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Take a look at our round-up of the best bits of the area for you to visit on a lunch break or a long walk.
At 64 metres high, the view from the bell tower in this striking Byzantine-style Catholic cathedral is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. And, at £5 per adult or £2.50 for concessions, it is also one of its cheapest.
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Have fun to your heart’s content at this family activity centre on the Thames, which offers RYA-accredited courses and the chance to try your hand at kayaking, canoeing and dinghy sailing.
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This fab little art deco-style cafe is a Victoria institution and has been serving full English breakfasts accompanied by a proper cuppa since 1946.
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Open during the warmer months, this fantastic outdoor space makes for the perfect lunchtime escape, and it hosts a variety of al fresco events during the summer including live screenings of Wimbledon.
Location
This Grade I-listed gem was London’s tallest building when it was completed in 1929. Eagle-eyed locals can spot a number of exterior sculptures – some of which caused quite a stir back in the day – designed by the likes of Eric Gill, Jacob Epstein and Henry Moore.
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This bijou outdoor space has wonderful views across the Thames and some pretty unusual artworks including a 1996 bronze sculpture by Andre Wallace and a large marble statue dedicated to Britain’s first railway casualty, 19th century MP William Huskisson.
Location
Pelicans have been an unlikely resident of St James’s Park since 1664, when they were introduced as a gift from the Russian Ambassador. Catch them having a spot of lunch between 2:30 and 3pm with daily public feeds.
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Beginning at Shepherd’s Well in Hampstead, this ancient stream travels down through central London and emerges into the Thames on the North Bank. Those brave enough to put an ear to the manhole on Tachbrook Street can hear it gurgling through King’s Scholars’ Pond Sewer below.
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First erected in 1892, Little Ben is a scale model of the clock tower at The Houses of Parliament. Visitors to Victoria may have noticed the absence of this Grade-II listed monument after it went into storage in 2012 due to renovation works in the area. Today, Big Ben is proudly back on display in its home at the junction of Victoria Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road.
The giant spherical chandelier that forms the centrepiece of the foyer at 62 Buckingham Gate is the work of Stuart Haygarth - an artist known for his inventive repurposing of found objects. ‘Optical’ is made from 80,000 discarded prescription lenses, and resembles a breathtaking glass glitterball.
