Romantic London Dates For Free
Unusual Ideas for Unforgettable London Nights Out
London is one of the world's most expensive cities, but it can also be one of the most romantic. Just walking along the Thames on a summer night is delightful, but here are a few unusual date ideas with no admission charges.
Dancing in London's Fountains
In Trafalgar Square the police will move you on if you try dancing in the fountains, but in Thames Barrier Park, near Pontoon Dock station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), there's a fountain made especially for dancing. 32 water jets spring from a piazza to encourage splashing on hot summer days. Open daily 7am-sunset.
Gothic Graveyards in Highgate and Hampstead
London's Victorian cemeteries are peaceful, quiet and surprisingly romantic. Highgate Cemetery, ten minutes from Archway underground (bus 271, 210 or 143) is renowned for its ornate monuments and famous graves, from pioneering lesbian author Radclyffe Hall to sf writer Douglas Adams. Hampstead Cemetery, with its lovely Gothic chapels and striking monuments, is quiet and charming. Open daily 10am-sunset, it's a 15-minute walk from West Hampstead Underground.
Winter Skating in Central London
London's outdoor ice rinks are magical, especially at night. They're created every year to open in December and carry on into mid-January. Some are in public spaces, so you can watch the skaters and enjoy the atmosphere for free. The ancient moat of the Tower of London by Tower Hill Underground is flooded to re-create a scene from olden times, when the River Thames froze every year. At the Natural History Museum near South Kensington Underground there's an outdoor café and Christmas fair. Opening times vary year to year, so check the website.
Feeding Squirrels in London's Royal Parks
If your beloved loves animals, the Royal Parks provide hours of delight and great photo opportunities. In St. James' Park, on the District and Circle Underground lines, the squirrels are so accustomed to tourists that some will eat from your hand. Swans glide on the lake, and there are free concerts. Open daily 5am-midnight.
Ghost Walks in London
You can join a guided ghost walk but it's much spookier - and more romantic - if the two of you check out haunted London alone, hand in hand. To get back safely after getting lost together, download one of Richard Jones' free walking tour guides before you go.
Free Music and Romantic Walks
The Barbican Centre, in Silk Street near Barbican or St. Paul's Underground, is open daily. Listen to a free pre-show foyer concert, then stroll hand in hand on the terrace by the fountains as darkness falls. There'll be free firework displays for the opening and closing nights of this summer's Mostly Mozart festival.
The National Theatre on the South Bank, near Waterloo station, offers free music before the evening performance every day except Sunday. After enjoying anything from jazz to flamenco, take in one of the free exhibitions dotted round the building.
If your musical taste is a little funkier, check out the British Film Institute, just a short walk from Waterloo. DJs provide free music in the bar on some evenings. Then stroll along the riverside terrace to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the city, as the sun sinks and the lights come on.
Richmond Park and Greenwich Market
Take the train westward to Richmond, where King Henry's Mound in Richmond Park offers views from Windsor Castle to St. Paul's Cathedral. The park's deer and wildlife add to the romantic setting.
Go east on the Docklands Light Railway to Greenwich and picnic at the Royal Observatory. From 9.30 am-5.30 pm Friday to Sunday, there's a lively street market near Cutty Sark DLR station, but the town's pretty streets lined with Georgian and Victorian buildings and friendly pubs are great romantic walk territory anytime.
