Top 10 Things To Do, Activities and Attractions in Thames Ditton

"Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London are my personal recommendations for travellers interested in English history, though a walk by Buckingham Palace might be a better place to spot one of the royals (or at least some handsome guards!). Art-lovers can spend hours inside the Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery, while theater-goers will want to buy tickets for Shakespeare’s Globe or the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Walking through one of London’s numerous parks is also an option, and so is admiring the architecture of Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, or St. Paul’s Cathedral. In the evenings, have some fish and chips in a pub or enjoy London’s multicultural dining options."

"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."

"» The main purpose of Westminster Abbey is coronation and burial vault of ruling monarchs. The building features a special cross shape. » Westminster Abbey is a huge necropolis, where the most famous people of England were buried."

"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."

"From classic sights like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace to visiting the Tower of London, through to afternoon teas and shopping at iconic stores like Harrods – truly, everyone will find something they love to do in London. We have visited London a number of times, and have put together a number of guides to the city to help you out. Our first tip for inspiration would be to check out our guide to spending two days in London, which should give you some ideas, and if you have more time to spend in London check out our detailed six day London itinerary."

"Tower of London and Traitors’ Gate on the bank of the River Thames, London|© jax10289 / Alamy Stock Photo. With nearly a thousand years of history, the Tower of London is the oldest intact building in the capital. The White Tower was the first part to be constructed, at the behest of William the Conqueror, who wanted a formidable Norman fortress as the ultimate power symbol."

"If there ever was a defining landmark in London, it’s the Tower Bridge. Often mistaken by tourist as the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge is quite a bit more ornate and lovely than the plain London Bridge to it’s west. Traffic (both foot and car) abounds on the Tower Bridge, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit the inner workings of the bridge and learn all about it."

"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."

"Despite its medieval, fairy-tale appearance, Britain's most iconic bridge was actually built at the tail end of the Victorian age, first…"

"A view of the Elizabeth Tower and the Houses of Parliament through a pedestrian tunnel on London’s South Bank|© Beatrice Preve / Alamy Stock Photo. One of the finest examples of Gothic Revivalist architecture in the world, the Palace of Westminster was built by 19th-century architect Sir Charles Barry, but the real brains behind it was the incredibly talented Augustus Pugin. He was just 23 when Barry enlisted him to help with the design of the building and was instrumental in its Gothic detailing (his superior was more of a Classicist)."

"Like Rome’s Colosseum, Paris’s Eiffel Tower, or New York’s Empire State Building, London’s Houses of Parliament & Big Ben are, as they stand sentinel over the River Thames, inextricable symbols of their city. Make sure you get the chance to visit soon, however, as major renovations that will see Parliament temporarily relocate to Whitehall are expected to begin sometime in the next few years."

"If you feel overwhelmed by the highly urbanized and technological environment we live in today, or if you do not want your children to lose connection with the beautiful aspects of the life in a country side farm, Surrey Docks Farm is a great option for a kids day out. Occupying a vast territory on the south bank of the River Thames, the farm gives kids an opportunity to learn more about how animals are raised, how the plants and trees are grown, or about the incredible ways of blacksmithing. The interactive farm experience can serve as an important lesson that no book or technological tool could teach them."

"Occupying a 2.2 acre site on the banks of the Thames in Rotherhithe, Surrey Docks Farm is home to everything from cows to goats to bees. There’s plenty to do and see here, including workshops for children, family cooking classes and baby music classes, as well as the opportunity to adopt a pony or donkey. This spring they’ll be launching a new series of green workshops for adults, which will cover topics such as growing, foraging, herbal remedies, growing fruit and vegetables at home and bee keeping.surreydocksfarm.org.uk"

"The Chislehurst Caves is mainly a tourist attraction, but it did play an important role in the history of London. Up until the 19th century the caves were intensely used for mining but during the two World Wars, they had a different purpose. It was used as an ammunition depot in WWI, air raid shelter for about 15 thousand inhabitants, an emergency hospital and some sections were converted to a chapel."

"Built on an old railway line, this garden is yet another community endeavour—filled with trees, shrubs, butterfly bushes and raised beds for growing food!. COVID-19 UPDATE: Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is currently closed to the public. For the latest information, head to their website."

"Standing so close to the station, the Euston Tap has blessed many a waiting commuter with some of the world’s best in modern beer. Until recently, the premises was split between the Euston Tap and, on the opposite side of the road, the Cider Tap. But the Cider Tap has been rehashed as the “East Lodge”, bringing to the table an extra 20 draught beer lines, in addition to the West Lodge’s 28."

"Cardinal Place is a state of the art shopping heaven located in Central London. The central location of the mall attracts several tourists. It is situated next to Victoria station and very close to the famous Westminister Cathedral."

"Exhibiting modern art by both up-and-coming and established artists from the USA, Europe and Asia, Victoria Miro is a gallery that is all about the wow factor. “Their recent Idris Kahn exhibition, Beyond the Black in 2013, gave me the same wow effect as when I went to see Mark Rothko at Tate Modern” says Matthew, recalling to us how the atmosphere of the gallery that day was both powerful and enthralling. Having worked closely with Idris Kahn in the past, Matthew told us he felt very proud to see what he had achieved."

"Victoria Miro is recognised for celebrating new artists from America, Europe and Asia as well as sustaining amazing homegrown London talent. The large space is set across two floors, and the gallery is particularly unique as it has its own garden. The studio represents established installation artist Doug Aitken as well as more modern artists including Conrad Shawcross and Alice Neel."

"This gallery is in an 8,000-square-foot former furniture factory situated between Hoxton and Islington in north east London. Victoria Miro can be relied upon to exhibit the very best and most extraordinary in contemporary art. For example, currently it is showing work by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama whose iconic pumpkin sculptures are a sight to behold."

"Just a stone's throw away from Spitalfield’s, you’ll stumble across this quirky covered market on Brick Lane. Follow your sense of smell and work your way through the hipster hoodies and independent jewellers to a foodie’s heaven in the heart of Shoreditch. Food options from all over the world are crammed into the Old Truman Brewery every Sunday, from Indian street food to Middle Eastern falafels and Tibetan dumplings, whatever you fancy, you’re bound to find it here."