Top free-ish things to do in London

Posted on September 2, 2018 by lifewithclottedcream

William Shenstone said:

Nothing is certain in London but expense.

I disagree. There are things in London that you can do that will not cost you an arm and a leg. If you only but know where to look…

London Parks and Gardens

Roughly 47% of Greater London consists of green space! There is no reason why one couldn’t spend at least one afternoon a year basking in the summer sun whilst having a picnic in one of London’s most iconic parks. There are so many to choose from that it would be very hard for me to pick a definite favourite.

Some of my favourites do include Hyde park, Green park, St James’ park and Greenwich park.

If, on the other hand, you want something that is not so busy then perhaps one of the London Gardens is just for you! Most are very quaint and beautifully landscaped and will provide you with a couple of moments of peace and tranquility.

Read: Best parks in London

Museums and Galleries

British museums are of such high quality! Take into account that most of them are free and you have yourself a fantastic day out in London. I do have a few favourites of course, but there are so many more to explore.

Here are my favourites:

The Horniman museum. I love the quirkiness of this museum. It is literally a medley of all things wonderful and weird! And the gardens – spectacular!
The Natural History Museum. I think the architecture of this building pretty much sums up the majestic and grandeur that is the Natural History. The moment you see Dippy in the Main Hall you realise how very insignificant human beings are in this world. Simply mesmerising.
The Science Museum. I’m not the sciencey type, but even me – a non-scientist – can’t help to be in awe of the science that does exist all around us.
The Victoria and Albert Museum. There’s art from all over world in the V&A. For me, the best part are the beautiful sculptures. They each tell their own story and I can’t help but get sucked into their tale.
The Museum of London. This is literally the history of London in a nutshell. From the early days of Roman London to the recent Fatberg that had been discovered beneath the streets of London. A truly fascinating insight into our city.
The British Library. Believe it or not, but the British Library houses more than just books. It also has exhibitions and curious artefacts that are on display on the ground floor.

Read: Museums in London

Markets

Going to a market is probably hands down the most free fun you can have in London! There are so many to choose from that it is virtually impossible to list them all!

My favourites include:

Spitalfields Market. This market provides a wonderful mix of clothes, food, jewellery and art.
Portobello Road Market. If you like antiques then this one is definitely just for you. Every Saturday this street in Notting Hill comes alive with stalls that sells mainly antiques, but also a small selection of food, clothes and art.
Borough Market. This food market celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2014. It used to be only open on Thursdays-Saturdays, but nowadays you can enjoy this market from Mondays-Saturdays.
Petticoat Lane Market. When I lived in South East London, this was one of my most favourite markets to visit on a Sunday. If you love fashion then this is certainly the market for you!
Camden Lock Market. It took years before I decided to give Camden Market a chance. Now I don’t know why I waited so long as I’ve been back so many times! From food to clothes to art – anything your heart desires.

Read: Markets in London