Looking for a cheap and fun family day out? Try hunting out these movie locations.
There are many places in London used for filming in some of the biggest blockbusters of all time. Not only are they all free to go to, they all have lots more going on around them. Here are a few suggestions of some of the most iconic movie locations in London your kids are bound to recognise.
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Royal Naval College is situated within the grounds of the University of Greenwich, which are open to the public. You may recognise it from the ending of Les Miserables with the final barricade scene. Or the opening carriage chase scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Or from numerous scenes our of Thor: The Dark World, including the climactic battle. You can continue your free day out in Greenwich within its town centre or its expansive park.
Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross station
Harry Potter fans looking for a cheaper alternative to the Warner Bros Studio Tour will be captivated by Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross station. You can even take a photo pushing a trolley through the magical wall for free. Though you can expect to queue for that photo opportunity. It’s also right next to the Harry Potter Shop, which is modelled to look like Ollivander’s wand shop. Harry Potter fans may also like…
Lendenhall Market, City of London
Leadenhall Market was used for the exterior scenes of Diagon Alley. The blue entrance for the Leaky Cauldron is actually an optician’s in real life! Besides its Harry Potter past, Leadenhall Market is also a fantastic covered Victorian market with a diverse range of stalls and shops that your children can enjoy.
SIS Building, Vauxhall
You’d have seen the SIS Building getting blown up in Skyfall as well as appearing in other James Bond films like Spectre, Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough. The building is not only the headquarters of MI6 in the movie, but their headquarters in real life as well! Your children will have the added buzz of seeing where real secret agents work. It’s also a very short tube journey to other Bond locations such as Whitehall, a real government building where Bond gets briefed in the movies.
Senate House, Bloomsbury
Funnily enough, many of the locations used for the exterior shots of Gotham City in The Dark Knight Trilogy were actually filmed in London. The Gotham City Courthouse from the Batman movies is really Senate House, a massive library in Russell Square. Batman fans should also check out The Farmiloe Building in Clerkenwell. This is the Gotham City Police Station where Sergeant Gordon works, and the Garrick Theatre in Charing Cross, seen as the Gotham Opera House in Batman Begins.
