free things to see and do in London
Visit some of London's famous shopping streets, including Regent Street and Piccadilly.
See classic London stores and attractions such as Smythson, Fenwick, Hamleys and Fortnum and Mason.
The Walk
This is a circular walk, starting and ending at Piccadilly Circus tube station
start at Piccadilly Circus, near the statue of Eros
Lillywhites and Piccadilly Circus
The Lillywhite's sports store was established by James Lillywhite, who
captained the English cricket team against Australia in 1876. The store has been at Piccadilly Circus since 1925 and in 2002 it was sold to another sports retailer.
Did You Know?
The famous
lights of Piccadilly Circus were switched on for the first time in 1890,
a year before those on New York's Broadway (Times Square). The first advertisement
was for Bovril and required 600 light bulbs to be illuminated.
cross
the road to Tower Records then walk up Regent Street, passing Austin Reed. Cross
Regent Street and stop
at the corner of Beak Street.
Royal Doulton, the famous British pottery established in Lambeth in 1812, no longer has a High Street retail presence. However, this independent store sells a wide range of its
popular collectibles such as toby jugs, bunnikins products and figurines.
Did You Know?
Many of the stores featured in this walk hold royal warrants. Royal warrants
are issued by the Royal Household to companies providing services and goods
to the Royal family.
turn
right at Beak Street and continue to Kingly Street. Turn left at
Kingly Street, then right at Ganton Street.
Shelly's and Carnaby Street
Shelly's have been selling their
famous shoes since 1945, when Mr. Ralph Robbins opened the first store as
'Direct Shoe Supplies'. They were the first to introduce crepe soles
in the 50's, winklepickers in the 60's, DM's and platforms in the 70's and
Chelsea boots in the 80's.
The company soon became synonymous with cultural change in the UK. It is no longer owned by the founders.
Did You Know?
Carnaby Street was established in the 1680s. By the middle of the 19th century most houses
were in the hands of tradesmen and shopkeepers.
By the 1960's the street
was world-famous for fashion and style and had entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a noun
meaning "fashionable clothing for young people". It is still an area associated with fashion and a number of British designers have stores there.
walk
along Ganton Street then turn left along Carnaby Street, then left again
at Fouberts Place. At
the end of Fouberts Place, turn left along Regent Street.
Hamleys, at 188 - 196 Regent Street, was established in 1760 as "Noah's Ark". The store was
originally located in High Holburn. The current Regent street store was opened in 1981.Inventors of games would come to Mr Hamley in the hope he would sell them in his store. One such game was called Ping Pong. The store is now owned by a private consortium.
Did You Know?
The lower section
of Regent Street between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street is known as
the Quadrant.
It was designed by John Nash around 1810, specifically for retail stores.
return back along
Regent Street and continue to Oxford Circus. Turn left at
Oxford Circus and walk along Oxford Street. Turn
left at New Bond Street and stop at the corner of Brook Street.
Fenwick was established
in 1882 in Newcastle, and opened in Bond Street in 1891. It is a classic English department store and still independently-owned.
Did You Know?
Old Bond Street was built in the 1680's by Sir Thomas Bond, while New
Bond Street was built 40 years later when Mayfair became fashionable. It
is the only road running from Piccadilly to Oxford Street and each road
is separately numbered, making it confusing for visitors.
Sotheby's have been auctioneers since 1744 and the statue of the Egyptian
goddess over their doorway dates from 1600 BC, making it the oldest outdoor
sculpture in London.
continue along
New Bond Street, stopping at Smythson Stationers on the left hand side.
Smythson was established in 1887 and are the world's foremost stationers.
They hold three royal warrants and produce stationery for the Royal
houses of Europe, heads of state and the world's fashion elite.
When John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Smythson provided condolence
books and mourning stationery for the American Embassy in London.
Did You Know?
VAT (Value Added Tax) is the equivalent of Sales Tax or Goods and Services
Tax which is charged in other countries. It is a tax applied on consumer goods.
Unlike places such as the USA, where the amount of tax is added separately to the advertised price charged for
the product, VAT is included in the price displayed in stores.
So although you will be paying VAT at the current rate of 17.5 % on most
things you buy, the price you see advertised is the price you
pay.
If you are a visitor from overseas and spend above a certain amount, you
may be able to reclaim any VAT you have paid when you leave the UK.
continue along
New Bond Street to Clifford Street
Each store was separately established in the late 1700's: Gieves were Nelson's
tailors and Hawkes were tailors to the Duke of Wellington. The two tailors now occupy the building that was once the headquarters of the Royal Geographic Society, where Dr Livingstone's body lay in state before being buried in Westminster Abbey in 1874.
Did You Know?
Savile Row was
originally laid out in the 1730's but only came to prominence in the 1860's
when it gained its reputation for fine tailoring for men.
This was as a
result of the death of Prince Albert, which put the whole of London Society
into mourning. Men adopted sombre blacks and greys, which made "cut
and fit" the important aspects of men's clothes - the hallmark of Savile Row style ever since.
turn right at
the end of Savile Row (along Burlington Gardens), to Old Bond Street. Turn left along
Old Bond Street, down to Piccadilly. Turn left along Piccadilly, passing
the Burlington Arcade and cross the road at Duke
Street (beside Fortnum & Mason).
The Burlington Arcade (not open on Sundays) is also worth a visit. The
arcade was built in 1819 and typifies Mayfair tradition and luxury. Look
for the beadles in their top hats. Their duty is to ensure the dignity
of the Arcade is not disturbed by people whistling, running or singing.
Established in 1705, this wonderful store has been on Piccadilly since 1756, and the store
staff still wear tailcoats. There is a clock above the entrance to the store. The two founders of Fortnum and Mason are represented by the figures beside the clock who come out and bow to each other on the hour.
Mr Fortnum wears the red coat that indicates he was a footman in the Royal Household. He went into partnership with Mr Mason, a grocer.
Did You Know?
Piccadilly is named after a draper named
Robert Baker who became wealthy during the reign of Charles I by selling
stiff ruffled collars called pickadils. He used his money to build a big
house in the area. Londoners, who didn't like his act of flamboyance,
called his house Piccadilly Hall.
go down Duke
Street then turn left at Jermyn Street.
There are some delightful arcades and stores in this street including
- Piccadilly Arcade, an elegant arcade filled with traditional old stores
- Davidoff, the London store for the famous cigar makers from Russia
- Turnbull and Asser, the famous shirtmakers, who have had a shop in this street since 1885
- Wiltons, the famous fish and game restaurant that has been in St James since 1742
- Floris, established in 1730 and selling fine old-fashioned scent and lotions
- Paxton & Whitfield, established in 1797, and selling fine cheeses, hams, pates and chutneys
- Bates, the gentlemen's hatter
- Herbie Frogg, a store for men's clothing
- Geo.F.Trumper, a barber and royal hairdresser, established in 1875
- Piccadilly market (Open from 10am, Thursday to Saturday and FREE). Set in the grounds of St James' Church, the market includes a peaceful garden with park benches for resting on or perhaps eating your lunch
Did You Know?
Jermyn Street was named after Henry Jermyn, courtier to the mother of King Charles II.
The street was completed in the 1680's but nothing now remains of the original buildings except for St James'
Church at the far end towards Regent Street.
you have now completed this walk ...... I hope you enjoyed it
Continue along Jermyn Street, turn left and return to Piccadilly Circus