Beyond the unending queues for the London Eye or selfie stick-filled crowds around places like Oxford Circus or Elizabeth Tower (which houses the Big Ben bell), voters have had their say on London’s most underrated spots that many visitors end up walking straight past.
The Secret London website asked its followers on Facebook the question: “What’s the most underrated London landmark?”
After receiving more than 250 suggestions of attractions, sights and landmarks, the results are in.
Postman’s Park
A quaint green space just a stone’s throw away from the architectural marvel of St Paul’s Cathedral, Postman’s Park topped Secret London’s list.
Like many other places across the UK capital that have a charming backstory, the park’s moniker comes from its previous lunchtime popularity among postal workers who frequented their breaks there while working at the nearby old General Post Office.
Tucked away from the city’s hustle and bustle, the park’s pathway weaves through the garden from east to west, while benches surround the seasonal bedding display that features as a centre piece to the garden itself.
Movie buffs may also recognise the central London park from its role in the 2004 film, “Closer”, which starred Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
For Secret London, however, the park is more than just a pretty place.
“Postman’s Park is home to a truly heartfelt memorial,” the website said. “Within the site, you’ll find a memorial with plaques dedicated to ‘ordinary’ people who acted heroically. Each one is dedicated to someone who gave their life in an attempt to save someone else.”
Where else can travellers go to see London’s hidden gems?
Secret London also shared, in no particular order, other underrated destinations:
- York Watergate
- Middle Temple Library
- The Roman Amphitheatre and Undercroft
- Cabinet War Rooms
- Battle of Britain Monument
- Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
- BT Tower
- Michelin House
- Tyburn Tree Marker
- Cleopatra’s Needle
- Battersea Power Station
- The London Stone
- St Dunstan in the East
- Southwark Cathedral
- Westminster Cathedral
- The Neasden Temple
- Highgate Cemetery and the grave of Karl Marx
- Leighton House
Where to go if you’re in a ‘silly’ mood
Not all the suggestions received from the public made it to the official list. However, if you do have extra time on your itinerary, here are some of London’s “sillier” places to visit, according to Secret London:
- M&M World
- Brixton McDonald’s
- Aberdeen Angus Steakhouse
- East Croydon station
- Camden Town station, aka the Camden escape room