London Attractions, part 1

by Nicholas Yankovec, Worlds Organiser

13th January 2016

There are a host of tourist attractions in London, and plenty are local to the venue of Worlds 2016. I'm going to look at a few of these in three articles over the next few weeks. The first will look at local attractions, the second at free attractions within London, and the third will cover the must see attractions that don't fit into the first two articles. I'll also be writing articles on accommodation in the area, restaurants, and places to get very drunk!

Shakespeare's Globe
Cost: Adults £15, Children £9.00, Concessions £12.50
A mere 3 minutes walk from the venue, the splendid Globe theatre includes an exhibition and tour, focussing on William Shakespeare and the building construction. Very worth it if you have any interest in Shakespeare and/or architecture. Or maybe just go and see a play!

Tate Modern
Cost: FREE ENTRY
Just 5 minutes from the venue, this museum boasts 70,000 artworks by over 3,000 artists. If you're into art, this is the place to visit, and as it's so close and free, why wouldn't you visit? My favourite exhibition has to be the Salvador Dali displays. Simply awesome.

The Clink Prison Museum
Cost: Adults £7.50, Children £5.50, Concessions £5.50
Probably about 8 minutes walk from the venue, and one place I have never been to, this is a museum about the Clink Prison, which first opened in 1144, and was notorious museum throughout the ages. This is where the term "clink", generic slang for prisons, comes from.

The Golden Hinde II
Cost for self guided tours: Adults £6, Children £4.50, Concessions £4.50
Less than 10 minutes walk from the venue. This is a reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake's galleon. It's not that great, compared to many other things to see in London, but holds a personal place for me, as this boat was located in Southend, and somewhere my dad took me. But, seeing a full sized replica of the galleon that took Drake to North America is a great thing to see. This replica has actually sailed both the Atlantic and Pacific and was featured in Shogun (for those old enough to remember the Richard Chamerlain TV series.)

London Bridge Experience
Cost: Adults £20, Chidren (5-15) £15
About 10 minutes walk from the venue, let's let this one speak for itself... "Become part of London's gruesome history and travel back in time to an age of adventure, uncovering the dark secrets that lie beneath the world's most famous and haunted bridge. Laugh, scream and cheer your way through 2000 years of history. You will SEE, HEAR and even SMELL what London Bridge was like throughout the ages."
This is more commonly known as The London Tombs, and it's good fun.

The Shard
Cost: Adults £25.95, kids go free
15 minutes walk from the venue, the tallest building in Western Europe has a tour to the top to take in the view around London, which is quite spectacular. They even provide champagne for you and a loved one, if you're in the mood to be romantic. If it's just the view you're after, maybe consider the London Eye instead.

HMS Belfast
Cost: Adults £16.00, children £8.00
Explore this historic warship to discover what life was like on board for the crew at war and at sea from WW2 to 1963, a 15 minute walk from the venue. It's a BIG ship...

Tower Bridge Exhibition
Cost: Adults £8, Children £3.50, Concessions £3.50
One of the most famous bridges in the world, and arguably the most distinctive. The London playgroup plays just down the road from this bridge; walking across it is an amazing experience by itself, overlooking the Tower of London against a backdrop of modern buildings is quite spectacular, but you can also go inside and up the bridge to get even better views of the city.

The Tower of London
Cost: Adults £24.50, Children £11.00, Concessions £18.70
The most famous castle in the world, and host of the Crown Jewels - need I say more?

So that's a selection of local attractions - but there are so many more that I didn't cover. Next week, I'll be back with an article on the free attractions within the City, of which there is a lot!

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