“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Quote Samuel Johnson. To be honest I am having a back and forth with London now and trying to fall back I love. I have lived here for nine years in April and spent four in my flat. One of the reasons I moved to London is the history and architecture. Australia is a young country and we don’t have the beautiful old buildings that London offers! To keep costs down I have sourced free tours of London’s building.
Battersea Power Station.
One of my favourite buildings in London, the old Battersea Power Station is having a makeover. Her shell previously stood by the river Thames unloved and with various owners. Property prices in London increased so rapidly in the 2000’s and 2010’s that developers were able to make significant profit from just selling her on. This changed in 2010 when Rafael Vinoly presented a masterplan to create a new suburb around the Battersea Power Station. As part of the regeneration there is a free audio tour triggered by your GPS that guides you on the heritage of the area. It was great fun and we spent some time afterwards in the local restaurant warming up!
Open House London.
A yearly event, Open House London sees large buildings and personal homes open to the public. Every year the known buildings are keep secret and revealed to all! There is a directory you can pre order already for 2020. Based on last years buildings you can try your luck getting a tour around 10 Downing Street, A House With A Slide and Hive House.
Somerset House.
Situated on the River Thames, Somerset House offer free guided tours to all visitors. Choose between The Old Palace, Historical Highlights and Studio Tours. These are held at various times and available dates are shown one month ahead. You do need to book even though they are free. I went on The Old Palace tour and learnt lots about how this building was home to several Queens including Queen Elizabeth the first!
