With yesterday’s visit to The Shard in mind, I thought it might be interesting to talk about some of the outdoor spaces across the capital that offer unobscured views of central London – places that you can of course visit for free, these are dotted across town in almost every compass direction:
London is surprisingly hilly in the north, so there are three spots that are particularly good. Built specifically with the views in mind the 1873 Alexandra Palace sits at around 93 metres above sea level. It has long terraces in front of the building’s southern face that offers visitor the complete central London skyline on a plate – there’s a nice bar inside if you finally get bored with the view. Situated at the southern end of Hampstead Heath is Parliament Hill at 98 metres – up until the mid twentieth century cattle were grazed here before being transported for slaughter at Smithfield Market and it is said that its name derives from the fact that it was a rallying point for troops loyal to Parliament during the Civil War. Another North London highpoint is Primrose Hill – although it is lower than its neighbours at 78 metres its location in Regents Park means that the buildings on the skyline are that much closer. It has always been home to a very well-heeled set from film and TV stars to politicians, so amongst its residents you’ll find Alan Rickman, Daniel Craig, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jon Snow, Jeremy Clarkson, Tim Burton, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Miliband brothers.
The view from Alexandra Palace
Down in South London arguably the best spot can be found on the forested Shooters Hill which sits at 132 metres above sea level just below Woolwich – you can see the City, Canary Wharf and the West End although the view is best during the winter months when the trees are free of their leaves. Apparently it gets its name from archery as it was a popular spot for firing your bow and arrow during the Middle Ages and there’s also a more contemporary reason for its name – it was home to several anti-aircraft batteries during World War II and you can still see the heavy concrete emplacements dotted around the park.
Central London from Shooters Hill
In East London, the ironically-named ‘Beckton Alps‘ offer a commanding view – created by the piling up of deposits of toxic spoil from the old Beckton Gas Works it was once home to a dry ski slope. As it is private land accessing the site is trespassing so you visit at your own risk, and I can neither confirm nor deny the rumours that lots of holes in the surrounding wire fence will enable you to get inside and make the ascent to the top…
Over in the southeast you’ll come across the highest point in London – the Westerham Heights in the London Borough of Bromley. At an incredible 245 metres above sea level they are at the extreme western end of the North Downs, a series of chalk hills that stretch all the way from the white cliffs of Dover. Of course with central London over 16 miles away it’s not going to provide the best view – in anything other than fair weather there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to see anything at all off to the north!
If you have a particular favourite spot that I haven’t covered here, please feel free to leave a comment.
