Exit left as you leave the lobby of The Rosebery – perhaps picking up a coffee to-go from Printworks Kitchen on the way –and walk until you reach Laystall Street. Take a left and when you hit Clerkenwell Road, take another slight left. As you head down the street, reflect for a moment on Clerkenwell’s past incarnation as the Little Italy of London in the 1800s. Marvel at the decadent exterior of St Peter’s Italian Roman Catholic Church, modelled on the church at the Basilica of San Crisogono in Rome and pick up traditional Italian fare at Terroni’s of Clerkenwell which has been trading in the same spot since 1878.
Cross the road opposite the church and you’ll be at our first point of interest: Hatton Garden. Though it is more recently known for the infamous robbery in April this year, Hatton Garden is the centre of the UKs diamond trade and has been Londoners destination for fine jewellery since the 1870s. If you aren’t in the market for bling, you can stroll along the street watching excited couples window shop for engagement rings and take in sights such as the former parish and chapel school, Wren House, and plaques commemorating the cinema pioneer, Robert Paul and Sir Hiram Maxim, inventor of the machine gun.
When you get to the end of Hatton Garden, take a left onto Holborn Circus. A ten minute walk and you can’t miss our next site: St Paul’s Cathedral. The highest building in London until 1962, the cathedral is much more than just an icon in the city’s skyline but a working place of worship, hosting many seminal events from Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
Leave St Pauls via the church yard and head south to Blackfriars Bridge. Cross the bridge and walk down onto the Thames Path. Heading west, you’ll encounter a number of sights including the OXO Tower, British Film Institute and the London Eye. The Southbank Centre is the ideal place to stop for a bite to eat as it houses a number of big name chain restaurants from Wahacca to La Pain Quotidien.
After you pass the London eye, cross Westminister Bridge and take in a magnificent view of our next top site: Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Take a few minutes to wander around the imposing seat of Britain’s political powers. Whilst here, you can also marvel at Westminster Abbey, site of at least sixteen royal weddings.
Round off your day heading north on Whitehall until you reach the Strand. This famous London Street was the hub of Victoria nightlife and remains the best place in the city for an evening at the theatre. If you’re seeing a show, grab an early bite to eat at one of the special menus in nearby Covent Garden. Whether you choose a quick post show nightcap afterwards or simply want to get back to the comfort of your suite, The Rosebery is just a ten minute taxi ride away!
