Top Hidden Gems to Explore Near King’s Cross

King’s Cross Hidden Gems

It often comes as a surprise to our guests that King’s Cross is home to a fair few hidden gems – and many of them are quite a pleasant surprise. From floating bookshops and secret underground railways, to city-centre nature parks and centuries-old churches that played photoshoot-backdrop to none other than the Beatles, there is so much to explore.

So, here we have my top picks of King’s Cross hidden gems, listed in order of distance from the Mentone Hotel doorstep. I hope you enjoy discovering them all.

Bloomsbury Health Walks

From various locations
Website

The Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens hosts well-being walks around Bloomsbury. They’re led by the expert Camden Guides and include a brief stop at the halfway point to learn a few interesting facts about the location before walking on. Whilst these aren’t guided tours, they’re a great opportunity to see more of the local areas.

Some of the past walks have included ‘poets, printers and pioneers’, ‘Bloomsbury’s Green Corridor’, ‘uncovering a ghost police station’ and ‘pioneering mother and daughter writers’.

You can just turn up on the day for the one-hour walk which will go ahead in all weathers – it’s free, but spaces are limited.

Funland Arcade

25/27 Brunswick Centre, Bloomsbury WCN 1AW
5 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Open Monday to Sunday 10am-10pm

I’ve called this a hidden gem because it’s unique to King’s Cross and you don’t tend to see this sort of thing around here. Located in the Brunswick Centre, it’s a fairly sizeable arcade with a huge range of machines, from sports and video games to dance and prize games.

There’s also a “pinball alley” lined with wall-to-wall pinballs – pay £10 and you get an hour in there to play to your heart’s content. Great fun for all the family.

The Shaw Theatre

100-110 Euston Road, London NW1 2AJ
5 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7666 9037

Named after George Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Theatre originally opened in 1971 in the St Pancras library. It’s an intimate theatre with just 450 seats showing a varied and quite unusual range of dramas, comedy and musicals.

You’ll need to book in advance – you can’t buy tickets at the venue. You can see what’s on here. Definitely worth a look if you enjoy live entertainment, but aren’t so enamoured by the typically massive theatres found elsewhere.

Curzon Bloomsbury Cinema

Brunswick Centre
London WC1N 1BS
6 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7833 6066

The Curzon Bloomsbury Cinema is an historic arthouse cinema with six screens, including the stunning-looking Renoir with its 150 reclining seats and VIP balcony. The cinema has made my hidden gem list because the films it screens are more off the beaten track than the usual box office stuff.

Check out what’s on here, and you can book tickets in advance for whatever takes your fancy.

Mahatma Gandhi Statue

Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9BQ
6 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Open daily during daylight hours

Tavistock Square has a ‘peace’ theme, which is why you’ll find a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at its centre, as well as various other peace memorials.

The bronze statue – crafted by Fredda Brilliant – was unveiled in May 1968 by the Prime Minister at the time, the Rt. Hon. Harold Wilson, and was placed to commemorate the forthcoming 100^th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth in 1869.

If you’re in the King’s Cross area in spring and visit Tavistock Square then, you’ll be treated to a fantastic display of cherry blossom, and if you’re here in autumn, the brilliant red acer trees will catch your eye for sure. It’s a lovely, tranquil place to while away a bit of time.

Foundling Museum

40 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ
7 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7841 3600
Open 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday
Closed Monday

This museum opposite Brunswick Square is home to interesting collections of art, music, writing and other objects dating back to the 18^th century, all recounting the story of people who spent time in the care system.

It’s connected to the story of the Foundling Hospital – the first children’s charity in the UK whose headquarters are the museum building.

The best thing about this place is its huge range of activities and events for people of all ages. From the nursery programme and family workshops to arts and well-being activities designed to support mental health partnerships in the community, the museum has become a very important hub within the local area.

An entrance ticket gets you into the museum for a whole year – and you only pay if you’re over 21. Definitely an interesting place to visit.

The Brunswick Plane

Brunswick Square Gardens, Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX
8 minute walk from the hotel
Open daily during daylight hours
Website

Brunswick Square Gardens is a nice place to escape the bustle of the city, and one of its most famous features is the Brunswick Plane.

One of the ten great trees of London, the Brunswick Plane is said to date back to the laying out of Brunswick Square Gardens in 1796, making it well over 200 years old and one of the oldest plane trees in central London.

Because of the plane tree’s natural tolerance of pollution and poor soil conditions, it was planted in large numbers across London during Victorian times, when it became known as the London Plane. Imagine – this tree – and others like it around the capital, have survived the Industrial Revolution and the Blitz – so it has to be said they’re pretty amazing.

The Story Garden

60 Ossulston Street, London NW1 1DF
8 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Open Tuesday to Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday to Saturday 10am-4pm

Run by Global Generation, an educational charity dedicated to connecting people to nature in the middle of the city, The Story Garden brings local youngsters together with construction workers, students and volunteers to run this urban oasis, learning valuable skills along the way.

Situated just behind the British Library, it’s open to the public and hosts workshops, activities and events, including Twilight Gardening and Family Saturdays. Here’s the programme to check what’s on.

Calthorpe Community Garden

258-274 Grays Inn Rd, London WC1X 8LH
10 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Open:
March-October: 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 12pm to 6pm weekends
October-March: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 12pm to 5pm weekends

Another surprising find, these community gardens near King’s Cross offer a variety of activities for everyone from kids to adults.

The children’s area is great for toddlers, showing them how to grow their own veggies, and there’s an early years weekday programme every Tuesday and Wednesday from 11am to 3pm for under-fives to get involved in arts, gardening and outdoor play sessions. There’s no cost, but they do ask for a suggested donation of £5. You can join on the day or register here.

There’s also a weekend play programme for youngsters, and us older visitors are looked after too, with programmes every weekday covering everything from sewing and embroidery to Tai Chi, walking football, tennis, chair yoga, women’s football, illustration and Latin dance.

The Wiener Holocaust Library

University of London, 29 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DP
10 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7636 7247
Email: info@wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Library open Monday to Thursday 10am-5pm, closed weekends and bank holidays
Reading room open Monday to Thursday 10am-5pm and Friday 10am-1.30pm, closed weekends

Founded by Dr Alfred Wiener in 1933, this library is one of the world’s most extensive archives on the Holocaust and Nazi era. Its unique collection of more than a million artefacts includes books, press cuttings, photographs and eyewitness accounts.

They run public archive tours every Tuesday at 2pm (no need to book), as well as a range of events and exhibitions. There’s also a reading room, for which you’ll need a user’s ticket (available with photographic ID from the Enquiry Desk).

The Cartoon Museum

63 Wells St, London, W1A 3AE
13 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7580 8155
Email: hello@cartoonmuseum.org
Open daily 10.30am–5.30pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm
Closed Monday, last Thursday of every month 10.30am-8pm

I’ve put this on my King’s Cross hidden gems list because it’s something out of the ordinary. With over 6000 original cartoons and more than 8000 comics and books on display dating from the 18^th century onwards, if this is your sort of thing you’ll be engrossed for hours.

There are featured exhibitions throughout the year too, plus workshops and other events.

The Charles Dickens Museum

14 minute walk from the hotel
48-49 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX
Website
Tel: 020 7405 2127
Open Wednesday to Sunday 10am-5pm – last entry 4pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday

Situated in the author’s only remaining London house, this understated but very locally important museum is home to the world’s most prominent collection of more than 100,000 Charles Dickens items – from manuscripts and rare editions to personal items, paintings and more.

If you’re a fan of his works, or even if you’re not – it’s an interesting way to pass an hour or two in a bit of literary history.

There’s free admission for children under 6, and concessions for students, over 60s and disabled visitors.

St Pancras Old Church

Pancras Rd, London NW1 1UL

17 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7387 6060
Email: fr.owen@posp.co.uk
Open daily to visitors from 9.30am – closing time varies between 3-5pm depending on events
Graveyard open dawn till dusk

This working Anglo-Catholic church is one of the oldest places of worship in Britain. It’s also among London’s most spectacular intimate gig venues, with a capacity of just 120, and its candle-lit atmosphere a massive draw.

Whilst it dates back to 314 AD, most of what’s there now is from the 1847 Victorian rebuild. The graveyard is definitely worth a tour – it’s where you’ll find the Grade I listed tomb of Sir John Soane and his wife. Sir John Soane was a well-known English architect who lived nearby – there’s a museum dedicated to him at Lincoln’s Inn Field, where he used to live – you can read more about it in my King’s Cross Museums blog.

Another famous landmark here is the Hardy Tree, named after novelist Thomas Hardy. Once a trainee architect, Hardy was tasked in 1863 with relocating graves. An ash tree seeded itself and grew up through the shifted gravestones, pushing them upwards and creating quite a sight.

The graveyard is also famous as a photoshoot location for none other than the Beatles during a 1968 visit when they were filming their Mad Day Out.

Camley Street Natural Park

12 Camley Street, London N1C 4PW
17 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 3897 6150
Open October – March 10am–4pm, April – September 10am-5pm

A surprising King’s Cross hidden gem, this wildlife and nature park covers two acres and consists of ponds, wetlands, woodland and meadows. There are plenty of activities and events held here too, all listed on the website.

The park is located on the banks of the Regent’s Canal and run by the London Wildlife Trust. One of its main attractions has to be its ‘Viewpoint’ – a floating platform that forms a sort of island hideaway, where you can admire the views of the park and canal.

It’s a fantastic place for a bit of bird and wildlife spotting. There’s also a café, as well as accessible toilets and baby change facilities.

The Postal Museum

15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA
17 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm
Last Mail Rail Ride 4pm

As King’s Cross hidden gems go, this is one of the best – a brilliant day out where you get to ride the hidden tunnels of “Mail Rail” – London’s secret underground railway – and enjoy interactive exhibitions, displays and fascinating accounts of the history of the UK’s postal system.

If you’ve got younger kids with you, there are special activities just for them. But it’s just as good for older children and adults.

As well as the museum and railway, there’s a shop and a café, so you can make a day of it. It’s really quite a fascinating place to visit.

Word on the Water Floating Bookshop

Regent’s Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW
19 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 07976 886982
Email: wordonthewaterbookshop@gmail.com
Open every day except Christmas Day 12-7pm

This floating second hand bookshop is moored close to Granary Square. A 1920s Dutch barge, it stocks in the region of 4,000 books which are displayed all around the barge. From modern fiction and children’s titles to great big coffee table art books, there’s something for everyone.

The owners are really friendly, as is the onboard dog, and if you visit during the summer months, you might catch an acoustic guitar performance on top of the barge. They also host live jazz, storytelling nights and book launches. Inside, there’s a wood burner stove and a soft armchair where you can curl up for a good read if the mood takes you.

London Canal Museum

12-13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT
19 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7713 0836
Open 10am-4.30pm Tuesdays to Sundays and bank holiday Mondays

This King’s Cross hidden gem is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. It’s quite unusual – housed in a former ice warehouse which was constructed in the 1800s for a famous ice cream maker to store his ice imported from Norway – but it’s a brilliant day out for families and people of all ages.

You get to learn about the ice trade history, as well as looking around a narrowboat cabin, and learning about the cargos that were once transported by horse-drawn boats through London’s waterways.

During the summer there’s a programme of guided boat trips and family fun days, and there’s an exhibition running till spring 2026 charting the fascinating story of how London’s canals were built. Tickets can be booked in advance on the website.

Bagley Walk

West Coal Drops, Stable Street, London N1C 4DR
20 minute walk from the hotel
Website

Bagley Walk is a raised green walkway linking Granary Square with Gasholder Park. It’s a fantastic place to enjoy views over the Regent’s Canal, Camley Street Natural Park and Coal Drops Yard.

Named after the renowned 90s King’s Cross nightclub Bagleys, the history of the walkway predates it – during Victorian times it was a viaduct, over which trains ran, transporting coal and dropping them to the stores below – hence the famous Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross.

Visiting  King’s Cross London? Book Your Stay at the Mentone Hotel!

Situated on the doorstep of a variety of attractions, restaurants, pubs, cafés and coffee shops, parks, museums and retail outlets, the Grade II listed Mentone Hotel can be found in the heart of peaceful Cartwright Gardens in historical Bloomsbury – a hidden gem in itself.

We offer 40 rooms, free WiFi, luggage storage, and tickets for all the top London attractions. You’ll also benefit from a 10% discount if you book directly, plus an unlimited complimentary breakfast. Please get in touch to check availability. And we will of course be happy to point you towards the best King’s Cross hidden gems should you be looking for something special to do during your stay.

About the Author