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Free
Tours to do in London
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| Arts
and artefacts |
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  Right
in the centre of London is Trafalgar
Square, one of the best places to begin
a tour of the sights. Here, you are looking over
150 years of history, with Nelson's famous column
behind you, and the fountains by Lutyens and
Landseer's lions in front of you. Beyond them lies
the National Gallery,
which holds one of the world's finest collections
of Western European paintings. The Leonardo
Cartoon by da Vinci and the Hay Wain by Constable
are just two of its highlights - and admission is
free.
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 Right
next door, one of the most inspiring collections
of portraits can be found. The National
Portrait Gallery
holds likenesses of both the famous and infamous -
poets and princesses, statesmen and sportsmen are
all on display. Royal portraits abound, from
Holbein's Henry VIII to Annigoni's portrait of the
Queen, but stars from today's world of rock, pop
and showbizz are there too. Catch a glimpse of
Elizabeth Taylor, supermodel Elle MacPherson and
The Spice Girls, or enjoy panoramic rooftop views
over London from the Portrait Café.
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 There
are two other major art galleries in London -
neither of which levy an admission charge for
their permanent collections. Tate
Britain holds British paintings from
1500 to the present day, while Tate
Modern is one of
the foremost galleries of modern and contemporary
art.
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London boasts the oldest public museum in the
world. The British Museum
in Bloomsbury is one huge treasure store. Items
from all over the globe have found their way there
- everything from mummies to Ming; exhibits
include priceless antiquities like the Elgin
Marbles from The Parthenon and the Rosetta Stone
that provided the key to Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Over 200 years, the museum has built up a
collection of 6 million objects that now fill its
94 galleries.
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 Once
part of the British Museum, the British
Library is now found in St Pancras. Its
new building was designed by Sir Colin Wilson to
house the UK's National Library, the riches of the
written word. It has an amazing 150 million
separate items in storage and state-of-the-art
technology lets you journey through some of the
priceless exhibits via a 'virtual manuscript'.
Guided tours of the building will lead you to the
exhibition galleries and the Lindisfarne Gospels
(dating from 700AD), Shakespeare's First Folio of
1623, Handel's Messiah and Beatles' manuscripts.
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London is one
of the world's greatest financial centres
and its banking system is one of the
oldest in the world. So it is perhaps no
surprise that there is a museum dedicated
to banking. The
Bank of England Museum is one
of London's hidden delights. Apart from
illustrating the history of perhaps the
most famous bank in the world, it has lots
of hands-on exhibits and activities - you
can even try your hand at being a foreign
exchange dealer. And there are banknotes
and gold bars on display.
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 Long
before you could make your living in
banking, you could be a career soldier. In
the National Army
Museum, you can discover what a
soldier's life was like over the last 500
years. Experience a bombing raid in a
First World War trench and see the meagre
wartime rations. Among the exhibits is the
skeleton of Wellington's horse, one of the
lamps used by Florence Nightingale and
examples of regulation underwear (enormous
bloomers nick-named 'passion killers')
worn by the women's army in the early 20th
century.
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If you want to see London life,
there is no better place than in
London's great parks; Hyde Park
and Kensington Gardens to hang out
in, St James's Park to see pomp
and pageantry and Regent's Park
for picnicking - and London
Zoo. Entrance is free
to all London's public parks -
although you will have to pay for
deck-chairs, or activities like
boating or riding.
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Head north to Hampstead Heath for
a great panorama of the city, but
also for one of its most famous
residences, Kenwood
House. Set in splendid
landscaped grounds, this Robert
Adam house is a frequent backdrop
in movies (including Notting
Hill and Mansfield Park).
But it is the inside that is
really stunning. Kenwood holds the
most important private collection
of paintings ever given to the
nation - including Rembrandt's
Self Portrait and works by Turner,
Reynolds and Gainsborough. Don't
miss the spectacular library,
ornate to the point of
ostentation, and the fine
collection of neo-classical
furniture.
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To
view more modest homes, visit the
delightful Geffrye
Museum in Hackney. This
museum of domestic interiors will
lead you on a journey through
time, from the 17th century to
post-war Britain. You can walk
past oak panelling from the 1600s,
through the refined elegance of
Georgian London, to amazing art
deco objects and the funky
Fifties. The museum, which has its
home in old almshouses, also has
attractive gardens and a programme
of year-round entertainment.
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 Entertainment
is something London does in a big
way. Some of the capital's most
famous and exhilarating events can
be watched for free. The Notting
Hill Carnival (August),
one of the biggest street parties
in the world, the famous Oxford
and Cambridge Boat Race
(March/April) and the Changing
of the Guard ceremony
(daily in summer) all provide
magnificent spectacles.
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On top of that, there is street
entertainment daily in Covent
Garden (from 1000 to 1900 or
later) where you might see
anything from Peruvian pipe
players to fabulous fire eaters.
And in the foyer of the Festival
Hall, there are frequent free
exhibitions and lunchtime
concerts.
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 For
drama more than entertainment,
where better than the Central
Criminal Court, known
as the Old Bailey? This, on the
site of the famous Newgate Prison,
is where the great murder trials
take place - you can queue for
admission to the public gallery.
Similarly, you can watch a debate
in the Houses
of Parliament by
queuing for entrance to the
strangers' gallery.
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Built on the riverside, the
Parliament buildings overlook
London's greatest free sight, the
River Thames. As it flows
majestically beside palace,
playhouse and pleasure ground, it
is a reminder that you don't have
to be rich to enjoy London's
riches.
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All
museums and attractions
mentioned above offer free
admission; there may
however be charges for
special exhibitions,
guided tours, etc. |
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All
National museums (this
includes the Science
Museum, V&A, Natural
History Museum and
Imperial War Museum are
free for children and
seniors. |
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Some
museums allow free entry
for students (valid
identification required)
and for the registered
disabled and/or their
carers. |
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