Museums and attractions

If you go nowhere else while you're in London, try to visit the Tower - it's a real must-see.

This 900-year-old castle was built to protect the monarchs in times of trouble.  You'll see the Crown Jewels, worn by the monarch for state occasions. These include the Koh-I-Noor diamond; the crown worn for the coronation; the orb and sceptre and thousands of jewels!  

There is a dark side, however, with murder, imprisonment and execution being a major part of the Tower’s history. Hear about the murder of the two young boys, the Princes in the Tower; the execution of several queens of England and the daring escapes made by some of the luckier prisoners.

Known as the "royal Abbey of London", this is the huge medieval church where kings and queens have been crowned, married and buried since the first Abbey was built here almost 1,000 years ago.  

You will hear stories about the coronations, the personalities and the famous people who are buried and commemorated here, including the 19th-century writer Charles Dickens; Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who discovered gravity; Elizabeth I, one of our most famous monarchs; the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots; and many more.  

You will also discover the fate of the ruler who was buried in Westminster Abbey before being executed!

This is a must for anyone interested in ancient times.  Civilisations represented in the museum include Ancient Egypt, with the Rosetta Stone and the mummies; Ancient Greece, with sculptures from the Parthenon Temple in Athens; Ancient Rome, with busts of Emperors; and Ancient Assyria, with carvings and the “winged bulls” from the royal palaces. 

Hear about the personalities behind the statues of gods, goddesses and ancient rulers, one of whom fathered over 100 children!

For the very brave, there is a fiendish Rosetta Stone jigsaw you can purchase from the gift shop (pictured above).  

This 300 year-old cathedral was the location of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981.

Called the “heroes’ cathedral”, this is the church where military heroes are buried and commemorated, including Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. 

The highlight here is the giant dome, 365ft high. Climb up 528 steps and you’ll see amazing views of the whole of central London from here.  Then you can make your way to one of the historic pubs in the area and have a big lunch.  You'll need it!

The Churchill War Rooms are the underground bunkers where Winston Churchill and his war cabinet took refuge during the air raids of the Second World War.

This highly atmospheric museum has hardly changed since that time. You’ll see the Map Room and Churchill’s bedroom amongst many others; and hear the stories of the men and women who worked for Britain's most famous Prime Minister.  Not always an easy job!

There is also a museum about Churchill’s life attached to the bunkers, with an interactive timeline table covering every year of his life and all the events that took place on different dates, some of which have hilarious special effects. This attraction is a must-see if you have an interest in World War Two.  

Pictured is Churchill's statue in nearby Parliament Square

Other sites include the NATIONAL GALLERY (pictured): this contains European works of art from 1250-1900. Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh are just a very few of the names represented here. Next door is the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, with portraits of monarchs, writers, politicians, aristocracy and explorers from 1500 to today, all telling the history of this country. Inside the BRITISH LIBRARY is the treasure room which houses original documents from 2,000 years ago up to today.  These include Magna Carta, the “first democratic document of the world” and Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, amongst many others. The VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM houses fashionable fine art and furniture used in Europe from the 1200s to today. Greek and Roman statues, French cabinets, British beds, Italian art and much more all make this museum a huge treasure trove.

All these sites and many more make London the fantastic city it is.  Contact me if you don't see the place you'd like to visit on this page and I'll organise it.