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It’s no secret that London can feel like someone is holding a megaphone up to your ear. The honking red double-decker buses and black cabs, the sirens of emergency services around every corner, and the chatter of tourists non-stop in every direction.

If you’re someone who likes the calm, quiet, and blissful silence, only broken by birds tweeting and the wind rustling, then I’m here today to tell you where you can find this in London.

We all need a break from the chaos sometimes, so these places in London are where you can relax away from the crowds, away from the screams and sirens, and enjoy the peace and serenity.

The Secret Garden in Regent’s Park

Of all the parks in London, Regent’s Park is probably the most serene. Find yourself in the heart of it, and you’ll find it hard to hear traffic noises – only the occasional plane flying over and the sounds of people having a conversation.

If you really want to find that quiet spot away from the crowds, there’s a secret garden that most people walk by since the entrance is so unassuming. Blink, and you miss it, and even if you don’t, you would probably think it was the entrance to someone’s house.

That’s because it kinda sorta is. The Secret Garden, also known as St John’s Lodge Garden, was once the private manicured garden belonging to the lavish villa next to it, but it was given to the public in 1928. It has a gorgeous ornate fountain in the centre, and is surrounded by a series of smaller manicured gardens with benches tucked into the hedges. 

It’s the perfect quiet spot for relaxation, reading a book in the sun, or meditating beneath the hedgerows.

Saint Dunstan Church Ruins

St Dunstan-in-the-East was a church on St Dunstan’s Hill, which was largely destroyed during the Second World War. Of the original church, only Wren’s tower, the steeple, and the north and south walls remain. The rest of it is in ruins and transformed into a public garden.

The garden features a lawn in the centre and has an ornate fountain in the middle of the nave. There have been several trees planted around the ruins, which have overgrown the stonework and give it an Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom kind of vibe.

Brompton Cemetery

I don’t know if there’s anywhere more still and peaceful than a cemetery. By design, they are supposed to be peaceful, contemplative places where mourners can come in silence to remember and reflect on those who have passed.

Brompton Cemetery is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in London. It’s the resting place of 200,000 people, many of whom were buried here in the Victorian era, and have stunning tombs, relics, grieving angels, and mausoleums to remember them by. 

It’s not just the headstones and ivy-clad mausoleums that make Brompton Cemetery beautiful, though; it’s also teeming with wildlife. Marking the resting sites are avenues of stately lime trees, and in the summer, the floor is blooming with wildflowers. There are also birds, butterflies, and bats that live there.

Famous people who are buried here include Emmeline Pankhurst, who led the suffragettes and is the reason why women are allowed to vote, Hannah Courtoy, a socialite who was rumoured to be buried with a time machine, and Doctor John Snow, who was the scientist who discovered how cholera was spread by water.

Morden Hall Park

Located at the very end of the Northern Line in Morden is Morden Hall Park, a serene oasis that’s rarely overcrowded, even on a hot summer’s day. This National Trust park is 125 acres of green spaces, open meadows, wooded wetland, and tree-lined paths. There’s also a manicured Rose Garden and Snuff Mill, which has a cafe attached to it.

Whether you want to find a piece of lawn to lie down on with a good book, a space to ride your bike through the trees and past rivers, or to sit amongst the wildlife of the wetland, Morden Hall Park is well worth heading the distance for.

If you do like walking and cycling, there is also a lovely and quiet riverside trail next to the River Wandle, which runs from next to the Sainsbury’s in Colliers Wood all the way to Morden Hall Park. It certainly beats walking along the road with all the traffic.

The British Library

Of course, I have to include the British Library on this list. Libraries, by default, are the only place in a city where you can find a desolate, lost-in-the-Sahara Desert kind of quiet.

The British Library is quite unique in that it has free reading rooms and study spaces you can use, so if you’re a student or have work to catch up on, then you may find a quiet desk here (just get there early enough in the day!).

The British Library is free to visit, and all visitors can access millions of books and literature from its collection (it has the world’s largest book collection, with over 200 million items, though some of it you need to reserve in advance to access). It also has regular events and our exhibitions, a cafe, and much more.

Little Venice to Camden Walk

Little Venice is a picturesque neighborhood known for its winding canal, which is full of houseboats and quirky waterside cafes. 

It can get busy, especially in the Maida Vale area around Rembrandt Gardens, but if you walk along the canal towards Camden, passing Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, you will find this part of the canal much quieter. I’ve often walked along the canal from Little Venice to Camden and passed no one, only the occasional jogger.

We have also taken the boat tour from Little Venice to Camden along Regent’s Canal which was so interesting to learn the history of the canal and the lifestyle of those who live along it – including a few celebrities. You may also like this guided walking tour along Regent’s Canal.

Read More: The Ultimate Guide To Camden Town & Camden Market

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Health is by no means a hidden gem, and has become an increasingly popular spot for people wanting a quiet green space to relax in with views over London. 

Although the secret is out, its tranquility is still intact. People gather here for quiet contemplation, reading on the lawns, or going for a relaxing swim in one of the ponds. People don’t come here for big parties and loud family bashes, or at least if they did, it’s large enough that you can walk to another side and find a slice of serenity elsewhere. The Heath is 320 hectares in total, so even in the height of summer when everyone flocks to its grassy meadows, it still has quiet spots to escape the crowds.

SOAS Japanese Roof Garden 

Located at the top of the SOAS Gallery in bustling Russell Square, the Japanese Roof Garden was built to provide a quiet and meditative space for people to enjoy and use as a piece of respite.

The garden was built in 2001 and is dedicated to Forgiveness. Although it does feature Japanese garden elements, it was designed to withstand the British weather, so don’t let the dark clouds ruin your zen.

The garden was always intended to be a place of quiet contemplation and meditation, and you won’t find a more relaxing space so central in London.

Buddhapadipa Temple Gardens, Wimbledon

Most people are shocked to learn that London has a Thai Buddhist temple in it. Sitting unassumingly on a suburban road in Wimbledon, the Buddhapadipa Temple is the UK’s first Thai Buddhist temple and is owned by the Thai Government, which built it in the 1960s.

The temple is small but quiet and peaceful, and the perfect place to sit and meditate when you need to find your inner calm. The temple is surrounded by lawns and a quiet pond, with benches around it, where you can sit and take in the leafy surroundings. 

Even in the height of summer, there is barely a soul wandering its grounds, especially on a weekday. If you visit on the weekend, there are meditation classes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The London Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park

Sitting on the banks of the River Thames, Battersea Park is not the quietest park in London, but there are still places within it that are quiet and serene. The Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa that was built in 1985 as a gift of the Japanese Nipponzan-Myohoji.

It has a couple of benches surrounding it where you can sit and quietly contemplate, or you can walk around the pagoda and learn about the different stages of the Buddha’s life.

Also in Battersea Park, the Old English Garden is often very quiet and peaceful, and sometimes full of bird life. London’s famous parakeets often visit this park, and you can always find Grey squirrels hopping along the fence posts.

Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Canary Wharf

If you’re visiting London in the summer, the Crossrail Place Roof Garden is a lovely, free green oasis in the Canary Wharf district that offers a peaceful respite from the chaos. It’s one of the largest roof gardens in the city, and extends along the Meridian Line.

As you walk along the garden, you’ll be enveloped in exotic plants on all sides, with hidden benches tucked into alcoves and along winding paths.

We also love the smaller rooftop gardens at 120 Fenchurch St. The bonus here are the extraordinary 36-degree London views, including the popular Sky Garden building opposite. Learn more in our post on the best views in London.

Nunhead Cemetery

Another one of the seven great Victorian cemeteries in London, though perhaps the least visited, is Nunhead Cemetery in Southeast London.

What makes Nunhead beautiful is that nature has somewhat reclaimed it. The abandoned chapel and Victorian headstones, which have now been embraced by nature, look beautiful and calming.

As with Brompton Cemetery, some notable people have their final resting place here, including Sir Frederick Abel, co-inventor of Cordite, Robert Abel, an England test cricketer, as well as several writers, playwrights, and actors.

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is the largest of London’s Royal Parks and was initially created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park. It is famous for still having a herd of deer living there today.

This 2,360-acre space is more than just a vast open grassland, but is also home to ponds, woodlands, and golf courses. 

The Isabella Plantation is my favorite part of the park. It’s a 40-acre woodland known for its evergreen azaleas and colourful flowers. There are usually people there, especially on weekends and in the summer, but it still feels like a quiet escape from the hubbub.

Barbican Conservatory

The Barbican Conservatory looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie with its many vines, palms, and ferns towering over the square block walkways. It’s the second biggest Conservatory in London and is located on Level 3 of the Barbican Building. 

It’s free to visit, but it is only open to the public on select dates, and to keep the peace and tranquility, you need to book an entry ticket. Click here to join the waiting list to experience this peaceful oasis.

Read More: You may like these hidden gems in London, fascinating London attractions below the Ground a 7-day London itinerary (plenty of time to fit in these relaxing places in London!)