St Dunstan in the east
Have you ever heard of St Dunstan in the East? This medieval church was destroyed not once, but twice. The first was in the Great Fire of London. The church was badly rebuilt so ripped down again only to be recreated in its former glory to then be bombed during the Blitz. At that point, the London authorities gave up and so the shell of the church remains. The ruins are truly stunning and the perfect place to explore or have a picnic and take some pretty good photos! It's located between London Bridge and the Tower of London so super central for those out sightseeing in the city.
Little Venice
Most people have heard of China Town or Little Italy but did you know that London goes one step further with a Little Venice? Not far from the busy streets and Paddington Station, it’s a secret oasis. Little Venice is the strip of water between the Grand Union Canal and the Regent’s Canal and is full of floating businesses such as cafés where you can sip on traditional English tea instead of an Italian espresso, a London Waterbus, art gallery and even a hotel boat.
The Smallest Police Station in the UK
Thousands of tourists will walk past this spot every day without realising they’ve passed by the smallest police station in the UK. Sitting on the corner of Trafalgar Square, this tiny box can actually hold two prisoners at a time although it was originally designed to hold a single police officer. The main aim of the station, when it was built in 1926, was for the police to keep an eye on disruptive demonstrators.
Today, the box is no longer used to hold unruly Londoners but instead is an ideal spot to store brooms for Westminster Council cleaners. If you can find it, it’s the perfect place for a selfie too.
Battersea Park’s Children’s Zoo
A solid rival for the more famous London Zoo, Batersea Park’s Children Zoo is geared towards younger kids with smaller animals and lots of hands-on activities and an adventure play park. Battersea Park itself is well worth a visit as it’s a quiet spot in the middle of the city. The Victorian Park has a riverside promenade, a large lake and wildflower gardens as well as various play areas and a miniature railway. It's also home to the famous peace pagoda. Right between Chelsea Bridge and Albert Bridge across the Thames from Chelsea, it was originally designed as an open-air space for the upper-class to enjoy.
Fleet Street
Known mainly as the former hub of the publishing world (and a demon barber) Fleet Street is home to one of the best hidden gems at Christmas time.
Also, it's here you'll find our Apex Temple Court Hotel and our fabulous Lazy Ballerinas wine bar. This year, we’ve unveiled a magnificent sparkly Christmas tree, sponsored by our friends at Fleet Street Quarter. The tree (and the wine) are reasons enough to come and visit BUT you should also think about entering our fabulous competition.
Our tree is just one of many around Fleet Street. If you find one, you could win…
- An overnight stay for 2 at Apex Temple Court Hotel in our luxurious Temple Suite with dinner and breakfast the next day
- An experience for 2 at Lazy Ballerinas wine bar with 5 small plates to share and wine flight selection for each guest
- A breakfast for 2 at Apex Temple Court Chambers Restaurant.
For a chance to win one of these fantastically festive prizes, simply head to @lazyballerinas on Facebook or Instagram and upload a photo of the tree you find in the comments and tag a friend. You must follow both @lazyballerinas and @fleetstquarter on Instagram and @lazyballerinas on Facebook and use the hashtag #FSQTreeTrail.
The winners will be chosen at random from all the posts and contracted from 28 December.
Good luck!
