London


<p>The capital&#8217;s SO crazy busy at this time of year it can get a bit much, right? Between hopping from shop to shop, dodging tourists and jostling for a spot to sit with your coffee, the hustle and bustle of central London can get a&nbsp;<em>leetle</em>&nbsp;too much. Luckily, there are plenty of hideaways and quiet spots to escape to – just as long as you know where to look. Here are a few of our favourite pockets of calm, including churches, galleries and parks (wrap up warm!).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sacred-spaces">SACRED SPACES </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="726" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/GenericStMLS-1200x850-1-1024x726.jpg" alt="St Mary Le Strand church " class="wp-image-7501" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/GenericStMLS-1200x850-1-1024x726.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/GenericStMLS-1200x850-1-300x213.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/GenericStMLS-1200x850-1-768x544.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/GenericStMLS-1200x850-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: St Mary Le Strand </figcaption></figure>



<p>You’d be hard-pushed to find a more central respite spot than <a href="https://stmarylestrand.com/services/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Mary Le Strand</a>, a beautifully designed chapel slap bang on the <strong>Strand near Aldwych</strong>. Obviously this is a church, so not a place to let rowdy kiddos loose, but if you want a moment of calm contemplation away from the madness, then – hallelujah! – it’s free to enter and open from noon until 4pm, plus there are special events too such as a carol service on 22 Dec at 7pm. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.stpatricksoho.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Patrick&#8217;s Catholic Church</a> in <strong>Soho Square</strong> is less than five minutes&#8217; walk from Oxford Street and yet it feels a million miles away from all the shoppers, tourists and Christmas lights when you step inside. A breath of calm in all the commotion, visitors are welcome to slip into a pew for a moment of peace and quiet contemplation, maybe light a candle or even attend mass which takes place at 12.45pm on weekdays. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hushed-hotels">HUSHED HOTELS </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-15.23.58-1024x683.png" alt="The Drawing room at Browns Hotel " class="wp-image-7502" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-15.23.58-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-15.23.58-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-15.23.58-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-15.23.58.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>When you&#8217;re this close to Christmas, it can feel like everywhere&#8217;s packed and noisy, even fancy five-star hotels. However there are some in-the-know boutique retreats where you&#8217;re not going to be bothered by hordes of tourists merry on Christmas spirits, including <a href="https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/brown-s-hotel/dining/the-drawing-room/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Browns Hotel</a> in <strong>Mayfair</strong>. All is quiet, all is calm at Browns, which is one of the oldest hotel&#8217;s in London and a of haven tranquility. Follow in Queen Victoria&#8217;s footsteps and enjoy Afternoon Tea in The Drawing Room. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.thegoring.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Goring</a> in <strong>Belgravia</strong> is another discreet five-star (it&#8217;s where Kate Middleton stayed the night before she married Prince William) which always remains calm amid the Christmas storm. When you&#8217;re about to flop from shopping/Xmas/crowd fatigue, make your way here and succumb to the exquisite surroundings and service in The Veranda (overlooking the garden) or the intimate cocktail bar. Aaaand <em>relax</em>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blissful-books">BLISSFUL BOOKS </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="Daunt Bookshop in Marylebone " class="wp-image-7503" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-500x500.jpeg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5-1100x1100.jpeg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-5.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Bookshops can be a sanctuary during Xmas shopping and our tip for central London is <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/piccadilly" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Waterstones</a> on <strong>Piccadilly</strong>. Admittedly it&#8217;s busier as this time of year, particularly on the ground floor, however there are six storeys and the higher you climb the quieter it becomes. Make it to the top floor and you&#8217;ll discover a bar and restaurant with great views, decent wine list and surprisingly chilled atmosphere. You&#8217;re welcome. </p>



<p><a href="https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shops/marylebone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daunt Bookshop</a> on <strong>Marylebone High Street</strong> is regularly voted London&#8217;s most beautiful bookstore for good reason &#8211; think oak galleries, stained glass windows and Edwardian architecture. Thankfully, it&#8217;s also one of London&#8217;s most peaceful, with a scattering of chairs, miles of shelves to browse and, most importantly, it&#8217;s quiet. Very quiet. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mindful-galleries">MINDFUL GALLERIES </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="697" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/plan-your-visit-crop-photoshop-1024x697.jpg" alt="National Gallery " class="wp-image-7505" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/plan-your-visit-crop-photoshop-1024x697.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/plan-your-visit-crop-photoshop-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/plan-your-visit-crop-photoshop-768x523.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/plan-your-visit-crop-photoshop.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Muddy&#8217;s used the <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Gallery</a> as a time out space for kids on more than one occasion (and to see the amazing art of course!). Despite the fact that it overlooks <strong>Trafalgar Square</strong> in the very heart of London and is free to enter, it&#8217;s surprisingly crowd-free at Christmas so you can view famous paintings such as Constable&#8217;s <em>The Hay Wain</em> in relative peace. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="502" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-6-1024x502.jpeg" alt="Cafe in the Crypt " class="wp-image-7506" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-6-1024x502.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-6-300x147.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-6-768x376.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Unknown-6.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Café in the Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Field </figcaption></figure>



<p>Around the corner from the National Gallery you&#8217;ll find the<a href="https://www.npg.org.uk"> National Portrait Gallery,</a> another hushed highbrow space (check out the Francis Bacon exhibition on atm). <a href="https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/visit/cafe-in-the-crypt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Café in the Crypt</a>, far below <strong>St Martin-in-the-Field Church</strong> which faces both galleries on the edge of Trafalgar Square, is another space where you can hide from the hordes. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grounding-green-space">GROUNDING GREEN SPACE </h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Discover The Green Park, one of London’s Royal Parks" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_BJ-ybnBIK0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>At 40 acres, <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/green-park/things-to-do" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Green Park</a> off <strong>Piccadilly</strong> is London&#8217;s smallest Royal Park and one of Muddy&#8217;s favourites. Handy to pop to if you&#8217;re in the city centre and need a breather (the main entrance is just past The Ritz, or Canada Gate&#8217;s steps from Buckingham Palace), enjoy wandering down the wide, tree-lined paths, spotting squirrels and picking up a cappuccino from one of the kiosk&#8217;s before returning to the Xmas maelstrom. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="664" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.32.02-1024x664.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7510" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.32.02-1024x664.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.32.02-300x194.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.32.02-768x498.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.32.02.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Royal Parks</figcaption></figure>



<p>Edging <strong>The Mall</strong>, <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/st-jamess-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St James&#8217;s Park</a> is another green space in the city that provides an instant injection of calm. It never feels overcrowded in London&#8217;s oldest park and the John Nash-designed gardens and huge tranquil lake with Duck Island, a sanctuary and a breeding ground for birds, make a blissful retreat from the hustle and bustle. You can download a tree walk <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/st-jamess-park/gardens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tranquil-terraces">TRANQUIL TERRACES </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="679" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.37.29-1024x679.png" alt="Churchill Hotel winter terrace " class="wp-image-7511" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.37.29-1024x679.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.37.29-300x199.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.37.29-768x509.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-16-at-17.37.29.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Some winter terraces are most definitely not tranquil, with a festive cocktail-fueled crowd and seasonal tunes blasting out, but <a href="https://www.thechurchillbar.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Churchill Bar &amp; Terrace</a>, is a dream. Tucked away on the edge of <strong>Hyatt Regency London hotel</strong> a couple of roads behind <strong>Oxford Street</strong>, expect a chilled vibe with winter with heaters, twinkly fairylights, throws, tasteful decorations and Brit tasty Brit bites, like Colchester oysters and an English charcuterie board.</p>



<p>Downstairs at the <strong>Ham Yard Hotel</strong> in Soho is<em> very</em> noisy. Head to the rooftop <a href="https://www.firmdalehotels.com/hotels/london/ham-yard-hotel/what-s-on-at-ham-yard-hotel/the-winter-gin-garden-sipping-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Winter Gin Garden</a>, however, and it&#8217;s a whole different story. Usually only open for private parties, this Xmas it’s been transformed into an exclusive space. Book a ticket (£24), which includes a milk punch and cocktail of your choice, and snuggle up with a hot water bottle and blankets if the toddies and hot chocolata (a rich chocolate and orange cocktail) aren’t enough to warm you up.&nbsp;</p>


Beat the festive frazzle at these London pockets of calm

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