5 Great, Free Things to Do in London

Take a Walk on Hampstead Heath

London’s parks are the lungs of the city – and, in summer, they transform conservative Blighty, as office workers strip down to the barest essentials to turn lobster in the sun. From Holland Park to Regents Park, they all have their different charms – but Hampstead Heath, a surprisingly wild patch of woodland, takes the biscuit. There are sex-segregated swimming ponds for splashing in, gorgeous historic pubs like the Spaniards Inn, country houses, plus kite flying on Parliament Hill.

Check Out the Hunterian Museum

London’s free museums are rightly famous – from world class art emporia like Tate Modern and the National Gallery through to the Natural History Museum and V&A – and figure highly in pretty much every wrap on free things to do in London. One that fairly few people visit – but you should – is the Hunterian Museum in the Royal College of Surgeons, a fascinating museum built around a collection of curios and freaks that also showcases the evolution of surgery through the ages.

Discover the Assyrians

When most people think of the British Museum, it’s either those hotly disputed Elgin Marbles – we say we bought them, the Greeks think we stole them – or the Egyptian stuff that they consider. Now, it’s true that thanks to our aggressive colonial heritage we have a much better Egyptian collection than we deserve. But, as Islamic State destroys more and more of the precious heritage of Assyria, the wonders of the British Museum’s Assyrian collection and this extraordinary civilisation deserve a closer look.

Trawl a Flower Market

From the cutesy antiques of Portobello and Greenwich to the multicultural edge of Ridley Road and Brixton, and the best food markets in London, the capital does markets extremely well. One Sunday market that’s well worth a look is the Sunday flower market on Columbia Road, East London, where a cute Victorian street is transformed into a riot of flowers and cute restaurants.

Have Lunch with the Hare Krishna

Thought there was no such thing as a free lunch? Think again. The hippie-spiritualist Hare Krishna movement has been in London since 1969. To experience their vegetarian, health-giving Indian fare, either try their Soho Street restaurant, Govinda’s, or head to a class upstairs (1pm-2pm Monday to Saturday), which comes with free veggie lunch.

Image credit: Hampstead Heath by Ellen Munro.