Must See Sights and Landmarks in Barking Area

"Standing proudly next to the Westminster Houses of Parliament, the home of British politics, is the beautiful and hugely significant Westminster Abbey. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site back in 1987, this church is one of the most important in the UK and dates back to around 800AD. Westminster Abbey is steeped in history and has been the scene of royalty since William the Conqueror in the 1000s."

"Henry of Reyns (1245), Nicholas Hawksmoor (1745), George Gilbert Scott (1865)📕 Page 4. England’s royal history began here. Edward the Confessor rebuilt St Peter’s Abbey, a small Benedictine abbey, to provide himself with a royal burial church."

"Westminster Abbey is one of the most important historical places in London. The royal abbey church dates back almost a thousand years. It is also the burial place of many of Britain’s kings and queens."

"The Shard may not seem like a top romantic spot for Valentine’s Day, but with all it has to offer, it may be a one-stop shop. Stay at the Shangri-La hotel, dine in the restaurants, and even take in the tallest view of the city from the building’s observation floors. Even if you don’t opt to spend more than an hour or two of your Valentine’s Day here, it can still be your base of operations for anywhere you visit in London."

"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."

"Built by William the Conqueror in 1066, this uncompromising slab of a building has been many things—including the site where Henry VIII ordered the execution of two of his wives. Now the Tower is most famous as the home of the Crown Jewels. Come, take a tour from one of the Beefeaters (offered every half hour), and gawp at the sparkling and the frightening alike."

"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!"

"This well-preserved medieval castle is one of London’s premier attractions for families – adults and children love it. Interior exhibits are interactive and informative. The castle was eventually converted to a prison and the site of many executions."

"Tower Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in London, and one of the great London icons. This twin-towered bascule and suspension bridge was built in the late 19th century, and is one of the most recognisable symbols of London all over the world. If you visit the Tower Bridge Experience, you can climb one of the towers for an outstanding view of the city and river."

"The bridge opens and closes almost 1000 times a year (schedule posted online and at the bridge). The Tower Bridge Exhibition provides a history of the bridge and allows access to the bridge’s top walkway by way of an elevator. You can see the river below through the reinforced glass section in the middle of the walkway."

"Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament – Iconic Big Ben is the name of the bell in the giant clock tower at the end of the Houses of Parliament, where the UK Parliament meets. This iconic sight is best viewed from the Westminster Bridge or from the south side of the Thames."

"» The building of Westminster Palace, called The Parliament, is one of the largest buildings in the world. That’s the palace of 1200 rooms, 5 kilometers of corridors, and 100 stairways. » The most famous among palace’s towers is often referred to as Big Ben."

"St Pancras Old Church isn’t that old nowadays, having largely been rebuilt as recently as the 19th century, but it probably dates back to Saxon times, most likely the 7th century AD, making it one of the oldest churches in London. It’s a fairly small, humble but atmospheric church, around ten minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras railway stations. The churchyard and surrounding St Pancras Gardens are also noteworthy – the churchyard contains the tomb of architect Sir John Soane, which was the inspiration for the famous British red telephone box design."

"Located next to St Pancras Station, and just across from the famous Kings Cross Station is St Pancras Old Church. The site is believed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England dating back to the 4th century. However, it’s not just the churches age which makes it one of the most famous churches in London."

"It’s thought to be one of the oldest Christian places of worship in England. It dates back to the fourth century and got renovated in Victorian times."

"This is one of my personal favourite sunset spots in London. From here you can see the sun setting behind the Houses of Parliament, and flooding both the London Eye and River Thames with beautiful golden light. It might not be the most Instagrammable shot since if you want to get all elements in you will have to shoot landscape (and we all know portrait is better for Instagram) but it’s still going to be a breath taking photo."

"I have been photographing this second composition ever since I started photographing London. I love the way the London Eye is dominant in the frame and towers over the smaller buildings that surround it. As you can see from the image here, this is a cracking location to capture the London Eye as a long exposure which I cover in a previous post featuring my top 5 locations to capture long exposure photos in London."

"Quick Tip: If you have time, walk across the Hungerford Bridge which is also lovely at night and has a great view of the London Eye. Have more time to spend in London?"

"Since opening over 30 years ago, education has become a core part of Stepney City Farm, a rural oasis amid the bustling Tower Hamlets district. The farm caters to a wide range of different ages and interests: schools cake take part in projects such as potato growing and egg hatching, while adults can sign up to courses including bee keeping, rural arts and permaculture. Other initiatives include their Furry Tales project, which aims to bring different generations together and combat loneliness, and their Young Volunteers programme, whcih encourages 12-18 year olds to get hands-on experience of animal care and growing."

"Stepney City Farm, located in the heart of Tower Hamlets, London, has been going for 40 years and is a small but mighty three-acre working farm. This rural oasis is not only home to some furry friends (including donkeys!) but prides itself on its educational value, with an array of incredible initiatives taking place throughout the year. Stepney City Farm take their growing seriously - see if you can spot their magnificent, colourful allotments as you wander around the farm!"

"A farm has been here since 1979 and since then Stepney City Farm has doubled in size to 4.2 acres. Stepney Way, Tower Hamlets, London, E1 3DG. Tube: Stepney Green Station"

"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"

"For over 300 years, Burgh House has been one of London’s most iconic residences. It was originally built as a lavish home and lived in by characters including Elsie Bambridge, the daughter of Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling. Today, Burgh House is open to the public and houses the Hampstead Museum, a small but thorough local history museum."

"Visitors to the Burgh House & Hampstead Museum can try on period costumes|© Ethel Davies / Alamy Stock Photo. The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a popular place for families with young children. This historic property has period costumes visitors can try on, a reading corner and a museum trail to explore."

"Fulham Palace is a site dedicated to tracing its own history. Items found on the palace's grounds date all the way back to prehistoric times; the archaeological finds are part of the museum's impressive collection of artifacts and objects. The site has been a residence of the Bishops of London since 704 and played a major role as a hospital during World War I and a refugee spot during World War II."

"A beautiful open garden, glasshouses, flowers in bloom, and brick walls, all in a place less visited by tourists which make for one great location for a photo shoot or a private event. And if you’re looking for some diversity, just walk a few steps out of Fulham Palaceand you’re right on the shore of river Thames."

"The Davies Alpine House is a somewhat different greenhouse, it is quite long (16m) and high (10m) and was designed to provide ideal conditions, fresh with natural wind for the best conditions the mountain plants. The collection features a wide range of campanulas, dianthus, small ferns, helichrysum, small lavenders, primulas, saxifrage, thymus, tulips and verbascums along with lesser known species."

"Many of the plants at Kew couldn't survive in Britain's grey, damp climate. The Davies Alpine House supports those that thrive in dry, cool, windy conditions of mountainous areas such as succulents and campanulas,"

"Full of rare and unusual trees and shrubs, the Isabella Plantation is a beautiful spot set in the depths of Richmond Park. It’s a green space for most of the year, but in April & May, the azaleas bloom and Isabella Plantation becomes a perfect pink paradise. COVID-19 UPDATE: Isabella Plantation is currently closed to the public."

"‘If the only rule is making the most delicious thing you can think of, then who says what should or shouldn’t be on a pizza?. ’ That’s the ethos at Mike’s, a new venture from the team behind The Camberwell Arms and Peckham’s much-loved rooftop bar (also named after a man with a one-syllable name) Frank’s. Serving up pizza by the slice, you won’t find your bog-standard pepperoni here – expect flavours like smoked pancetta, artichoke, smoked provola, burrata and salted chilli as well as pineapple, mozzarella, scotch bonnet onions and mortadella."

"Unit 4.1 Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, Peckham, London SE15 3SN Why should you care?. This new pizzeria in Peckham's Copeland Park is aiming to serving up what they say is London-style pizza - with no delicious topping taboo."

"One of the highlights of Peckham’s pickings, the brunch at South African-inspired Kudu is just as sprightly as the rest of its acclaimed menu. Sourdough waffles come with home cured bacon or trout, and a brioche roll is stuffed to breaking point with densely meaty, spiced boerewors sausage, fried egg, German mustard and crunchy frazzled onions. Even if you’re not one for a sweet brunch, leave room to share the babka after – served as French toast, the chocolate-swirled brioche is topped with hazelnuts, candied kumquats and lashings of miso-infused caramel."

"Restaurants South African Peckham. If you’re searching for the vibe of a vintage lounge bar to woo your date, try Kudu – a friendly neighbourhood restaurant in Peckham. The look is retro with a feminine side: dusky pink plaster walls and marble tables."

"Restaurants South African Peckham"

"Katsute 100 is no doubt my favourite Japanese cafe in London. Their range of matcha desserts and tea selections are all absolute winners, consistently delivering top-notch quality. In addition, they feature some lovely interior, creating a really great atmosphere to enjoy your matcha goodies."