Kiribu

London clearly has some spectacular things to see, including St Paul’s cathedral, the London Eye, the Tower of London, and much, much more. If, however, you’ve been to London a few times, or you’ve gotten a little fed up with the chaos that surrounds all the major city attractions, you may want to venture a little outside of London.

Here I list 6 varied attractions within easy reach from London that you may not have heard of but are well worth visiting!

The Home of Charles Darwin (Down House)

Head down here to visit the house where Charles Darwin wrote ‘On the Origin of Species’ and see the gardens where he carried out extensive research in to the struggle for existence in nature, and wander round the excellent new exhibition built in 2009 to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.

All the rooms have been reconstructed to look like they were when Charles Darwin lived there, with much original furniture. You can easily spend 3-4 hours here and enjoy a pastry afterwards in the tea garden.

Information

• Owned by: English Heritage
• Postcode: BR6 7JT
• By Public Transport: 20 minutes from London Victoria to Bromley South, then bus 146.

Brooklands Museum

The famous Brooklands Motor Course was the birthplace of British Motorsport, and while the track is no longer complete, there are still significant sections and buildings in existence. Brooklands was also home to some of the pioneering aviation achievements, including significant work on the Concorde.

Brooklands Museum displays a wide range of planes and vehicles, including a Concorde, a number of WWII planes and many classic cars. Discover all about the history of British aviation and motoring at this fun day out.

Information

• Owned by: Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd
• Postcode: KT13 0QN
• By Public Transport:  30 minutes from London Waterloo to Weybridge then a 1.3 mile walk or bus 436

Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park is one of the top theme parks in the UK and, with a focus on extreme rides is certainly the place to go for adrenaline junkies. Colossus is probably the most bonkers, with an incredible 10 loop-the-loops!

Information

• Owned by: Merlin Entertainments Group
• Postcode: KT16 8PN
• By Public Transport: 35 minutes from London Waterloo to Staines with a shuttle link to the park

St Albans

The first settlement here was by the Catuvellauni tribe before the Romans settled there 2000 years ago, and Verulamium became the second largest Roman town in Britain. It evolved in to a major British Cathedral and Market town named after St Alban who was reputed to have been beheaded there before AD 324.

Spend a day exploring the Cathedral and Abbey Church, Verulamium Museum, Roman Theatre, Abbey Gateway and the Clock Tower, as well as the Town Hall and Market Place.

If you fancy a drink after exploring the city, you will have no difficulty finding a pub as St Albans has the most pubs per square mile in Britain!

Information

• Postcode: AL1 1BY
• By Public Transport: 20 minutes from London St Pancras to St Albans

Epping Forest

For a little nature and maybe some exercise consider a day in Epping Forest, to the North East of London. A large ancient woodland, the 24 square kilometer forest is the largest public open space in the London area and a popular place for various recreational activities including horse riding, walking, cycling, mountain biking and running as well as a number of events throughout the year. There are also some historic sites, including the remains of a Speedway track, two Iron-Age camps and Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge in nearby Chingford.

Information

• Owned by: City of London
• Postcode: Epping Forest Visitor Center – IG10 4AE; Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge – E4 7HL
• By Public Transport: A number of underground stations give easy access to the forest, including Wanstead, Snaresbrook, South Woodford, Woodford, Buckhurst Hill, Theydon Bois and Epping. Chingford Station is the nearest overground station, only 25 minutes from London Liverpool Street.

Eynsford Castle & Lullingstone Roman Villa

Visit the lovely village of Eynsford and view the fantastic ruins of the Norman Eynsford Castle, probably built by William de Eynsford I, a knight and sheriff of Kent. The walls are pretty much unaltered since they were built nearly 1000 years ago, which is very unusual in the UK.

After exploring the castle ruins head over to Lullingstone Roman Villa, built around AD 100, and view the spectacular mosaics and wall paintings which are unusually well preserved. This is a great day out for kids as they can try on Roman costumes and play period games!

Information

• Owned by: English Heritage
• Postcode: DA4 0AA & DA4 0JA
• By Public Transport: 30 minutes from London Victoria via Swanley or Bromley South to Eynsford Station, then a 3/4 mile walk.