SIGHTSEEING
DID YOU KNOW? The 62m-high Monument stands 62m from the spot where the 1666 Great Fire of London started – and a smaller statue, the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, stands at the exact point where the fire was put out
The Monument This beautiful stone column standing in the heart of the City was built in 1677 by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate those who were killed during the 1666 Great Fire of London. You can climb the 311 steps to its observation gallery for great views. Daily 9.30am-6pm. Adult £5; child £2.50. Joint tickets with Tower Bridge available. www.themonument.org.uk. Monument St, EC3R 6BD. T: 020-7626 2717. E10. Station: Monument.
The O2 Huge venue for entertainment and exhibitions, including ICON, an all-new designer brand shopping outlet, as well as a huge trampoline park, Oxygen Freejumping. www.theo2.co.uk. Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX. T: 020-8463 2000. Off map. Station: North Greenwich.
SOLDIER © VISIT LONDON/PAWEL LIBERA; THE QUEEN WAXWORK COURTESY OF MADAME TUSSAUDS; GOLDEN BOY OF PYE CORNER © ISTOCK
Old Royal Naval College
The Royal Institution of Great Britain This Grade I-listed Georgian building houses a museum about the institution’s 15 Nobel Prize-winning scientists. Visit its free Faraday Museum and you can see scientists at work, too. Check the website for a full programme of talks as well as family fun days. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Admission free; charges for talks. www.rigb.org. 21 Albemarle St, W1S 4BS. T: 020-7409 2992. E6. Station: Green Park.
The Royal Mews This beautiful part of Buckingham Palace houses the Queen’s vehicles and horses, where they are responsible for the transportation
of the Queen and members of the royal family. Learn about the mews’ history with the free multimedia guide, which includes games, a video of the Diamond Jubilee State Coach’s first journey and interactive, 360-degree photography of the Gold State Coach’s interior. Children will enjoy learning how to harness a horse, as well as taking part in the busy programme of art sessions. 24-26 Aug: Family Festival. Enter a royal world of performances, music, arts and activities, all included with admission tickets. Daily 10am-5pm. Adult £12; child £6.80; under-fives free. www.rct.uk/royalmews. Buckingham Palace Rd, SW1W 1QH. T: 0303-123 7302. F6. Station: Victoria/St James’s Park.
Three domes. Five floors. And Europe’s greatest crypt. See an other side of St Paul’s.
Sir Christopher Wren’s riverside masterpiece, part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, is home to a neoclassical chapel and the Painted Hall, which recently reopened following a major conservation project. Its enhanced undercroft space now includes a café, shop and gallery, while you can also see the foundations of Henry VIII’s birthplace, Greenwich Palace. Tour options include guided talks, multimedia handsets and a kids’ trail. Every Thursday in August, the college is holding free, multisensory storytelling sessions for children; check for times. Daily 10am-5pm. General admission free; Painted Hall adult £12, child free. www.ornc.org. King William Walk, SE10 9NN. T: 020-8269 4799. Off map. Station: Cutty Sark/Greenwich.
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Emerging from a three-year conservation project in early 2019, this Regency manor has been sympathetically restored to John Soane’s original design. Designed and occupied by the acclaimed British architect from 1800, Pitzhanger includes a contemporary art gallery and Soane’s Kitchen café. To 18 Aug: Anish Kapoor. The British sculptor presents his disorientating work. Tue-Fri, Sun & bank hols 10am-4.30pm; Sat 10am-3pm. Adult £7; child free. www.pitzhanger.org.uk. Mattock Lane, W5 5EQ. T: 020-3994 0962. Off map. Station: Ealing Broadway.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Formerly the site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this park includes sporting locations that are open to the public (except for occasional competitive events) including the Aquatics Centre and Velodrome, plus the ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower. Please check the website for sporting events. Park open 24 hours daily. Admission free. www.queen elizabetholympicpark.co.uk. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2ST. T: 0800-072 2110. Off map. Station: Stratford.
Climb one dome for the best 360º views in London. Step beneath another to experience the unforgettable. Enrich your visit with an acclaimed multimedia guide, available in nine languages.
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