Ye Olde Mitre bills itself as one of the most difficult to find pubs in London and, you know, they might just be right. My Hampstead walk winds its way through the area’s eye-catching side streets, giving you an overview of the neighborhood and its hidden lanes as you go. It also features a number of good local Hampstead pubs.

There are aquatic displays, musical instruments, ethnography, natural history – all thoughtfully curated and engagingly presented. It really is one of the most underrated things to do in London. Culpeper Community Garden – a community garden in every sense, the various plots are tended by locals. It’s such a friendly place to soak up the sun and the community spirit, just a stone’s throw from Angel. We were passing an old history book around the office (because we really know how to have a good time in our downtime) and saw mention of it. If you want to go on this one, you can find the route, map, photos, and video on my Hampstead walk blog post. Postman’s Park–this pretty garden to the north of St Paul’s Cathedral is a lovely place to press pause on your day. Its moving Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice is a must-see. Each tile on that wall is devoted to unsung heroes from the Victorian era onwards who died trying to save another.If you’re smart enough to find it you’ll be able to feast your eyes on a staggering amount of silver (literally you almost need sunglasses to look directly at some of these rooms) The original church had the misfortune to burn down in the Great Fire of London. It was rebuilt by Christopher Wren, only to be bombed to a shell during The Blitz. So we decided, like any good, inquisitorial journalist / nosey person to read up a bit more and lo. Only goes and turns out that it’s one of the coolest viewing points in London. A private London Walk makes a fab present – be it a birthday or anniversary or get-to-know-your-new neighbourhood gift or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich. LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!

Shaughan has made two Podcasts based on this walk. Listening to either or both of them will give you an exceptionally good idea of what’s on the menu – what you get on the walk – and how it’s served up, the guiding. Here’s the Hidden London –Podcast 1. And here’s Hidden London – Podcast 2. HIDDEN LONDON TOUR PRACTICALSOnce you’ve got your reader’s card you can access all the previously inaccessible rooms. In them you’ll find plenty of empty desks and supreme quiet – something that’s missing from the BL’s main public areas. Blue plaques high up on the outer walls of buildings tease us with a tiny amount of information about the people who were born, lived, stayed, died, or did something extraordinary there. This book is a fantastic way to find out more about the people celebrated by over 900 plaques all over the city and bring home the fact that you are walking down the same streets that they once did. 3. London Pub Walks, Bob Steel If this London walk sounds good to you, you can find the route, map, and photos on my blog post about canal walks in London. You’d think that was a pretty far-fetched story but that’s exactly what happened with the Seven Noses of Soho .