Top 10 Free Things To Do and Attractions in The Valley

"It would be wrong to omit Hyde Park from a list of London’s most beautiful and prominent green spaces. The Grade I listed 350-acre royal park is the biggest in London, renowned as the city’s ‘green lung’, and hosts an array of major annual events, from Winter Wonderland to music festivals such as British Summer Time Hyde Park. Visit the memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, picnic in the prepossessing Rose Garden (post lockdown), or go swimming in the Serpentine Lido, which opens from June to early September."

"Established in 1536 by Henry VIII, Hyde Park is one of London’s largest green spaces, with more than 4,000 trees, vibrant flower gardens and a large meadow which plays host to many public concerts and celebrations. Check out the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, enjoy a bite in the royal park’s lakeside restaurants, or rent a row boat for a leisurely paddle on the Serpentine. Here are nine secrets no one knew about Princess Diana until after her death."

"Despite being the home of Winter Wonderland every year, Hyde park is not short on things to do in the summer. Here you can find the Serpentine, London’s oldest boating lake, where you can rent a boat or swim in if the weather allows. As well as that, there’s a rose garden and a meadow if you want some pretty views with your picnic."

"Another iconic London building, Westminster Abbey is a royal church and UNESCO World Heritage site with over 1000 years of history. But it’s the stunning exterior and well placed red phone boxes that make this one of the most Instagrammable places in London!. Walk away from Westminster Abbey to the corner of Tothill Road where you’ll find red phone boxes gracing each side."

"London’s most famous and beautiful church is a definite must-see in the city. Rebuilt in the 13th century (but with a history that goes back even further), it is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. To visit as a tourist you’ll need to buy a ticket either online or at the abbey, but you can enter free as a worshipper."

"» 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."

"The Shangri-La Suite is the top suite at the Shangri-La at The Shard, designed to maximise the view of London’s skyline from every direction possible. The 2,000 square foot one bedroom suite is plush and homely with one of the best views you’ll see from any hotel room. Click to read about the Shangri-La Luxury Circle programme which gives guests access to a host of added value amenities."

"In a city like London with strict codes, decent architecture and access to the world’s leading architects, is not so easy to actually get things to be built. Big teams of lawyers, political figures and the general public are involved in what gets or doesn’t get built in the capital. So the fact that the Shard, the EU’s tallest building, got approved and erected means a great deal."

"From Tower Bridge, walk west along the Thames River to The Shard. You know you are heading in the right direction if you see a building that looks like a giant piece of broken glass pointing up to the sky. This is The Shard, one of London’s newest editions to its skyline."

"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!"

"The Tower Of London is an iconic London stop so make sure to see it during your 4 day London itinerary. Skip The Line At The Tower Of London And Crown Jewels and buy advance tickets here!"

"I spent two years working in a corporate office just next to it, and despite hating my job, I used to love looking out of the window and seeing Tower Bridge. Like all photogenic landmarks it has more than one angle from which it looks Instagrammable and fabulous."

"In open countryside to the west of Southend, Hadleigh Castle is a former royal residence atop a London clay hill surveying the flat landscape to the south and east. The castle was first constructed at the start of the 13th century in the reign of Henry III. In that time its role was mainly defensive, guarding the estuary. Later, in the Hundred Years’ War Hadleigh Castle was remodelled as both a stronghold against the French and a home for King Edward III who spent a lot of time here during the last years of his reign in the 14th century."

"Hadleigh Castle is a ruined fortification in the English county of Essex, overlooking the Thames Estuary from south of the town of Hadleigh. The romantic ruins of a royal castle overlooking the Essex marshes is the perfect place for a historical day out."

"The Rock Garden at Kew Gardens is over an acre in size and is located between the Princess of Wales’s Conservatory and the entrance to the Kitchen Garden. Originally constructed in 1882, this spectacular garden transports you to life in the mountains, with cascading waterfalls, an Alpine House landscape and wild-collected plants displayed from six mountainous regions. Each mountainous region is allocated its own area in the Rock Garden: the European Alps and Pyrenees; the Central Asian steppe and Himalayan mountain streams and meadows; the North American high alpine, prairies and bogs; the Windswept Patagonia; the Mediterranean scrub and South African bergs and kloofs; and the southern Alps of Victoria, Australia and the peaks of New Zealand."

"St Botolph was a Saxon saint who built a large monastery near to modern-day Boston (a corruption of Botolph’s town) in Lincolnshire in 654. He was the English patron saint of travellers and has three surviving churches in the City dedicated to him. They are all situated next to old city gates, presumably so that those about to set off could dedicate so"

"A city farm that's home to most species of farm livestock and where the focus is on rare breeds. Stansfeld Road, Beckton, London, E6 5LT. Tube: Canning Town Station"

"While from south of the Thames you can see Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and all the jazzy buildings of the City, from the north side you can snap a shot of Tower Bridge with the Shard right behind it. If that doesn’t have Instagram written all over it I don’t know what does. Bonus points if you get the Girl with a Dolphin fountain and a red bus driving on the bridge in the shot too."

"Number 9 on my list is a great location to capture Tower Bridge with some foreground and background interest. The Girl and the Dolphin fountain creates a great focal point and if you stand in the right place, you can use the statue to frame the iconic bridge. If you are lucky and the clouds are moving towards you then this can make a great long exposure photo as seen below."

"On the north side of the River Thames close to The Tower Hotel is where you will find this stunning statue created by artist David Wynne. This may be one of my favourite angles to take photographs of Tower Bridge. Visit this Instagrammable place around sunset for great light and into the blue hour."

"Eat and explore at the same time with London Shell Co., a canal boat restaurant serving British seafood while travelling along Regent’s Canal. Enjoy Dorset Estuary oysters, battered mackerel with tartare sauce and baked brill with crab bisque while cruising past some of London’s most iconic landmarks, from London Zoo to Regent’s Park. If you fancy something a little more static, you can eat on the boat Tuesday to Friday lunchtime when it’s docked at Paddington Central."

"Dinner on board The Prince Regent with The London Shell Co means not one view, but countless. The barge-based restaurant runs cruising dinners, during which diners can enjoy expertly sourced British seafood dishes as they travel via the capital’s canals from Paddington to Camden and back again. From leafy canal paths to landmarks including London Zoo and Regent’s Park, dining here is to see the capital from a different perspective."

"Go one step further than a waterside view, and take your date onto the canal for a scenic boat ride while they tuck into dinner. It's not just the romantic setting that is the draw here - the food really is exceptional, with British seafood taking centre stage among an internationally influenced menu. You just might want to check your other half doesn't get seasick before you step on board."

"What: All three outposts of London’s Fishworks (Marylebone, Soho and Covent Garden) manage to seamlessly blend the maritime charm of the English coastline with the sophistication of central London’s dining scene. The biggest selling point at Fishworks is its onsite fishmongers which allow you to choose from the catches of the day. Dishes on the menu range from seafood and samphire linguini to a whole steamed lobster.Where: 89 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QW; 7-9 Swallow Street, W1B 4DE; 2-4 Catherine Street, WC2B 5JY"

"If in need of a break while exploring the luxury boutiques of Mount Street in Mayfair, or the surrounding gourmet offerings, Mount Street Gardens are beautifully maintained and almost hidden. Perch on one of the many benches and admire the trees of this exotic hideaway."