Quiet London: Making the Most of London in Winter

January is the month that those of us who live here can claim it back for ourselves for a short while.  London is a fabulous city and we love to share it, but just for a few short weeks having her mostly to our selves is the reward for being so generous the rest of the year!

In mid February, half term will arrive and with it tour groups and extended families and queues. But until then, London has her usual wealth of things to enjoy, but in a much more peaceful and quieter way than usual.  There are many ways to enjoy London during these quiet winter weeks.

Winter London Light

In January the light is low and gentle.  When the sun does appear, bulidings are illuminated and glow for a few short hours.  Mists hang lazily over the River Thames in a Turner-esque way and trees are bare and stark.  There is a particular visual quality, a flatness and sleepiness not seen at other times of the year.  Sunsets and sun rises can be bright and vivid, temporarily cloaking the city in a pink veil, a reward for the brief short days.  A definite lure to make the most of all London has to offer at this time of year.

Winter Walks

Despite the size of London, so much of it is very walkable and seeing London on two feet is always the best way to see it.  Its always easy to find the quieter places in London when you know where to look but early in the year, most streets are less crowded.  It’s easier to wander without the pressure of hoards of people pressing against you.

Greenwich is notoriously busy, why wouldn’t it be, there is so much to see and enjoy.  However during January, it is a joy to wander amongst the columns of the naval college, and visit the wonderful museums without the crowds.

Hampstead Heath is beautiful at any time of year but I love the bleakness which is present in winter, and a walk up to parliament hill will reward you with some hazy wintery views across the city.

Art Galleries and Museums

London’s art galleries and museums are fabulous and mostly free.  There will always be a signifiant volume of people visiting, especially at weekends but it is much less now than at other times of the year.  This is the best time to catch popular exhibitions, often before they change for the spring-summer season. They are usually much less busy and easier to enjoy.  We always use January as a month to be tourists in our own city, and museums and galleries feature heavily.

Restaurants

Restaurants will always struggle after the crazy days of the festive season.  Generally people are more cautious with their spending and often their diet too, trying to offset the recent Christmas indulgence.  In response to this restaurants often lay on some very good deals to entice customers in.  It is really worth looking at even some of the more fancy London restaurants to see what they are offering at this time of year. A highlight of winter last year for us was a delicious dinner at The Savoy.  It wasn’t a bargain exactly, but much more affordable than at other times of year.  Keep an eye on newspapers and restaurants own websites for January deals.

Theatre

Theatres suffer in the same way as restaurants from the post festive slump, so there are bargains to be found.  Lots of websites will offer discounted tickets at this time of year so if you are at a loose end over the next few weeks its worth having a wander around the internet to see what you can find.

So you see there is much to make the most of in London at this joyously quiet time of the year.  Just don’t tell everyone!