5 wonders of London, which are not told about tourists: Hidden treasures of the capital of Great Britain

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The capital of Great Britain is home to many wonderful places that attract tourists from different countries: London Bridge, Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral. However, true travel enthusiasts often venture outside of the city's iconic landmarks. They get to know the city from a completely different perspective, and today we invite our readers to get to know another London.

Victor Wind Museum of Rarities, Fine Arts and Natural History

In the eastern part of the city, there is a small Victor Wind horror store, or, as it is also called, the store of the Last Tuesday Society. This society is known for its desire to learn about the esoteric, literary and artistic aspects of life in the capital of Great Britain. In the gallery of the store you can see skeletons under glass domes, creations of contemporary artists, erotic accessories and many different books.

Stuffed bears and quartz sex toys, antique mirrors and embalmed human organs with some anomalies, sculptures of winged animals and insect specimens peacefully coexist here. All this fits into the store's declared attempt to recreate or reinterpret the Victorian Cabinet of Curiosities of the 17th century within the framework of the feelings of the 21st century. In fact, Victor Wind's store is a modern cabinet of curiosities, created on the whim and for the pleasure of its founders, which the owners of this strange gallery hope can be shared with lovers of curiosities.

God's Own Junkyard

Walthamstow used to be known as an inconspicuous neighborhood with gray streets and completely dull apartments in northeast London. But in recent years, it is here that travelers hurry to see an amazing landfill, which is called "Wonderland". In fact, the dump is a lot of homemade neon signs collected in one place, which in the twilight are seen as a Las Vegas mirage come to life.

The collection includes thousands of signs, figures and props, funny emblems for visitors to catering establishments, signs of a variety of institutions and shops. Bright neon signs and letters shimmer, creating an incredible aura of radiance and magic around them. You can visit "Wonderland" only in the afternoon or in the evening on weekends.

Leadenhall Market

In this market, located in the historic center of London, active trade was conducted in the XIV century. But the painted roof, which is today the hallmark of this place, appeared over Leadenhall in the second half of the 19th century. It was here that some episodes of the Harry Potter films were filmed. This place, long before the publication of J. K. Rowling's Leidenhall books, attracted a lot of tourists.

Those who have watched the films about the wizard boy will be happy to stroll through the passages of the Bull's Head Market and see the blue optics door, which served as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in the series.

Church of Saint Dunstan-in-the-East

The English parish church, located between the Tower and London Bridge, was built in Saxon times and survived a lot over its 9-century history, including the Great Fire of London in 1666. The church was severely damaged by fire, but later it was completely restored and crowned with a spire designed by Christopher Wren. In 1941, the Church of St. Dunstan-in-the-East was destroyed by German bombing. Only the northern and southern walls and the Rena spire have survived.

It wasn't until 1967 that the City of London Corporation decided to turn the bombed-out church into a public garden that still exists today. Overgrown with trees, ivy and climbing flowers, one of the last war-damaged buildings is a living memorial to the horrors of war and a testament to London's resilience as it has survived nearly 60 nights of constant bombing by the German Luftwaffe.

Twinings Tea Shop

For about three centuries, figures of Chinese people have been adorned with figures of Chinese people over the doorway of a tea shop, although tea is more often associated with the British aristocracy than with Chinese merchants. Thomas Twining opened a small shop at 216 Strand Street in 1706, calling it Tom's Coffee Shop. Very quickly, the coffee house became very popular among young aristocrats who came here not only to drink coffee, but also to chat and discuss the latest news.

Twining, originally positioning its store as a coffee shop, soon developed a reputation as one of London's finest tea suppliers. And ten years after the opening of the store, coffee almost completely disappeared from its shelves, but instead a large selection of tea appeared. Women at that time could not visit coffee houses, as it was the prerogative of men, but thanks to Twinning, they were able to enjoy the divine drink at home. The tea merchant's business expanded and soon Twining already had a whole tea empire, and tea very quickly became de facto a national drink.

More than 300 years have passed since the opening of "Tom's Coffee", and the same shop is still operating, and experienced travelers will never miss an opportunity to touch the history of London, having visited the very place from where the triumphal procession of tea across the UK began.

And in London, you should definitely visit its ancient cemeteries, because this is not only a resting place, but also luxurious parks and unique architecture. Some appeared in the capital of Great Britain during the Middle Ages, others became a symbol of the Victorian era, and still others were created in honor of pets. People come to London cemeteries to remember their ancestors, visit the graves of famous writers and poets, and sometimes just relax with their family by arranging a photo session.