaquemine Lock, and it’s the foodie mash up you never knew you needed. Jacob Kenedy’s (of Bocca di Lupo fame) Louisiana-inspired cooking is a treat for the soul at this quirky, colourful corner pub, where the menu boasts fried oysters, ham, duck and andouille sausage gumbo, with sides of fried green tomatoes, collard greens and candied yams."

"London has a lot of the world’s great pizza cultures represented, but it’s yet to really delve into the Chicago deep dish with much gusto. Enter Japes: a Chicago deep dish-focused restaurant in Soho. What to expect: The best thing here by a country mile is the deep dish pizzas, which are like oozing tarts full of thick red sauce and glorious toppings."

"Another of London’s most popular museums with younger kids, this is ideal if you have children who like to get hands on, but with collections covering science and technology from the oldest surviving steam locomotive to the model of DNA and the forerunners of computers, this is a museum that you could revisit over and over again. Along with the space and flight galleries, you can follow humanity’s technological advances, medical history, more interactive displays and also the IMAX 3 cinema showing documentaries. Only a few areas are aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, in particular The Garden which is focused on under-fives at the Science Museum- although with exhibits that make noise, a mini puppet theatre, areas to climb and play and the water feature (always a big favourite), this area alone can entertain younger kids for quite some time."

"My personal favourite free museum in London has to be the Science Museum in South Kensington. London’s Science Museum covers various aspects of science and human achievement, from the exploration of space to the invention of modern digital technologies. It is currently the most visited science museum in Europe."

"The Science Museum proves that science doesn’t need to be dull. Attracting over 3 million visitors each year, the museum has exhibits for every age group, including galleries for kids under five and the Pattern Pod for kids up to eight."