Having recently moved to a new area of London I have been very keen to explore the local area and enjoy long walks not knowing where I'll end up...We'd met someone a few days prior who had recommended an overgrown cemetery as a nice day out...sounded a little odd and pretty creepy but we were so intrigued we had to check out the recommendation!
As you approach the main entrance, the grand Egyptian Revival pillars quite obviously don't fit in with the rest of Stoke Newington's high street, which consists largely of old pubs, mini markets and kebab shops...As you enter you are immediately struck by the crumbling, overcrowded, overgrown graves. The ruined headstones would be the perfect backdrop to a horror movie and it was used as the setting for Amy Winehouse's Back To Black video, but actually the cemetery is also an arboretum and nature reserve so full of lush, green trees and more wildlife than you'd expect from a London spot.
Enjoy the maze of overgrown graves, even though now in a state of disrepair you can still spot a beautiful marble lion and some grand tombs, There's a beautifully restored chapel in the centre, it's certainly worth a visit and not as busy as the famous Highgate cemetery so you can enjoy a moment's solitude whilst admiring this enchanted cemetery.
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In the heart of Southeast London sits "Eltham Palace and Gardens". Once a medieval estate, in the '30s it was styled with mesmerizing art deco furnishings.
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They have an array of all the classic pastries you’d expect from a French bakery, from pain au chocolat & croissants to my favourite croissant aux amandes.
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Their Reading room is a mix between a gallery and a library with books and lots of places to sit and read or do some work on your laptop.
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The Barbary pays homage to the culinary traditions of the countries from the Atlantic Coast through to the Mediterranean Sea leading to the Middle East.
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With connections to the local skate scene, it's a place where the mulleted, leather-jacketed alternative students from art unis head for a big night.
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"Hackney Wick Canal" in London once a quasi-industrial wasteland, now a prime hipster hangout... I like sitting at the canal side with a beer.
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"Kew Gardens" is the famous UNESCO world heritage site in Southwest London. It's great to visit for its plants, flowers and Christmas festivities!
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"The Thames Clipper" is an efficient machine, designed for London commuters. It's the perfect way to get on a boat on the Thames on a sunny evening!
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"Canopy Brewery", just below the railway tracks, is another perfect spot to sample some of London's finest brews, directly from the source!
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"Tayyabs" in London is a legendary Punjabi run. I'll go weak at the knees at the aroma of their sizzling platters of marinated lamb chops & shami kebabs...
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"Sambrook's Brewery" in London is tucked among housing and insustrial estates; it's off the beaten track but should be on every beer lover's map...
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