181 Best Sights in London, England

Next to the National Maritime Museum, you'll find the Queen's House, home to a changing selection of the extraordinary Royal Museums Greenwich art collection. The largest collection of maritime art in the world, it includes artwork by William Hogarth, Canaletto, and Joshua Reynolds. These names alone would make the Queen's House worthy of your time, but there's so much more here to enjoy, from the glorious architecture of Inigo Jones to the sensitive and thought-provoking contemporary artist responses commissioned to contextualize the collection's works.

Nowhere else in London does history seem so vividly alive as in this minicity begun by the Normans more than 1,000 years ago. In its time, the Tower has been a fortress, a mint, a palace, an archive, and the Royal Menagerie (which formed the kernel of London Zoo). Most of all, however, it has been known as a place of imprisonment and death. Thousands of unfortunate souls, including numerous aristocrats and even a few sovereigns (some notorious traitors, some complete innocents), spent their last days here, several etching their final recorded thoughts onto their cell walls, and pints of royal blood have been spilled on its stones. Executions at the Tower were reserved for the nobility, with the most privileged beheaded in the privacy of Tower Green instead of before the mob at Tower Hill. In fact, only seven people received this dubious "honor," among them Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII's six wives.

The White Tower, the oldest building in the complex (which is actually made up of 20 towers, not just one) is also its most conspicuous. Begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 and whitewashed (hence the name) by Henry III (1207–72), it contains the Armouries, a splendid collection of arms and armor. Across the moat to the right is the riverside Traitors' Gate, to which the most famous prisoners were rowed to bring them to their impending doom.

Opposite is the Bloody Tower, where the "little princes in the Tower"---the uncrowned boy king Edward V and his brother---were consigned by their wicked uncle, who then took the crown for himself, thus becoming Richard III. The boys were never seen again, widely assumed to have been murdered in their tower prison. Also not-to-be-missed are the gorgeous Crown Jewels in the Jewel House. The original crown, orb, and scepter, symbols of monarchial power, were destroyed during the English Civil War; the ones you see here date back to after the Restoration in 1661. The most impressive gems were added only in the 20th century, when their countries of origin were part of the British Empire. Free 60-minute tours of the Tower depart every half hour or so (until midafternoon) from the main entrance. They are conducted by the Yeoman Warders, more popularly known as Beefeaters, who have guarded the Tower since Henry VII appointed them in 1485. Veterans of Britain's armed forces, they're easy to spot in their resplendent navy-and-red Tudor uniforms (scarlet-and-gold on special occasions). Keep an eye out for the ravens upon whose residency of the Tower, legend has it, the safety of the kingdom depends.

Avoid lines by buying a ticket in advance online, by phone, or from the automatic kiosks on Tower Hill. For free tickets to the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys (the locking of the main gates, nightly between 9:30 and 10), write several months in advance; check the Tower website for details.

This tiny basement establishment professes to be a museum but feels more like an art installation, with real historical and occult artifacts (the range of taxidermy is astonishing) displayed alongside satirical items like celebrity poops, all accompanied by serious handwritten description cards. It's a hoot, especially following a visit to the upstairs cocktail bar, which specializes in absinthe. The museum is sometimes hired out for private events, so check before you visit.

With its Great Gallery stunningly refurbished, there's even more reason to visit this exquisite gem of an art gallery—although housing one of the world's finest assemblies of old master paintings is reason enough. This glorious collection and the 18th-century mansion in which it's located were bequeathed to the nation by Lady Julie-Amélie-Charlotte Wallace, the widow of Sir Richard Wallace (1818–90). Wallace's father, the 4th Marquess of Hertford, took a house in Paris after the French Revolution and set about snapping up paintings by what were then dangerously unpopular artists.

Frans Hals's The Laughing Cavalier is probably the most famous painting here, or perhaps Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing. The full list of painters in the collection reads like a "who's who" of classical European art—from Rubens, Rembrandt, and van Dyck to Canaletto, Titian, and Velázquez. English works include paintings by Gainsborough and Turner. There are also fine collections of furniture, porcelain, Renaissance gold, and majolica (15th- and 16th-century Italian tin-glazed pottery). With craft activities, hands-on sessions, and the "Little Draw" drawing workshops, as well as the chance to try on a suit of armor in the "Arms and Armour" collection, there's plenty to keep kids occupied, too.

The conditions of the bequest mean that no part of the collection can leave the building; this is the only place in the world you'll ever be able to see these works.

This is London's most popular auditorium—most commonly known simply as Drury Lane—and almost its largest. Since World War II, its forte has been musicals (from My Fair Lady and South Pacific to Miss Saigon and Shrek), although David Garrick, who managed the theater from 1747 to 1776, made its name by reviving the works of the by-then-obscure William Shakespeare. Drury Lane enjoys all the romantic accessories of a London theater: a history of fires (it burned down three times), riots (in 1737, when a posse of footmen demanded free admission), attempted regicides (George II in 1716 and his grandson George III in 1800), and even sightings of the most famous phantom of the West End, the Man in Grey (seen in the Circle during matinees). Seventy-five-minute dramatized tours, led by actors, take place daily.

This is officially the center of London: a plaque on the corner of the Strand and Charing Cross Road marks the spot from which distances on U.K. signposts are measured. (London's actual geographic center is a rather dull bench on the Victoria Embankment.) Medieval kings once kept their aviaries of hawks and falcons here; today the humbler gray pigeons flock en masse to the open spaces around the ornate fountains (feeding them is banned).

The square was designed in 1830 by John Nash, who envisaged a new public space with striking views of the Thames, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. Of those, only Parliament is still clearly visible from the square, but it remains an important spot for open-air concerts, political demonstrations, and national celebrations, such as New Year's Eve. Dominating the square is 168-foot Nelson's Column, erected as a monument to the great admiral in 1843. Note that the lampposts on the south side, heading down Whitehall, are topped with ships—they all face Portsmouth, home of the British navy. The column is flanked on either side by enormous bronze lions. Climbing them is a very popular photo op, but be extremely careful, as there are no guardrails and it's a long fall onto concrete if you slip. Four plinths border the square; three contain militaristic statues, but one was left empty—it's now used for contemporary art installations, often with a wry and controversial edge. Surprisingly enough, given that this was a square built to honor British military victories, the lawn at the north side, by the National Gallery, contains a statue of George Washington—a gift from the state of Virginia in 1921.

At the southern point of the square is the equestrian statue of Charles I. After the Civil War and the king's execution, Oliver Cromwell, the antiroyalist leader, commissioned a brazier, John Rivett, to melt the statue down. The story goes that Rivett instead merely buried it in his garden. He made a fortune peddling knickknacks wrought, he claimed, from its metal, only to produce the statue miraculously unscathed after the restoration of the monarchy—and then made another fortune reselling it. In 1675 Charles II had it placed where it stands today, near the spot where his father was executed in 1649. Each year, on January 30, the day of the king's death, the Royal Stuart Society lays a wreath at the foot of the statue.

Known to all as the V&A, this huge museum with more than two million items on display in 145 galleries is devoted to the applied arts of all disciplines, all periods, and all nationalities. First opened as the South Kensington Museum in 1857, it was renamed in 1899 in honor of Queen Victoria's late husband and has since grown to become one of the country's best-loved cultural institutions, with high-profile temporary exhibitions alongside an impressive permanent collection. Many collections at the V&A are presented not by period but by category—textiles, sculpture, jewelry, and so on. It's a tricky building to navigate, so use the free map.

Nowhere is the benefit of the categorization more apparent than in the Fashion Gallery (Room 40), where formal 18th-century court dresses are displayed alongside the haute couture styles of contemporary designers. The museum has become known for high-profile temporary exhibitions devoted to fashion icons such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Christian Dior, and to explorations of pop legends including David Bowie and Pink Floyd.

The British Galleries (Rooms 52–58 and 118–125) survey British art and design from 1500 to 1900 and are full of rare and beautiful artifacts, such as the Tudor Great Bed of Ware (immortalized in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night) and silks woven by Huguenot refugees in 18th-century Spitalfields. Among the series of actual rooms that have been painstakingly reconstructed piece by piece are the glamorous rococo Norfolk House Music Room and the serenely elegant Henrietta St. Drawing Room, originally designed in 1722.

The Asian Galleries (Rooms 44–47) are full of treasures, but among the most striking items on display is a remarkable collection of ornate samurai armor in the Japanese Gallery (Room 44). Works from China, Korea, and the Islamic Middle East have their own displays. Also of note is a gallery thematically grouped around Buddhist sculptures from different regions and periods. The Europe Gallery (Rooms 1–7) brings together more than 1,100 objects created between 1600 and 1815, while the Medieval and Renaissance galleries, which document European art and culture from 300 to 1600, have the largest collection of works from the period outside of Italy.

An entrance off Exhibition Road offers access through Britain's first porcelain-tiled public courtyard, which also serves as a venue for contemporary installations and a glass-fronted café. A photography center houses books, photo equipment, and more than 270,000 prints formerly held by the Royal Photographic Society, joining the more than 500,000 photos already in the museum's collection. A room in the center has been named the Elton John and David Furnish Gallery after the couple donated some 7,000 photographs by 20th-century masters. A free one-hour introductory tour of the museum's highlights twice daily on Thursdays through Sundays helps you take it all in. Whatever time you visit, the spectacular sculpture hall will be filled with artists, both amateur and professional, sketching the myriad artworks on display there. Don't be shy; bring a pad and join in.

Steeped in hundreds of years of rich and occasionally bloody history, Westminster Abbey is one of England's iconic buildings. An abbey has stood here since the 10th century, although the current building mostly dates from the 1240s. It has hosted 38 coronations—beginning in 1066 with William the Conqueror—and no fewer than 16 royal weddings, the latest being that of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. But be warned: there's only one way around the abbey, and it gets very crowded, so you’ll need to be alert to catch the highlights.

The Coronation Chair, which you'll find in St. George's Chapel by the east door, has been used for nearly every coronation since Edward II’s in 1308, right up to Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953. Farther along, the exquisite confection of Henry VII's Lady Chapel is topped by a magnificent fan-vaulted ceiling. The tomb of Henry VII lies behind the altar. Elizabeth I is buried above her sister "Bloody" Mary I in the tomb in a chapel on the north side, while her arch enemy, Mary Queen of Scots, rests in the tomb to the south. The Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor contains the shrine of the pre-Norman king, who reigned from 1042 to 1066. Because of its great age, you must join a verger-guided tour to be admitted to the chapel (£10; book at the admission desk). To the left, you'll find Poets' Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried here, and other statues and memorials include those to William Shakespeare, D. H. Lawrence, T. S. Eliot, and Oscar Wilde.

The medieval Chapter House is adorned with 14th-century frescoes and a magnificent 13th-century tiled floor, one of the finest in the country. Near the entrance is Britain's oldest door, dating from the 1050s. If you walk toward the West Entrance, you'll see a plaque to Franklin D. Roosevelt—one of the abbey's very few tributes to a foreigner. The poppy-wreathed Grave of the Unknown Warrior commemorates soldiers who lost their lives in both world wars.

With a separate timed ticket (£5), you can visit the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries located 52 feet above the abbey floor; it's worth it for the views onto the abbey's interior below alone, but it also gets you access to a remarkable collection of historical objects that tell the story of the building, including its construction and relationship to the monarchy. Don't miss the marriage license of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the bright white vellum it's written on in stark contrast to the aged documents elsewhere on display.

Exact hours for the various parts of the abbey are frustratingly long and complicated, and can change daily, so it's important to check before setting out, particularly if you're visiting early or late in the day, or off-season. The full schedule is posted online daily (or you can call). Certain areas of the abbey are completely inaccessible to wheelchair users; however, you will get free entry for yourself and one other.

Founded in 1901, this internationally renowned gallery mounts exhibitions that rediscover overlooked masters and showcase tomorrow's legends. Painter and leading exponent of abstract expressionism Jackson Pollock was exhibited here in the 1950s as was pop artist Robert Rauschenberg in the 1960s; the 1970s saw a young David Hockney's first solo show. The exhibitions continue to be on the cutting edge of contemporary art. The gallery also hosts talks, film screenings, workshops, and other events; First Thursdays is a regular event designed to highlight monthly openings at more than 150 local galleries, with the Whitechapel offering curated tips about where to visit on the first Thursday of the month. Pick up a free East London art map (also available online) to help you plan your visit to the area. Townsend, the gallery's on-site restaurant, serves good-quality modern British food in a bright and pretty room.

A treat for all but designed specifically for children under age 14, this East London outpost of the Victoria & Albert Museum houses one of the world's biggest toy collections. The iron, glass, and brown-brick building—an architectural joy in itself—was transported here from South Kensington in 1868 and reopened July 2023 following an extensive five-year renovation project. The collection of more than 2,000 objects is organized into three galleries: Play, Imagine, and Design, all offering plenty of interactive experiences, including an amphitheater-style stage, a free-play construction area, and a working design studio. Fun new acquisitions include a skateboard belonging to 13-year-old 2020 Olympic medallist Sky Brown. The shop is a good spot to pick up original toys. 

With an emphasis on education, wildlife conservation, and the breeding of endangered species, London Zoo offers visitors the chance to see tigers, gorillas, meerkats, and more in something resembling a natural environment rather than a cage. Operated by the nonprofit Zoological Society of London, the zoo was begun with the royal animals collection, moved here from the Tower of London in 1828; the zoo itself did not open to the public until 1847. Big attractions include Land of the Lions, a walk-through re-creation of an Indian forest where you can see two resident Asiatic lions relaxing at close range; Gorilla Kingdom, which provides a similar re-created habitat (in this case an African rain forest) for its colony of six Western Lowland Gorillas; and the Attenborough Komodo Dragon House, renamed to honor the renowned naturalist. The zoo also offers the chance to get up close and personal with 15 ring-tailed lemurs. The Giants of the Galapagos is a lagoon inhabited by the resident giant tortoises while Rainforest Life is an indoor tropical rainforest (complete with humidity) inhabited by the likes of armadillos, monkeys, and sloths. A special nighttime section offers glimpses of nocturnal creatures like slow lorises and bats. The Animal Adventure playground allows kids to closely observe coatis, as well as interact with llamas, donkeys, small pigs, sheep, and goats. An ever-popular attraction, especially at feeding time (noon in winter and 4:20 pm in other months), is Penguin Beach, an enclosure and pool that hosts a colony of Humboldt penguins.

If you're feeling flush, try to book tickets for VIP experiences (£54) that offer a 20-minute guided close encounter where you can feed and interact with meerkats (1:30 pm), monkeys (2 pm), giraffes (9:30 am), and even komodo dragons (9 am, £110). Other zoo highlights include a Butterfly Paradise and the Tiger Territory, an enclosure for four beautiful endangered Sumatran tigers (including two cubs born at the zoo). There are also early evening (6:15 pm) "relaxed tours" for the neurodiverse from June to August (they're also offered at 8:30 am before the usual opening hours in other months) to ensure a calmer experience. Adults-only Zoo Twilights are held Friday nights in June and July, featuring street food, alcoholic drinks, and entertainment. You can also experience the zoo after-hours by booking an overnight stay in one of the cozy cabins near (not in) the lion enclosure. Check the website or the information board out front for free events, including creature close encounters and "ask the keeper" sessions. Booking in advance online for all tickets is required.

The home of Punch cartoonist Linley Sambourne in the 1870s, this charming house is a rare example of the "Aesthetic interior" style; it displays delightful Victorian and Edwardian antiques, fabrics, and paintings, as well as several samples of Sambourne's work for Punch. The Italianate house was the scene for society parties when Sambourne's granddaughter Anne Messel was in residence in the 1940s. This being Kensington, there's inevitably a royal connection: Messel's son, Antony Armstrong-Jones, was married to the late Princess Margaret, and their son has preserved the connection by taking the title Viscount Linley.

Among the many artists and intellectuals fleeing Nazi persecution who settled in the area was noted architect Ernö Goldfinger, who built this outstanding and influential modernist home opposite Hampstead Heath in 1939 as his family residence. (His plans drew the ire of several local residents, including novelist Ian Fleming, who supposedly got his revenge by naming the Bond villain after his neighbor.) Along with design touches and building techniques that were groundbreaking at the time, the unique house, a place of pilgrimage for 20th-century architecture enthusiasts, also contains Goldfinger's impressive collection of modern art and self-designed innovative furniture. Admission is between 11 am and 2 pm by hourly tour only, which must be booked in advance.

After Prince Albert's early death from typhoid in 1861, his grieving widow, Queen Victoria, had Sir Gilbert Scott create this ornate, High Victorian Gothic tribute erected near the site of Albert's brainchild, the Great Exhibition of 1851. A 14-foot gilt-bronze statue of the prince (holding an Exhibition catalog) rests on a 15-foot-high pedestal, surrounded by marble figures representing his passions and interests. A frieze at the base depicts 187 exquisitely carved figures of well-known Victorian painters, poets, sculptors, musicians, and architects.

Since its establishment in 1694 as England's central bank, the role of the "Old Lady of Threadneedle Street" (a political cartoon caption that stuck) has grown to include managing foreign exchanges, issuing currency, storing the nation's gold reserves, and regulating the United Kingdom's banking system. Since 1997, it has had operational responsibility for Britain's monetary policy, most visibly setting interest rates (similar to the Federal Reserve in the United States).

The 3-acre site is enclosed in a massive, neoclassical curtain wall designed by Sir John Soane. This 1828 windowless outer wall is all that survives of Soane's original bank building, which was demolished in 1925. You can discover more about the bank's history in the surprisingly varied Bank of England Museum (the entrance is around the corner on Bartholomew Lane). In addition to the bank's original Royal Charter, there's a lively program of special exhibitions, plus interactive displays (you can even try your hand at controlling inflation). The most popular exhibit remains the solid-gold bar in the central trading hall that you can actually hold—but before you get any ideas, there's security everywhere.

Two artistic societies—the Royal Society of Painter–Printmakers and the Royal Watercolour Society—have their headquarters in this gallery next to Tate Modern. Together they mount exhibitions of current members' work, which is usually for sale, along with art books, making this a great place for finding that unique, not too expensive gift. There are also regular themed exhibitions.

James I commissioned Inigo Jones, one of England's great architects, to undertake a grand building on the site of the original Tudor Palace of Whitehall, which was (according to one foreign visitor) "ill-built, and nothing but a heap of houses." Jones's Banqueting House, finished in 1622 and the first building in England to be completed in the neoclassical style, bears all the hallmarks of the Palladian sophistication and purity that so influenced Jones during his time in Italy. James's son, Charles I, enhanced the interior by employing the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens to glorify his father and himself (naturally) in a series of vibrant painted ceiling panels called The Apotheosis of James I. As it turned out, these allegorical paintings, depicting a wise monarch being received into heaven, were the last thing Charles saw before he stepped through the open first-floor window onto the scaffold, which had been erected directly outside for his execution by Cromwell's Parliamentarians in 1649. Twenty years later, his son, Charles II, would celebrate the restoration of the monarchy in the exact same place. 

At some point in 2024 (though the dates keep changing), these magnificent artworks will be taken down so conservators can get to work on a yearslong conservation process. Until then, Banqueting House is open for guided tours on an ad hoc basis, so check before your visit. Eager-eyed art buffs can catch a glimpse of the paintings from the sidewalk across the street. 

This is the heart of Belgravia, once the preferred address for some of London's grandest families, although it's now mostly occupied by organizations, embassies, and the international rich. The square and the streets leading off it share a remarkably consistent elegant architectural style thanks to all being part of a Regency redevelopment scheme commissioned by the Duke of Westminster and designed by Thomas Cubitt with George Basevi. The imposing, cream-colored stucco terraced houses, now mostly divided into apartments, were snapped up by aristocrats and politicians due to their proximity to Buckingham Palace just around the corner, and still command record prices on the rare occasions when they come onto the market. The private garden in the center is open to the public once a year. Walk down Belgrave Place toward Eaton Place and you pass two of Belgravia's most beautiful mews: Eaton Mews North and Eccleston Mews, both fronted by grand rusticated entrances right out of a 19th-century engraving. Traffic can really whip around Belgrave Square, so be careful.

This is Britain's oldest synagogue still in use and is certainly its most splendid. It was built in 1701, after Jewish people, having been expelled from England in 1290, were allowed to return under Cromwell in 1656. Inspired by the Spanish and Portuguese Great Synagogue of Amsterdam, the interior is embellished with rich woodwork, seven hanging brass candelabra (representing the seven days of the week), and 12 trompe-l'oeil wood columns painted to look like marble. The magnificent Ark, which contains the sacred scrolls of the five books of Moses, is modeled on contemporary Wren neoclassical altarpieces, with oak doors and Corinthian columns. In 1992 and 1993 the synagogue was seriously damaged by IRA bombs, but it was subsequently completely restored. It's closed to visitors during Jewish holidays, so check the website before visiting.

This world-class shopping haunt is divided into northern "New" (1710) and southern "Old" (1690) halves. You can spot the juncture by a bronzed bench on which Franklin D. Roosevelt sits companionably next to Winston Churchill. At No. 34--35, on New Bond Street, you'll find Sotheby's, the world-famous auction house, as well as upscale retailers like Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Church's. You'll find even more opportunities to flirt with financial ruin on Old Bond Street, with flagship boutiques of top-end designers like Prada, Gucci, and Saint Laurent; an array of fine jewelers including Tiffany & Co.; and art dealers Richard Green, Richard Nagy, and Trinity Fine Art. Cork Street, which parallels the top half of Old Bond Street, is where many top dealers in contemporary art have their galleries.

With a collection totaling more than 170 million items, plus 3 million new additions every year, the British Library is a world-class repository of knowledge. Its greatest treasures are on view to the general public in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: the Magna Carta, the Codex Sinaiticus (an ancient Bible containing the oldest complete copy of the New Testament), Jane Austen's writings, and Shakespeare's First Folio, as well as musical manuscripts by Handel and Beethoven, and original handwritten lyrics by the Beatles.

This is a late product of the mid-19th-century English Roman Catholic revival led by Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–90), who established the oratory in the 1840s and whose statue you see outside. Architect Herbert Gribble was an unknown 29-year-old when he won a competition to design the church, bringing a baroque exuberance to his concept for the vast, incredibly ornate interior. It's punctuated by treasures far older than the church itself, like the giant Carrara marble Twelve Apostles in the nave, sculpted by Giuseppe Mazzuoli in the 1680s for Siena's cathedral. A working church, the Oratory is known for the quality of its organs and choir, with exceptional music being an integral part of services here.

One of Hampstead's oldest buildings, Burgh House was built in 1704 to take advantage of the natural spa waters of the then-fashionable Hampstead Wells. A private house until World War II, it was saved from dereliction in the 1970s by local residents, who have maintained it ever since. The building is a fine example of the genteel elegance typical of the Queen Anne period, with brick frontage, oak-paneled rooms, and a terraced garden that was originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Today the house contains a small but diverting collection of objects, paintings, textiles, and furniture related to the history of the house and the surrounding area, and also hosts regular talks, concerts, and recitals. The secluded garden courtyard of the café is a lovely spot for lunch, tea, or a glass of wine on a summer's afternoon.

A pretty pedestrian thoroughfare just off Upper Street, Camden Passage is famous for its many antiques shops selling everything from vintage furniture to period jewelry to timeless timepieces. In recent years, a sprinkling of independent boutiques, delis, and cafés has given the passage an eclectic vibrant feel. Check out the antique market held here on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.

These 2 acres of splendid calm are bang in the middle of the King's Cross hustle and bustle. This nature reserve, just across the road from the concrete and glass of the Eurostar terminal, provides a habitat for birds, butterflies, bats, and a wide variety of plant and pond life. Complete with a visitor's center and café, this delightful urban oasis is popular with schoolchildren and office workers on lunch break, but chances are you could have the whole place to yourself.

Architect John Nash designed Carlton House, a glorious example of the Regency style, under the patronage of the Prince Regent (later George IV), who ruled in place of George III while the "mad king" was considered too unstable to rule. Carlton House was considered a most extravagant building for its time; it was demolished after the prince's accession to the throne in 1820. In its place Nash built Carlton House Terrace—no less imposing, with white-stucco facades and massive Corinthian columns. Carlton Terrace was a smart address, home to a number of the 19th-century's greatest luminaries—including two prime ministers, William Gladstone (1856) and Lord Palmerston (1840–46). Today Carlton House Terrace houses the Royal Society (No. 6–9), Britain's most prestigious society of scientific minds; still active, its previous members have included Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

The home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, this soaring building from 1930 has hosted concerts by artists ranging from Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. It also offers céilidhs (Irish barn dances), workshops where you can learn to play folk songs, and an open-mic folk club night. Meet the locals at one of the drop-in dance classes offering English and Irish folk dancing as well as international traditional dances. There are also temporary exhibitions on British folk art, a café and bar, and an outstanding specialist library with an extensive collection of recordings, manuscripts, sheet music, and images relating to British folk songs, dances, and regional cultures in general.

Chapel Market is what Islington used to be: an unpretentious, working-class enclave. Like lots of areas in London, gentrification continues apace, but there's still a lively food market that runs for half the length of the street every day except Monday—just listening to the stallholders advertising their wares can be entertainment enough. 

This is one of the few London houses Charles Dickens (1812–70) inhabited that is still standing, and it's the place where he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. The five-story Georgian house looks exactly as it would have in Dickens's day, complete with first editions, letters, and a tall clerk's desk (Dickens wrote standing up). Catch the once-a-month fascinating Housemaid's Tour (£15) in which you're taken back in time to 1839 by Dickens's housemaid, who reveals the private lives of the great author and his family; note that it must be booked in advance.

This is the 1729 masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren's associate Nicholas Hawksmoor, one of his six London churches and an example of English baroque at its finest. It was commissioned as part of Parliament's 1711 Fifty New Churches Act, passed in response to the influx of immigrants with the idea of providing for the religious needs of the "godless thousands"—and to help ensure they joined the Church of England, as opposed to such nonconformist denominations as the Protestant Huguenots. (It must have worked; you can still see gravestones with epitaphs in French in the crypt.) As the local silk industry declined, the church fell into disrepair, and by 1958 the structure was crumbling, with the looming prospect of demolition. But after 25 years—longer than it took to build the church—and a huge local fundraising effort, the structure was meticulously restored and is a joy to behold, from the colonnaded Doric portico and tall spire to its soaring, heavily ornamented plaster ceiling. Its excellent acoustics make it a superb concert venue; its organ, which was built in 1735, is thought to have been played by Handel.