It’s both easy to believe (when you hear the creaks of the escalators and see photos of underground stations being used as air raid bunkers) and hard to believe (when you zoom across the capital in air-conditioned comfort) that the good old Underground, best known as the Tube, is 150 years old this week.
To celebrate we’ve travelled the tube network from end to end, seeking out some of the hidden gem sights along the way – and here are the best ones!
Drapers’ Hall, Throgmorton Avenue
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street Station or Bank
Grander than Buckingham Palace isn’t a term we bandy around very often (have you seen inside??) but this might just make the grade. It’s been used in films as a substitute for the Queen’s residence, and from an unassuming outside, you’ll find a wealth of opulence!
Blackfriar Pub, Queen Victoria Street
Nearest tube: St Paul’s
A riot of the High Arts and Crafts style, intended as a Victorian pastiche on Medieval interiors! Most definitely lacking in anything approaching devout religious symbols, expect to see cavorting friars and other such tomfoolery! And they make a great pub lunch too!
Wilton’s Music Hall, Tower Hamlets
Nearest tube: Tower Hill
Harking back to when you had to leave the house to get any real sort of entertainment, this is the last remaining music hall in London. It’s got an amazing atmosphere and plenty of hidden nooks and crannies.
Peter Hone’s House, Ladbroke Square
Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate
Image from lightlocations
If you ever wondered what the house of an insatiable antiques hoarder might look like, then this is it! Crammed to bursting with everything from Napoleonic busts to antique curtains, this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime sight!
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Brentfield Road
Nearest tube: Neasden
Now, hardened Londoners might think that Neasden can’t possibly have anything to surprise or delight, but they would be oh so wrong. The first traditional Hindu temple to be built in Europe, it’s still the largest outside India – and definitely worth a look.
Need somewhere to stay whilst you explore these gems? Try our London page!
