Did you know that beneath the Guildhall Art Gallery are the remains of London ancient Roman Amphitheatre which was discovered during the excavations beneath Guildhall in 1988.
Established in 1886 as 'a Collection of Art Treasures worthy of the capital city,' see works dating from 1670 to the present, including 17th-century portraits, Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and a range of paintings documenting London's dramatic history.
Discover the beauty of poetry and place in the home of the Romantic poet John Keats, now a museum and literary centre.
Leadenhall Market dates back to the 14th century and is situated in what was the centre of Roman London. Originally a meat, poultry and game market, it now features a variety of vendors as well as commercial shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs.
The Church of St Dunstan was originally built around 1100 and is a Grade I listed building. A new south aisle was added in 1391 and was repaired in 1631. It was severely damaged in 1666 by the Great Fire of London. Rather than being completely built it was patched up. A steeple and tower was added in 1695-1701 by Sir Christopher Wren.
Open-air swimming is internationally famous on Hampstead Heath with the Ladies' Pond, the Men's Pond, the Mixed Pond and the Parliament Hill Lido.
Did you know that beneath the Guildhall Art Gallery are the remains of London ancient Roman Amphitheatre which was discovered during the excavations beneath Guildhall in 1988.
Established in 1886 as 'a Collection of Art Treasures worthy of the capital city,' see works dating from 1670 to the present, including 17th-century portraits, Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and a range of paintings documenting London's dramatic history.
Discover the beauty of poetry and place in the home of the Romantic poet John Keats, now a museum and literary centre.
Leadenhall Market dates back to the 14th century and is situated in what was the centre of Roman London. Originally a meat, poultry and game market, it now features a variety of vendors as well as commercial shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs.
The Church of St Dunstan was originally built around 1100 and is a Grade I listed building.
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/city-gardens/visitor-information/Pages/St-Dunstan-in-the-East.aspx
Open-air swimming is internationally famous on Hampstead Heath with the Ladies' Pond, the Men's Pond, the Mixed Pond and the Parliament Hill Lido.
Established in 1886 as 'a Collection of Art Treasures worthy of the capital city,' see works dating from 1670 to the present, including 17th-century portraits, Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and a range of paintings documenting London's dramatic history.
The first Guildhall Art Gallery was built in 1885 to display the City of London Corporation's growing art collection. The project was inspired by the success of new galleries supported by local authorities in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. It aimed to cater to an 'increased taste for Art' evident in Victorian society. Under the dynamic leadership of its first Director, Alfred Temple, the Gallery ran a series of popular and influential exhibitions and expanded its collection of contemporary 19th century paintings.
The Victorian gallery was almost entirely destroyed by fire during a severe air raid of the Second World War on 10 May 1941. Large parts of the collection had been removed to underground storage in Wiltshire, together with those of other London museums and galleries, but 164 paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints and 20 sculptures were lost. A temporary structure was built on the cleared site in 1946 for use as a ceremonial venue and exhibition space. Selected pieces from the collection and art society shows went on display. The City organised two annual exhibitions, The Lord Mayor’s Art Award and the City of London Art Exhibition, in addition to a series of major loan exhibitions between 1952 and 1972 on topics including Canaletto in England, David Roberts, Samuel Scott and Sir James Thornhill.
In 1985 the City decided to redevelop the site and add a new Gallery on its lower levels. The architect was Richard Gilbert Scott, who had earlier worked on the Guildhall restoration and designed the new Guildhall Library and West Wing of 1974. In 1987 the remains of the original Gallery were demolished. Shortly afterwards the Museum of London Archaeological Service discovered the remains of London's Roman Amphitheatre and the building was re-designed to incorporate this astounding piece of architectural history. The new Guildhall Art Gallery finally opened to the public in August 1999 and the Amphitheatre in 2002.
Discover the beauty of poetry and place in the home of the Romantic poet John Keats, now a museum and literary centre.
Explore the life and work of Keats through new exhibits of his original manuscripts and artefacts which tell the story of how the young poet found inspiration, friendship, and love in this stunning Regency villa.
The house comes alive with special events throughout the year, from poetry performances to family fun days. There's always something to do in the house whenever you visit - listen to Keats' world-famous poetry, watch a film about his busy life in Hampstead, or create your own poem.
Awarded Highly Commended for 'Best Hidden Gem' - Hudson Heritage Awards 2016
Leadenhall Market dates back to the 14th century and is situated in what was the centre of Roman London. Originally a meat, poultry and game market, it now features a variety of vendors as well as commercial shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs.
Starting as the site of a manor, Leadenhall has survived changes in use, rebuilding, and even the Great Fire to become a popular destination for city residents, visitors and workers.
Looking at the beautifully clean and vibrant Victorian buildings of today it's hard to imagine the noise and smells of a 19th century market, but if you look closely at the shop fronts you will see the wrought iron hooks where produce used to hang.
Part of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the first film in the blockbuster series) was filmed in Leadenhall in 2000/2001. The market was used to represent the area of London leading to the popular wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron and magical shopping street Diagon Alley.
Leadenhall Market is a popular choice as a filming location and can be seen in many other movies including: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; Hearafter; and Love Aaj Kal. The pop group Erasure also filmed their music video for Love to Hate You in the market in 1991.
The Church of St Dunstan was originally built around 1100 and is a Grade I listed building. A new south aisle was added in 1391 and was repaired in 1631. It was severely damaged in 1666 by the Great Fire of London. Rather than being completely built it was patched up. A steeple and tower was added in 1695-1701 by Sir Christopher Wren.
The Church was again severely damaged in the Blitz of 1941. Wren’s tower and steeple survived the bombing. During the re-organisation of the Anglican Church after World war II it was decided not to rebuild St Dunstan’s.
In 1967 the City of London decided to turn the remains into a public garden, which opened in 1970. Maintenance and improvement works took place in spring 2015 which new planting throughout the garden to revitalise this popular space.
You really will feel secluded in this gem of a City Garden. Those with green fingers will appreciate the range of plants wending their way around the ruins, an unusual plant in the lower garden is winter's bark, Drimys winteri. Its leaves are high in Vitamin C and were once eaten to prevent scurvy.
Open-air swimming is internationally famous on Hampstead Heath with the Ladies' Pond, the Men's Pond, the Mixed Pond and the Parliament Hill Lido.
The Ladies' and Men's Ponds are unique in the United Kingdom in being the only life-guarded open-water swimming facilities open to the public every day of the year. The Lido is a 60 x 27 metre uncovered, unheated swimming pool at Parliament Hill.
Hampstead Heath is one of London's most popular open spaces, situated just six kilometres from Trafalgar Square.
An island of beautiful countryside, the magic of Hampstead Heath lies not only in its rich wildlife and extensive sports and recreational opportunities, but also in its proximity and accessibility to millions of people.
So, if you're not feeling up for a swim there is also a zoo, an athletics track, an education centre and extensive children's facilities to keep you entertained.
