It’s oh so quiet
In one of the world’s most vibrant and bustling cities, it is possible to find oases of peace and tranquillity. You just have to know where to look, says Kathryn Conway
Must-see landmarks, must-visit museums and a make-a-night-of-it entertainment scene ensure that London is always buzzing with activity. But while this frenetic energy makes for an action-packed trip, the city has a calmer side that is often overlooked. Step away from the hustle and bustle of its busy streets and you’ll discover the capital is full of peaceful places where you can pause and take stock. So, whether you want to find serenity in a silent spot or enjoy rest and reflection in spaces designed for reconnection, it’s time to slow the pace.
Ponder your thoughts in a park
Difficult as it might be to imagine, as you navigate London’s labyrinth of streets, lanes and alleyways, nestled among the centuries-old buildings and glistening skyscrapers, the capital is carpeted with pockets of green. In fact, approximately 3,000 parks are dotted across the cityscape, and at this time of year, when trees are laden with leaves bursting with autumnal colour, a wander through one can feel rather magical.
Take the Isabella Plantation, a 40-acre woodland garden tucked away within the southwest corner of London’s largest Royal Park. In contrast to Richmond Park’s great swathes of open grasslands, where red and fallow deer have roamed freely since they were introduced by King Charles I in 1637, the Isabella Plantation has a secret garden feel.
Take a gentle stroll along its winding paths, and you’ll happen upon the fiery blush of Japanese maples and late-flowering camellias, with green shrubs alongside rowans and hawthorns laden with berries, suddenly giving way to picture-perfect ponds.
In spring, it’s the Still Pond that captivates with its collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, transforming the area into a pink wonderland. Come autumn, however, and it’s Thomson’s Pond that steals the spotlight, where the autumnal palette of the majestic tupelo tree is mirrored in the water below. For those of an artistic persuasion, it’s enough to make you wish you had an easel and watercolours to hand.
Continue your wander, however, and you’ll come to Peg’s Pond, where you might catch the flash of a kingfisher or witness gentle ripples break the surface as Mandarin ducks bob along. London will feel a million miles away. www.royalparks.org.uk
From Richmond Park, it’s worth taking a detour to Chiswick House and Gardens before you venture back to the ‘Big Smoke’. Granted, the house may be closed for winter, but the gardens remain open from 7am to dusk year-round and are home to one particular feature that you won’t want to miss. While Abbey Road might be synonymous with The Beatles (and the scene of many a fan trying to recreate the iconic zebra-crossing walk), there is a lesser-known spot connected to yet more cover art featuring the Fab Four.
In the grounds of the gardens designed by Lord Burlington and William Kent – said to be the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement – survives a magnificent cedar of Lebanon tree. Thought to have been planted in the 1720s, the tree attracted global fame when it featured in two films for The Beatles’ single, Paperback Writer, and its B-side, Rain.
The boughs of the ancient branches, on which Paul McCartney and John Lennon perched to strum their guitars, also served as the setting for the cover of the band’s 1966 Nowhere Man EP, which symbolised a more laid-back, reflective phase after the frenzy of Beatlemania. Fitting then that this colossal titan of nature should provide sanctuary for a moment of reflection, and that its cultural importance should be recognised with a nomination in the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year competition. We’re rooting for it to win! www.chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk
Equally steeped in history is a garden focused on medicinal, herbal and useful plants that opened as an outdoor classroom for the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673. Today, the Chelsea Physic Garden still connects people to plants that are valuable to our wellbeing and is internationally recognised for its importance in seed exchange and botanical research.
Although the garden is likely to be busy thanks to its Halloween events towards the end of this month, what could be more relaxing than having the garden practically all to yourself for an hour of yoga by the garden’s Fernery as the sun sets (6 Oct, from 6pm)? Or how about exploring the meditative joy of illustration by capturing the garden’s glorious technicolour under the guidance of an expert botanical artist?
No matter your skill level, the Botanical Sketchbook: Autumn Garden workshop (12 Oct, 10.30am to 4pm) is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich vibrancy of nature. www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk
Go with the flow
For immersion of a different kind, a visit to AIRE Ancient Baths London, just off the Strand, should be at the top of your list. Sure, this is a splurge, but few experiences will feel quite as transporting. Housed in what were once the wine cellars of a home occupied by JM Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, this subterranean sanctuary feels worlds away from the busy streets above. Sessions are kept deliberately quiet, so time seems to slow as you drift between the thermal pools. These include the Tepidarium (warm), Caldarium (hot), Frigidarium (icy plunge), Balneum (hydrotherapy) and the soothing Flotarium, a salt pool where you float effortlessly, weightless in the glow of candlelight. The aromatic Vaporium (aromatherapy steam room) will melt away any stress you might be feeling, plus there’s the option of enhancing your experience with a pampering spa treatment or ritual. www.beaire.com.
If all that R&R has left you in need of replenishment, there is a spot worth finding that won’t have you waving goodbye to your newfound sense of zen the moment you set foot back on the capital’s streets. In the heart of the City (aka the Square Mile), St Mary Aldermary is a Gothic church that’s perfect for those who consider a coffee pitstop a sacred part of their day. Although rebuilt following the Great Fire of London in 1666, a church is thought to have stood on this site since Saxon times. Today, it offers welcome respite to weary wanderers thanks to its stellar Host Café (closed weekends). Beneath an awe-inspiring fan-vaulted ceiling with plasterwork so intricate it resembles elaborate lace, the draw here is the aroma of the freshly ground beans from the monthly roster of ‘guest roasts’ alongside a collection of delectable pastries and focaccia. www.hostcafelondon.com
If this isn’t enough to fill your spiritual cup, a detour to London’s oldest surviving parish church, St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield, is well worth it. A Norman gem that has watched the City unfold around it for nearly a millennium, its cloistered spaces have played host to films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Other Boleyn Girl, as well as works of art, including Exquisite Pain, a statue by Damien Hirst. It’s open Monday to Friday, and Sundays when services aren’t on. www.greatstbarts.com
No tour of serene sacred spaces is complete without mention of the magical St Dunstan in the East Church Garden in the Square Mile (open 8am to dusk). Originally built in the 12th century, this church was ravaged twice – first by the Great Fire of London, and later during the Blitz in World War II. Instead of rebuilding it for a third time, the City chose to leave the hauntingly beautiful ruins as they were, allowing nature to weave its way around the Gothic skeleton. The result is one of the capital’s most atmospheric public gardens.
So, find a bench tucked in a quiet corner, listen to the fountain gently burbling away or simply admire the shafts of light framing the glimpses of the city through the latticework of the arched window frames. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
A Quieter Experience
For those for whom peace and tranquillity would actively enhance their enjoyment and experience of a location, the team at Tower Bridge has taken the initiative to introduce Quieter Time. Created for those who are neurodivergent, blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or living with dementia, specially designated periods offer an inclusive environment that ensures one of London’s most popular attractions feels spacious and unhurried.
Thanks to a limited number of visitors, there’s ample time to peer through the famed glass-floored walkways and witness the city moving in miniature beneath your feet. The gleaming pistons in the historic Engine Rooms, meanwhile, can be appreciated in all their glory with the volume of soundscapes and video reduced. Even hand dryers are turned off in favour of disposable hand towels, and Access Toolkits featuring sensory items are made available to those who might feel overwhelmed. To experience Quieter Time, book online (11 & 28 Oct, 9.30am to 11.10am; 24 Oct, 1.50pm to 2.50pm). www.towerbridge.org.uk
Before heading to one of the capital’s most fascinating, tranquil spots, take a gentle stroll to Finsbury Circus Gardens. Recently reopened after a period of remodelling, London’s first public park and the largest open green space in the City is a notable architectural gem featuring a central lawn and circular walkway bordered by colourful perennials and shade-loving shrubs. If the weather is set fair, this is a great place to spend five minutes admiring the Grade II-listed water fountain. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
A pause in time
Finally, if it’s complete silence you’re after, you’ll want to keep a Friday night free this month because Dennis Severs’ House in Spitalfields is hosting a Silent Night Visit (3, 10,17, 24 & 31 Oct, from 5pm), which will transport you to a different world the moment you step inside. Billed as a ‘still-life drama’, the house serves as the living canvas of artist Dennis Severs, who meticulously recreated the fictional life of the Jervis family, the Huguenot silk-weavers who ‘lived’ here from 1724. Drift from room to room in reverent silence and let your senses heighten to the aromas in the air and the gentle glow of candlelight. What could be more perfect for getting you into the spirit of the season? dennissevershouse.co.uk
