Beautiful old churches, cemeteries and oddities in London

London Walks often recommended here has some specialty tours. You might take one of their walking tours or take inspiration and plan your own visit.

https://www.walks.com/our-walks/the-city-churches-tour/

https://www.walks.com/our-walks/past-the-palace-hidden-places-hidden-history/

Also an often unknown gem (although probably most interesting if you from USA) is Benjamin Franklin's house. He lived there nearly 16 years.

https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/

St Clement Dane is a church with a long history. The original building was destroyed by the Great Fire and a new church designed by Wren was built. It was badly damaged in WWII and restored in the 1950’s. It serves as the central church of the Royal Air Force. There are memorials the Polish, US and Commonwealth air forces who served alongside the RAF during the war and the floor is inlaid with the squadron badges of the RAF.

I've done the London Walks walk to Highgate Cemetery in the distant past and it was quite good.

The Brompton Cemetery has been on my "to-do list" for ages....just have never gotten out there.

https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/brompton-cemetery

Church-wise, I've also got All Hallows by the Tower on that list too as well as going on some walks to see some of the Wren Churches.

https://www.cityoflondonguides.com/tours/city-in-spires-a-tour-of-wren-churches-tuesdays-thursdays

St James Garlickhythe is intriguing and also "on the list", lol..

https://squaremilechurches.co.uk/our-churches/church/st-james-garlickhythe/

A year ago, I wrote a post about The Perfect London Walk, a book by the late film critic Roger Ebert, who adored London. His perfect London walk features beautiful old churches, Highgate Cemetery and definite oddities of London (Queen Boadicea, Dick Turpin, the tallest place in London and others). See here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/books-movies/the-perfect-london-walk

If you’ve not been there, the Temple Church dating from the 12th century is quite interesting and is in the center of London

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Church

Because of buildings all around, you can be quite close and still be unaware of its existence.

Another 12th century church is a 10-15 minute walk away

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Bartholomew-the-Great

It’s not always open, but Fitzrovia Chapel is the very definition of a hidden gem: https://www.fitzroviachapel.org/

It’s surrounded by new flats and shops, and it’s so unexpected.

I lived in Fitzrovia as a student, and then for two years of my life more recently I walked past the new development three or four times a week. And yet until this year’s Open Weekend I’d never even heard of it. It’s an absolute tiny jewel of Byzantine beauty.

Nearby, and a bit better known by Londoners, but still I guess a hidden treasure, is All Saints Margaret Street: a wonderfully decorated bit of High Victorian church architecture. https://asms.uk/

If you’re in and around Chelsea, Holy Trinity Sloane Square is lovely: dubbed “the cathedral of Arts & Crafts.” https://sloanechurch.org/

This suggestion may not fit your needs, especially as the gardens won't be in full flower in December/January, but I'm going to throw it out as a possibility for the future or for others who are similarly looking for less well visited London area sites.

Eltham Palace fits my definition of a fascinating oddity. From the website:

"Once a favoured medieval palace and then a Tudor royal residence, in the 1930s Eltham Palace was transformed by eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. Get a taste of the Courtaulds' extravagant lifestyle as you explore their unusual home, try on a range of period costumes, follow the family trail and admire the magnificent medieval great hall.

There's a quirky mix of medieval and modern in the gardens too. Admire stunning herbaceous borders, walk through formal rose gardens and relax in the Rock Garden, with its pools and cascades running down to the moat."

Fascinating combination of architecture in my estimation with the medieval great room and beautifully decorated Art Deco living spaces all incorporated into one family home. Audio Guide was good. Cafe on premises (not sure of opening hours), helpful, friendly staff.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/

The house is reachable by public transport - local fares (Oyster or Tap and Go). I did walk from the nearest station, pleasant, easy walk. Located in a residential area, quite pleasant. The house is situated high enough such that you can see toward central London. During the Blitz, the residents could watch London being bombed. https://www.goodjourney.org.uk/attractions/eltham-palace/

Have been to in 2022:
Victoria and Albert Museum Dining Room (cafe)
Old Lombard Street (signs)
Leandenhall Market
St Dunstan in the East
Cecil Court
St Olavs Hart Street
Ceremony of the Key, Tower of London
Harrods Food Hall

On my agenda for April:
Tulip Stairs
Looking for London Underground Labrynths in all 270 tube stations
St Stephen Walbrook
Temple Church
Sir John Soames
Harrods Food Hall

All Saints Church, Fulham, near Putney Bridge.

Brompton Cemetary, E Sheen Cemetery, St Brides for Evensong, St Pancras New Church Art Gallery,
Battersea Park, Greenwich Park, Holland Park and Kyoto Garden. Richmond Park and the White Cross pub.

Was in London this past November. Really enjoyed the Parkland trail walk from Crouch End to Finsbury Park.

On a previous trip loved the trails in the vast Richmond Park. Entered via the trail adjacent to the East Sheen Cemetery and walked to King Henry’s Mound then along the Thames Path
to the wonderful White Cross Pub. Long day of exploration ending with a pint and meal at the White Cross.

Holland Park is lovely. This trip I entered via path by the Embassy of Greece. Was hoping to go to the Design Museum but I chose to stroll to the Holland House instead.

If you seek other things to explore;
Mudchute Farm
The Shopping Area around the O2
The Battersea Power Station Conversion
Greenwich and Greenwich Tunnel
Horniman Museum and Gardens

I stumbled on the Bibendum (Michelin) building on one of my trips to London.

A second fortuitous discovery was the mosaic tributes to William Blake on Centaur Street, under an overpass. They're south of Waterloo Station and just off the logical walking route to the Imperial War Museum. Here's the Atlas Obscura listing, which I found after I returned from London: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/william-blake-mosaics-lambeth.

It would be worth your time to see what else A.O. has listed for London.

I took the Walks of London Hempstead walk and really enjoyed it (it's hilly, as I recall), then followed it up with a tour of the cemetery I learned about on the cemetery's website.

I thought Eltham Palace was worth the trip, but I'm quite a fan of Art Deco architecture as well as being nuts about Art Nouveau.

Brompton Oratory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brompton_Oratory

Leighton House & Sambourne House
https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/

Have you walked around Little Venice?

I love Saint Paul’s church, a.k.a. the Actors’ Church in Covent Garden. I first came here back in 1996 after Lynn Redgrave recommended it to me, and visited it again earlier this year. Her father (Sir Michael Redgrave) has a memorial here, and it's such a lovely church. It was designed by Inigo Jones in 1631, and has a beautiful garden in front. It’s a lovely and peaceful place to visit. Ellen Terry, one of the leading actresses of the late 19th and early 20th century, had her ashes placed here in an urn that hangs on the wall.

Another interesting church is St Michael Cornhill in the City of London. It is near to the site of a church founded by King Lucius in AD179, the oldest site of Christian worship in London. The Church of St Michael has been in existence since before the Norman Conquest, although it was destroyed in 1666 by the Great Fire. It was then rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren around 1670. Lots of history there.

I also found The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garrett pretty fascinating. It shows what medicine was like back in the early 18th century and was a very fun experience.

I don't know if you will be there in January but there is a tour of Kensal Green Cemetery-a lovely old Victorian Cemetery on certain Sundays. I took a tour there years ago and loved it. https://www.kensalgreen.co.uk/tours.php

It's also less crowded and not as well known as Highgate and the other cemeteries-if you know about it, then you are probably a local.

One church that is not a church, anymore, is Christchurch Greyfriars Church, at the junction of King Edward Street and the very beginning of Holborn Viaduct. If you are at Paternoster Square just behind the Paul cafe outside the north side of St Pauls Cathedral and keep going straight you will run right into it.

It is actually called Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden because it contains what is left of a WW-2 bombed out church and the garden which grew up in the ruins.

It is special to me, not only for its location and history, but perhaps more because it is where I said goodbye to dear Zoe after taking her to lunch shortly before her untimely death. Missed by many on the Helpline, now Forums.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/thoughts-of-zoe

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/remembering-zoe-again

All of the Hawksmoor churches. Brompton cemetery, Kensal Green Cemetery, and of course Highgate Cemetery.

I was going to mention the Hawksmoor churches too. Christ Church Spitalfields is the most well known.

I was looking for some info on Hawksmoor churches and came across the blog post I'll link to below. I've been reading some of the other posts on the same blog, and there may be more reading you can do there if churches and cemeteries are up your street.

https://thelondondead.blogspot.com/2018/01/londons-malign-geometry-hawksmoor-tour.html

The Magnificent Seven are a good starting point too, definitely. They all get you out into places where there's lots to see a bit off the beaten track.

St Dunstan in the East is lovely!

(If you manage to squeeze between all the Instagrammers doing photoshoots!!)