London Off The Beaten Path Tips by TexasDave

Ceremony of The Keys- Tower of London

The only way to get in to the Tower of London for free, even though you don't have free reign of the place, is to attend the nightly ceremony of The Keys. It takes place every night promptly at 10:00 pm. The ceremony, in one form or another, has been carried out for the last 700 years.

A yeoman warder meets you at the West Gate at 9:30 pm and escorts you in, giving explanations and descriptions, some of them humorous, of the tower in general and the ceremony in particular.

You must write at least 2 months ahead to request the free tickets, as they are strictly capacity controlled. Details can be found on the web site below.

Website: http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx

Sunday Morning Flower Market

Every Sunday morning an outside flower and plant market springs up and takes over several blocks of Columbia Road. Since there is not much tourist-wise open yet, it makes a great place to explore. It gets jam packed with vendors, buyers, and onlookers alike, so don't go if you're claustrophobic! The sellers constantly try to out-do each other with their slogans to entice buyers- quite an interesting experience.

Public Transportation: There is no Underground service, the easiest way is by using Bus Route # 55, which starts at Oxford Circus. Closest stop is Hackney Rd.

Website: http://www.columbiaroad.info

Abbey Road Studios

The recording studio made famous by The Beatles is still visited by many music fans. There's not much to do other than look at the building. Many people leave graffiti on the wall/barrier along the sidewalk as well as the light and power posts there. You can take a picture of the famous cross-walk the Beatles used, although it is now in a slightly different position than it was then.

Closest Tube Stations are St. John's Wood or Maida Vale

Bus routes 16 and 98, Elgin Ave/Maida Vale stop.

Leighton House

Home of Sir Fredric Leighton, (1830-1896). It is widely acknowledged as the best example of a late nineteenth century artist's home open to the public in the UK. The house was recently opened in 2010 after a complete refurbishment. He was very intrigued by Arabic design and the house is full of hand painted tiles and woodwork imported directly from Damascus in Syria.

It is in Holland Park, off of Kensington High St.

Open Daily 10am to 5.30pm, closed Tuesdays

£5 adult, £1 Concession (over 60, 16 and under, full-time students), ticket includes free return entry within 12 months

Other Contact: 12 Holland Park Road

Website: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums.aspx

Admiralty Arch Oddity

Most tourists can't miss Admiralty Arch, just off of Trafalgar Square.
What many don't ever see, however, is in the Northernmost arch used by car traffic. A little higher than average head-height, at about 7 feet, there is what appears to be a human nose- no one seems to know when, nor by whom, it was put there. Tradition holds that the nose is there in honor of the Duke of Wellington, who was known for having a particularly large nose. Royal soldiers would rub Wellington's nose for good luck as they rode through the arch.