Must See Sights and Landmarks in London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Area

"It's been the coronation church since 1066, where William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. It is, of course, a hub for tourists these days and sightseeing passes are £22 when purchased in person on the day. If you’re planning to attend it’s definitely worth booking online too — tickets bought online are £2 cheaper and entitle the holder to fast track access."

"In June 2018, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries opened. The galleries, which are reached by the newly build Weston Tower, house historical exhibit and treasures owned by the Abbey. Admission to the Galleries is currently an extra £5.00 and requires a timed ticket as space is limited."

"At number ten on our list of the best buildings and architecture in London is the historic Westminster Abbey. It’s one of the Uk’s most notable religious buildings. It’s also the traditional place of coronation and burial site for British Monarchs."

"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."

"The Shard is one of the masterpieces of the architect Renzo Piano. Ever since the Shard opened in February 2013, the beautiful skyscraper has been a site that many visitors travelling to London want to see. The Shard stands at the height of 309.6 metres, making it the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the sixth-tallest building in all of Europe."

"Renzo Piano, its designer, is said to have been inspired by London’s railway lines when building this 95-floor behemoth. Visit the viewing area at The Shard, The View from The Shard observatory, stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, or visit one of The Shard’s restaurants."

"The Tower of London – Built by William the Conqueror in 1078, the Tower of London was turned into a prison in 1100. Some of its most famous prisoners included King Henry VI, the wives of King Henry VII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard and Sir Thomas More. These days the Tower is a museum rather than a prison. A great way to see some of the grounds is with an entertaining tour hosted by the Yeoman Warders who will frighten and dazzle you with tales of the Towers past."

"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."

"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."

"The best view of Tower Bridge (in my opinion) is from the water; however, not everyone has a chance to do a Thames River Cruise. If that’s not on your itinerary, try to get a photo of Tower Bridge from afar, featuring something else iconic – perhaps City Hall?. Alternatively, a head on shot crossing the bridge is pretty incredible, too!"

"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."

"Tower Bridge is one of the tourist attractions you can't afford to miss because it is one of the famous monuments in London. It was built between 1886 and 1894. The Bridge is one of the most-visited landmarks globally with more than 40,000 people using it daily."

"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."

"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 palace of is an iconic building not just in London, but around the world. You can photograph it in various ways, and from several locations. – You can take an iconic photo of the palace of Westminster from the bridge."

"Brompton was one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries built in the 1830s and contains over 35,000 monuments and 205,000 burial spaces 5"

"Trafalgar Square – Always full of people, Trafalgar Square is a popular meeting place and hang out for tourists and locals and is known as a place for public gatherings, demonstrations and New Year’s celebrations. In the centre of the Square is Nelson’s Column which is guarded by four lion statues at its base."

"Continue the walk north to Trafalgar Square. This is one of London’s most popular public squares. It has been the site for anti-war demonstrations, New Year’s Eve celebrations, and victory parades."

"The V&A's Theatre Collections hold the UK's national collection of material about live performance in the UK since Shakespeare's day, covering drama, dance, musical theatre, circus, music hall, rock and pop, and other forms of live entertainment. Theatre and Performance galleries dedicated to the performing arts, display works of art, costumes, ephemera, video recordings, puppets, posters and photographs."

"The blood and viscera has long since been scoured away, making this museum a fascinating place to visit. Pioneering medical techniques were trialled here back in the day, and today, it holds the crown as the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe. Tickets for adults are £7.50."

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Tickets cost £20 GBP (around $26 USD). Make sure to book your tickets and pick a time-slot in advance directly on the museum website."

"However, today visitors can still see one remaining section of the palace complex, the Banqueting Hall (fee*) designed by famous architect Inigo Jones with a ceiling painted by Peter Paul Reubens. Today Whitehall is the center of the Government of the United Kingdom and you’ll pass a number of buildings home to various departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defense and the Cabinet Office. Along this street you’ll also find The Household Calvary Museum (fee*), located in the 18th century stables of the Horse Guards, which gives information on the history of the Household Cavalry and displays a small collection of uniforms and weapons."

"Wine very expensive (£8 for a large glass of sauvignon blanc!). Ambience: no heating on a chilly day, uninspiring menu, hard furnishings, scruffy flooring. Won't be going back."

"Restaurants Chinese Moorgate. With its karaoke room and laminated picture menu, this fiery Sichuan joint is old school – although its food has real depth and complexity. The chef’s fish special comes with a Scoville-scale sucker-punch, but don’t ignore the dan-dan noodles or pork dumplings bobbing in soupy red chilli sauce."

"Darwin Brasserie is London’s highest brasserie on the mezzanine level of the Sky Garden – one of the best free viewpoints in London set over the top three floors of 20 Fenchurch Street, better known as ‘The Walkie Talkie’ building. The elegant 36th-floor restaurant overlooks the lush scenery of the surrounding tropical garden and down over London, with amazing uninterrupted views across the entire city. Darwin Brasserie serves an all-day menu of seasonal British dishes with a modern twist, as well as a great weekend brunch menu so you can enjoy your avocado toast with some of the best views in the capital."

"From the outside, the Walkie Talkie does little for the London skyline – and couples that with being very, very big. Heading inside is the answer: firstly, you can no longer see its inelegant silhouette, and secondly you can enjoy the fruits of the admittedly stunning Sky Garden at its summit. Here you’ll find the Darwin Brasserie, serving all-day dining amid its greenery and latticed glass roof, from which you can see the likes of The Shard (pretty up close and personal), HMS Belfast, City Hall and more."

"Centred around a menu of home-cooked, authentic Greek dishes, OPSO in Marylebone has launched an ‘OPSO at home’ delivery service. Delivered to doorsteps in Marylebone and nearby neighbourhoods, the menu features signature dishes such as tzatziki, Dakos salad, chicken lemonato (roasted chicken thigh with lemon-oregano gravy) and creamy potato mash; beef stifado; and  Spanakorizo (spinach rice pilaf with fresh herbs and barrel matured feta cheese). Deliveries will arrive cold, to be simply heated at home."

"Turn your home into a Michelin-starred haven for the night with HIDE at Home, the delivery service from Ollie Dabbous’ Mayfair restaurant. Whether you’re dining on pumpkin orzo with sage butter, grilled lobster with masala butter, roast Herdwick lamb or blackcurrant Baked Alaska, you can guarantee the utmost quality. And if you fancy going all out, wines from Hedonism are available to order alongside the dishes."

"Brothers Barney and Gabriel set up their bakery biz just a month into the first lockdown and now they’ve got their very own shop off Portobello Road. And their savoury buns feature some of faves stuffed into a buttery croissant bun. Think the brunch classic of eggs royale and a chicken caesar lunchtime staple, to a taco bun fully loaded with chipotle pulled chicken, guacamole and sour cream."

"This historic warship, operated today by Imperial War Museums, will definitely be of interest to military buffs, or anyone with even a slight interest in boats. Launched just before the outbreak of World War 2, this Royal Navy Light Cruiser saw action in both World War 2 and the Korean War, before being decommissioned in 1963."

"This historic warship, operated today by Imperial War Museums, will definitely be of interest to military buffs, or anyone with an interest in boats. Launched just before the outbreak of World War 2, this Royal Navy Light Cruiser saw action in both World War 2 and the Korean War, before being decommissioned in 1963."

"Despite its name, the cultural venue formerly known as the Imperial War Museum (one of five IWM branches around the country) does not…"