Explore Secret London
From the divine to the sublime, London is a treasure trove of sights, sounds, and experiences. But to get a true sense of this huge city, it pays to look beyond the well-visited tourist sites and go on the hunt for the unexpected gems that can make your visit really memorable.
Cheam, with its procession of 16th- and 17th-century cottages nestled cheek-by-jowl with postwar homes and buildings is a study in contrast, and well worth a look. The timber-framed Whitehall building is in a prime example, located in the center of the village and dating to 1500, when the original served as a wattle and daub yeoman’s home.
Today, London hotel deals make a visit to the city even more attainable. Choose one near the Tower Bridge and make it your jumping off point for a stroll along the river, keeping an eye out for another unexpected sight: the Downings Road Moorings. This floating village-within-the-city includes a network of barges and other boats that offer homes and lush gardens, which have come to be recognized as a vital link in preserving the area’s wildlife, as well as offering a welcome respite from the city that teems around them.
To satisfy the soul, head to the Agapemonite Church, tucked away amid trees with a gothic spire and beautifully ornate carvings above the door of the animal embodiments of the four evangelists. Even the weather vanes are heavily decorated, depicting a fiery chariot and a sheaf of arrows. But the real interest lies in the congregations – both past and present – that have made the church their home. The Agapemonites were a cult that originated near Somerset, which preached spiritual (that is, sexless) marriages and whose leaders claimed to be embodiments of Christ. The cult was plagued with charges of immorality and other scandals, and eventually disbanded in 1956. Today, the church is occupied by the Ancient Catholic Church, and services on Thursday nights include readings by a clairvoyant.
On Brentfield Road in Neasden, stands another bit of spiritual splendor, this one more contemporary, having been completed in 1995. This is the Neasden Temple, or more properly, the Swaminarayan Mandir, a huge, white marble edifice of spires, carvings, and domes, crafted in India by 15,000 stonemasons, and then sent north to London to be rebuilt.
Getting hungry? Head to the Windmill Pub in Brixton, just a stone’s throw from the structure that gave it its name – one of the only surviving windmills in London, dating to 1816. Now set amid a rough area of the city, the mill stands atop Brixton Hill, hinting at a more bucolic past.
With loads of cheap hotel deals, London and its unique sights offer even causal visitors an affordable stay, whether for a week or a weekend. So up sticks and head to the city!
About The Author
Max Brockbank is an online writer and editor living in south east London with his wife, two children and the family cat.
This article first appeared on amazines.com
