Walk the Knightsbridge Maze of Mews and other London, United Kingdom Things to Do Tips

Just a stone's throw away from Harrod's department store, but less frequent and well known lies a very nice neighbourhood where you can see some of the old mews houses, originally stable buildings to the rear of the stately properties in the front. Very quite and romantic neighbourhood, it is really hard to believe busy Brompton Road is within the same block.

HINT FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS:

This is a somewhat difficult neighbourhood to negotiate. Many streets are cobbled, and the terrain is sloping down from Hyde Park to Brompton Street. Many mews are cul-de-sacs, sometimes there are small gates in the walls providing access to a neighbouring street, some of these have 2-3 steep steps. It is best to come from Kensington Road (Hyde Park), enter Ennismore Gardens (Prince's gate) and exit through Cottage Place next to the Brompton Oratory.

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Address: Ennismore Gardens
Directions: The neighbourhood is framed by Exhibition Road (Victoria & Albert), Kensington Road and Brompton Road.

Little Venice is a small area in affluent south Maida Vale, denoting the meeting point of the Grand Union Canal and Regent's Canal. The intersection of the canals forms a small basin from where you can take boat tours towards Regent's Park and Camden Locks. It is also possible to walk the length of Regent's Canal -- with some detours where the canalside path is closed for public access. This is a very nice place indeed. Good place to bring your girlfriend and your camera!

Most spots around Little Venice are accessible for wheelchair users through ramps and slopes. These are rather steep in places, some have rough cobblestone surfaces. For taking a boattrip you would need help to be lifted aboard. I haven't seen a disabled toilet around, either.

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Waterloo Bridge connects the Strand/Aldwych area north of the river with the wider Waterloo Station area on the south bank of the Thames. It offers probably the nicest view towards the skyline of the City of London, i.e. St. Paul's, the highrise buildings of the financial district with the skyscrapers of the Docklands area looming in the background.
Wheelchair users should note that there is no lift up from the waterside walkway on the south bank, so detours are needed from there. On the north side, a ramp provides access to a lovely terrace belonging to Somerset House.

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Somerset House is a fine city palace built between the Strand and the river Thames. It contains several very interesting art galleries, the most notable probably being the Courtauld collection -- a superb gallery containing many wonderful impressionist and post impressionist masterpieces. Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezanne... they all are well represented here with some of their finest works. If you like the impressionists and what followed them (Van Gogh, the Fauves, the French Pointilists, the German expressionists) this is the first place you should head for -- rather than the National Gallery. From my impression, not that many people find their way to this gem, it was much quieter and therefore more pleasant than at the always crowded National Gallery.

The large courtyard contains a famous fountain installation, not operational in wintertime, when there sometimes is an ice rink instead.

Wheelchair Access to some parts of the house can be a bit tricky, especially to the Courtauld Gallery -- there is a special bell at the Gallery's entrance. The very nice riverside embankment terrace has steps from the cafeteria, but level access from Waterloo Bridge; it is a lovely spot for a coffee, there will surely be enough people to help the coffee get to you from the inside :)

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Directions: Charing Cross or Temple tubes
Website: http://www.somerset-house.org.uk/

The British Museum is the place containing all the stuff that was robbed from the colonized countries and which the Brits now are refusing to give back. Of course, this is a very unfamiliar procedure to us Germans *cough* *cough*. Truth is, the Brits have been much more successful in securing their -- let's call them acquisitions -- and so you can see wonderful and world famous artefacts from ancient cultures here.

A spectacular glass roof designed by star architect Sir Norman Foster spans over the neo-classical buildings. Alone this structure is worth the visit.

Free entry, good wheelchair access.

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Phone: 0 20 7323 8299
Address: Great Russell Street, WC1
Directions: Holborn tube
Website: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Mayfair, the inner city area roughly between Hyde Park, Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus, is one of London's most expensive areas with regard to living and shopping. The area hosts a good number of top range hotels which, judging by the accents I could overhear, seem to cater mainly for American visitors. Folks, if you stay in this area, you miss out the real parts of town!!! There are certainly more entertaining and fashionable areas in London, but Mayfair does have its nice spots, for instance Mount Street Gardens and Shepherd market. There is a tesco express store in Curzon Street whose convenience shelf provides a sensible and nutritious alternative to the expensive eateries of the district. Mount Street Gardens is an excellent spot to enjoy your tesco sandwich!

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Having come across this ceremony only by accident and not being a big fan of all this royal stuff, it still is a bit of a puzzler to me why the changing of the guard is considered one of the top tourist attractions of London. But anyway, the following internet link will help you to find out whether it is happening during your visit and what it's all about.

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Address: The Mall, SW1
Directions: Green Park tube
Website: http://www.changing-the-guard.com/

The National Gallery provides another excellent opportunity to do some indoor sightseeing -- especially since there is no entrance fee (but you can make a donation). Do remember, there are other great art collections in London. Most of Turner's paintings are in the Tate Britain, and if you are a fan of the impressionists and post-impressionists, the Courtauld Institute offers an absolutely stunning selection of masterpieces from that period.

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Phone: 0 20 7747 2885
Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2
Directions: Charing Cross or Leicester Square tubes
Website: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/

St. James Park is the oldest Royal park and is bordered by three palaces -- Buckingham, St. James and Westminster Palace (the House of Parliament). As you can see on my pictures, even when it is wintertime and not so green, the park is pretty atmospheric, especially around sunset :-)

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Directions: St James's Park tube
Website: http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/st_james_park/about.cfm

The Millennium bridge links St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London with the Tate Modern Gallery in the Bankside, south of the River Thames. Designwise a daring undertaking, this 350 m long pedestrian bridge was purpose-built to be high enough to allow ships to pass underneath it yet low enough not to interrupt views of St. Paul's. You probably don't realise this at first sight, but this is actually a suspension bridge, the difference to other suspension bridges like the Golden Gate bridge being the fact that the cables are running alongside the bridge rather than above. Very soon after it was officially opened in June 2000, it had to be closed again, because it turned out to be scaringly wobbly. Analyses were conducted and the problem was identified to be caused by a resonance (i.e. an adjusted vibration with the tendency to re-inforce itself beyond control) between the bridge's materials and people's movements. After some reinforcements and many dampening elements were put in, the bridge reopened in 2003. It's now very safe to use it -- probably some people will regret this as it certainly was more of an adventure to cross it when the bridge still was wobbling around...

The bridge is wheelchair-accessible. At the Tate, there is a moderately steep zig-zaging ramp. Beneath St. Paul's a ramp cuts across the steps up from the river. Beware of skateboarders and inline-skaters!

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