Hammersmith Bridge over the River Thames.

Things to do in Hammersmith London

By Stuart Bak

With picturesque riverside pubs, several top-class theatres and concert venues and some of west London’s finest parks, there are plenty of things to do in Hammersmith year-round.

Out and about in Hammersmith

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In spite of weighing in at around 33 acres and having its own Tube station, Hammersmith's Ravenscourt Park remains one of west London’s best-kept secrets. Here, bright green parakeets dart between ancient lime and chestnut trees, their playful squawks a familiar sound to residents, while kids splash and play in the huge paddling pool and sandpit by the railway arches, open during the summer months. There’s a tranquil walled garden tucked away by the Paddenswick Road entrance, as well as a duck pond, playgrounds and a small garden center with a coffee shop.

The park is just a hop and a skip from the Thames Path, with wonderful riverside walks that stretch all the way from Greenwich in south-east London to the bucolic rolling hills of the Cotswolds. A gentle meander along this leafy West London stretch is particularly rewarding, with Kew Gardens, Richmond Park and Hampton Court Palace among the highlights easily reached by bicycle. Boat services also connect Kew to Hampton Court.

Hammersmith’s Furnivall Gardens is a fine riverside spot for people (and boat) watching. Get there early on balmy summer evenings to claim your spot on the grass and watch the local rowing clubs being put through their paces in the shadow of the mighty Hammersmith Bridge. This regal vision in moss-green and gold is one of the world’s oldest mechanical suspension bridges, and connects Hammersmith to the sprawling London Wetland Centre reserve, just across the Thames in neighboring Barnes.

Prints and pints

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No visit to Hammersmith’s riverfront would be complete without popping into one of its quaint old pubs to sample an ale or two from nearby Fuller’s Brewery. Just off Furnivall Gardens, The Dove offers a splendid sun terrace during summer and roaring log fires in the colder months. This 18th-century stalwart also lays claim to what was once the tiniest bar room in the world (as immortalised in the Guinness Book of Records, no less!), as well as links to hard-drinking literary heavyweights including Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene and Dylan Thomas.

Other notable former neighbors include William Morris, textile designer and leading light of the Arts and Crafts Movement. You’ll find a pub named in his honor on King Street, Hammersmith’s main shopping thoroughfare, though teetotaller Morris may have raised an eyebrow at the association. Instead, make for Kelmscott House, the handsome riverside Georgian townhouse where Morris lived for nearly 20 years. Although now a private home, the basement and coach house serve as headquarters of the William Morris Society, which opens to the public on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.

A visit to the restored home of Morris’s friend and fellow Arts and Crafts pioneer Emery Walker, just a few doors along the riverfront, is also worthwhile for its bold prints, colorful pottery and exhibition room.

A little further west, Hogarth’s House is a little countryside oasis in Chiswick, just yards from the major road that connects west London to Heathrow Airport. Take a wander around the beautiful Mulberry Garden before stepping inside to see some of William Hogarth’s works, as well as exhibitions from other artists. Entry is free.

Take in a show

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Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo has played host to rock, pop and jazz royalty in its near-100-year history, from Prince to Queen, The Beatles to Bowie, Kanye to Kylie. It’s also the place to get a few belly laughs with shows from international comedy stars. But don’t be fooled by the household names: this landmark Art Deco venue is no soulless stadium, with a relatively intimate theater atmosphere and a maximum capacity of only around 5,000.

Just round the corner, the Lyric Theatre hosts touring musicals, Christmas pantomimes and fabulous kids’ shows, as well as productions from up-and-coming theatrical groups. For ultra-local theater, check out the Chiswick Playhouse, an intimate 90-seat venue above The Tabard pub by Turnham Green Tube station. As well as dramas and musicals, the Playhouse frequently hosts low-key shows by big-name comedians as they polish their latest jokes for TV and stadium audiences.

Riverside Studios is a smart, contemporary space that showcases the best of independent film-making alongside the latest blockbusters. The venue boasts two cinemas as well as an exhibition space and studios for theatrical productions. Grab a drink before the movie in the Cinema Bar or enjoy a pre-theatre dinner in Sam’s Riverside, with views of the river and Hammersmith Bridge.

Good neighbors

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For such a compact urban neighborhood, Hammersmith really punches above its weight when it comes to things to do. Direct links to Heathrow Airport and central London mean it’s also ideal for reaching many of London’s other top attractions, while its closest neighbors are also no slouches.

Head up to Shepherd’s Bush for world-class shopping, dining and entertainment at the UK’s largest shopping centre. Westfield London boasts nearly 300 stores, around 100 restaurants and an impressive 20-screen cinema. Shepherd’s Bush also has a bustling street market and yet another renowned music venue in the 02 Empire.

Regal Kensington is home to the ultra-modern Design Museum, as well as Kensington Palace and Gardens, former home of Diana, Princess of Wales and now the official royal residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their family. From here, you can enter Hyde Park for strolls to the Serpentine lake and gallery, the Diana Memorial Fountain, Royal Albert Hall and smart shops and restaurants in Notting Hill.

Save on things to do in Hammersmith

Save on admission to London attractions and explore Hammersmith and beyond with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.

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Pastel colored townhouses in a Chelsea mews
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Things to do in Chelsea London

One of London’s most upmarket neighborhoods, Chelsea lines the River Thames to the west of Belgravia. A home to movie stars and ambassadors, it contains several important streets, such as the King’s Road, from which charming cobblestone mews stem, reminiscent of the time when the clip-clop of a horse and carriage was more common than the roar of a motor engine. When it comes to things to do in Chelsea London visitors are spoilt for choice. Besides hitting the shops, visitors can explore Chelsea Embankment, soak up the art of the Saatchi Gallery and discover first hand the British obsession with soccer at Stamford Bridge. So let’s take a look at the many things to do in London’s Chelsea! Walk Chelsea Embankment Bookended by Chelsea Bridge and Albert Bridge, a pleasant stroll along the 500 meter Chelsea Embankment edging the north bank of the River Thames is a good way to start any time in Chelsea. Its views of the river take in the new housing development at Battersea Power Station as well as Battersea Park, whilst its trees give shade and color from spring right through to fall. Along the way, be sure to stop off at Chelsea Physic Garden, a small pocket of green space established in 1673 as a garden for the growing of medicinal plants. Amongst its quirky features including the world’s most northerly grapefruit tree, Britain’s largest olive tree and the oldest alpine rock garden in Europe. However, when it comes to Chelsea and gardens, most thoughts are going to turn straight to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show, which takes over the grounds of Chelsea’s Royal Hospital each May. At other times of year it’s possible to tour the historic hospital guided by one of its residents – red coated pensioners who had served the country in the military. Cycle along quiet mews to top cultural hubs A mews is a side street that once housed the stables of grander houses, and Chelsea has plenty of these attractive thoroughfares. Take in the area’s best architecture by pedaling your way along these generally traffic free streets by hiring a bike. Look out for London’s Blue Plaques along the way. Attached to the façades of buildings and used to denote a place where someone famous has once resided, Chelsea’s Blue Plaques include those to Bob Marley, Oscar Wilde and Ingrid Bergman. One of Chelsea’s more modern architectural forms in the exterior of the National Army Museum. Free to visit, it consists of five galleries, which together attempt to tell the story of the British Army from its origins in the Civil Wars of the 17th Century to the present day. With 2500 artefacts on display there’s plenty of interest, including the skeleton of Napoleon’s horse at the Battle of Waterloo alongside the cloak of his arch nemesis the Duke of Wellington. The Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon has other treasures, including a Lancaster bomber, which helped the UK take the fight to the Nazis during World War Two. Discover a love of soccer An army of a different kind floods the streets around Stamford Bridge – Chelsea Football Club’s home ground – on match days. But a behind the scenes look at what has made Chelsea one of England’s top soccer clubs can be had at any time with a self-guided tour taking in London’s largest soccer museum, changing rooms and the pitch side. The stadium has a rather unusual location beside Brompton Cemetery, one of London’s ‘Magnificent Seven’. Property of the crown, it has become an important habitat for Chelsea’s urban wildlife, as well as being the final resting place of approximately 200,000 souls. Its famous residents include Emmeline Pankhurst – a leading figure in the suffragette fight for women to have the vote. Take in some art Located in Duke of York Square, the Saatchi Gallery developed out of the private art collection of advertising impresario Charles Saatchi. It is particularly well-associated with the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s, which brought Damien Hurst and Tracey Emin to national and international attention. Although a private members club for artists working in all genres, art fans shouldn’t miss Chelsea Art Club either. Founded at the request of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, its Baron Lodge headquarters is usually whitewashed. However, expansive murals are regularly painted to mark special anniversaries, with the lengthy façade previously decorated with circus performers, camouflage and tricks of the eye to suggest it had been bombed during the blitz. Hit the King’s Road Unlovingly called the A3217 alongside the more evocative King’s Road, this is a street that has dominated the Chelsea scene since the 1960s. Over three kilometers in length, it’s named after the fact it was a private thoroughfare for the monarch until 1830, providing direct access to Kew Gardens and its palace. Today the road has around 300 stores as well as galleries and cafés – Vivienne Westwood once had a boutique here with Malcolm McLaren, whilst Starbucks’ first UK premises was on the street too. Another Blue Plaque denotes the place Sir Carol Reed lived – director to such movies as The Third Man, The Agony and the Ecstasy and Trapeze. If your visit leaves you in need of some tranquility, head north to St Luke’s Church. Not only is it one of the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival style in London, but it was also the church where Charles Dickens married Catherine Hogarth flush with the success of The Pickwick Papers, published two days before. Discover Chelsea with Go City Popular with everyone from Oscar Wilde to the Rolling Stones, Chelsea is one of London’s most fashionable neighborhoods. If you’re visiting the British capital, look out for the many things to do in Chelsea London. Whether you decide to visit Stamford Bridge or ride a bike about the area, travel with Go City and you’ll save heaps of cash on attraction admission, not just in Chelsea but across the whole of London!
Ian Packham
St Paul's Cathedral looking resplendent from Fleet Street
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Why you should visit London in July

If there’s a month to see London at its best, it has to be July. This is the month when Londoners let their hair down and bask in mid-summer temperatures that stay pleasantly warm until dusk settles at around 10PM. The promise of great weather sees everyone who’s anyone relax in London’s multitude of outdoor spaces, be that a Royal Park or a rooftop bar for a glass of rosé. There’s also a myriad of festivals throughout London in July, as well as once-a-year opportunities including the summer opening of Buckingham Palace. Discover royal London It’s in July that Buckingham Palace – the monarch’s official London residence – opens its doors to the public. Entering via the building’s ceremonial entrance and grand gilt staircase, visits take in 19 state rooms. Used for official functions, such as investitures and the welcoming of foreign heads of government, they include the Throne Room, White Drawing Room and Ballroom. If that isn’t enough, each year a different exhibition is staged using artefacts from the royal collection – providing further insight into the many roles played by British royals. The objects on display at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival are no less impressive for their shorter lifespans. The largest horticultural event in the capital’s calendar, attractions range from a festival of roses to celebrity workshops, all amid the Tudor palace’s spectacular grounds. Dating back hundreds of years, Swan Upping takes place on the Thames over several days in July. Starting at Eton Bridge beside Windsor Castle, Swan Uppers in traditional Thames skiffs count the year’s cygnets to ensure the river’s swan population remains healthy. Make the most of the long July evenings The royal connections continue at Kensington Palace, which is the location of one of the open-air pop-up giant cinema screens that appear throughout London from July. Other locations include Clapham Common, Somerset House and Trafalgar Square, with screenings varying between Hollywood classics, family favorites and the latest blockbusters. For a very different kind of performance head to the Royal Albert Hall, where eight weeks of classical music concerts, together known as the Proms, kick off in July. A firm fixture since 1895, the series culminates in the Last Night of the Proms – one of the more patriotic nights in London life. Life in all its forms can be enjoyed with adults-only Twilight Tickets to ZSL London Zoo. Besides seeing the zoo’s wild animals at one of the calmer times of day, these special nights also host a chill out zone and street food vans should you get hungry. Go sports mad in London in July The world’s oldest tennis competition, the Wimbledon Championships, take place on the verdant green lawns of southwest London in an annual parade of the very best sporting talent, some two million strawberries and 54,000 tennis balls. Even if you can’t nab a much sought after ticket for the show courts, ground passes are a great way to soak up the atmosphere. And whilst 2012 may be long gone, the spirit of the London Olympics lives on in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Occupying a swath of the capital’s east, free trails connect up some of the park’s most important structures. Tour the London Stadium, grab a selfie with the Olympic rings or get the adrenaline flowing with a ride down the world’s longest slide from the top of the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. Revel in summer festivals Just one demonstration of London’s diversity is the array of festivals which take place in London in July. Open to LGBT+ allies from all walks of life, Pride is the only event in the year to close Oxford Street to traffic. In place of the black taxis and red double-decker buses, you’ll see eclectic floats making their way to the main stage on Trafalgar Square. Take in the riverside between London Bridge and Tower Bridge and you’re sure to be sucked into the festival-like atmosphere created from outdoor eating and an event’s list covering everything from karaoke to open-air fitness classes. Then there’s the capital’s music festivals. British Summer Time brings some of the world’s biggest stars to Hyde Park, having welcomed Celine Dion, Bruno Mars and Green Day to previous editions. Elsewhere, fans of urban music won’t want to miss Wireless, whose acts have included the home-grown talents of Stormzy among its A-list setlists. Stroll in the city’s parks and gardens A hop, skip and a jump away from where Stormzy grew up in south London is Dulwich Park. Edged by Dulwich Picture Gallery – England’s oldest purpose-built art space – and close to Brockwell Lido, the park has recently been returned to the glory of its late-Victorian heyday. Kensington’s Holland Park spreads out around the remains of the Jacobean era Holland House. Sub-divided into several sections, its northern extent is dominated by woodland, whilst its inner core contains a formal garden and the Kyoto Japanese garden. St Dunstan-in-the-East also makes use of London’s historic architecture, in this case an 11th-Century parish church. Rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, it was unfortunately damaged beyond repair during the Blitz in the Second World War. Today, it forms a hidden oasis among the hustle and bustle of the ancient city. London weather in July Neither too hot nor too cold, London in July has some of the best weather of the year. Daily temperatures hover around 19°C, hardly ever dropping below 14°C or rising above 23°C. Rain is light, and rarely affects anyone’s plans. Sunshine is abundant, and daylight stretches for a staggering 16 hours per day, making T-shirts and vest-tops the best items to pack. It’s unlikely you’ll need anything thicker than a light sweater, although you’ll probably still want an umbrella just in case. Save on July London attraction admission Keen to experience all London has to offer in July? Admission to a whole host of London’s top attractions can be had with Go City, providing flexibility and great savings. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest hints and tips.
Ian Packham

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