Canary Wharf is one of the most influential locations in London. It is an ideal location for vacation and is characterized by its endless skyscrapers.
On the edge of East London, Canary Wharf is known as a part of the London Docklands and the new financial capital of the city. The place has the perfect combination of industrial, residential, and commercial space with excellent transport links, fantastic leisure options, affordable properties, and local jobs such as over 150,000 people working here.
The city is built around the West India docks, which are one of the busiest docks in the world from the time of the 19th century to the World War Two outbreak. The city offers urban living, such as world-class shopping centers, bars, gyms, restaurants, and other amenities.
There are various exciting things to do in Canary Wharf as given below,
1. Roam around Jubilee Park
This is a roof garden that is built over the top of the Canary Wharf station where you will feel instant serenity once you take an exit from the station. A raised serpentine water channel with a rough structure of the stone wall is the key feature of the place.
Jubilee Park is filled with trees, grassy areas, and open space. You can sit down on the benches in every nook of the garden and take advantage of the stunning view of skyscrapers and water features.
Jubilee Park is a free public indoor oasis with a fantastic performance space where you will love to watch dramas, music, spoken shows, and dance. It is actually a great place to roam around.
2. Explore Jubilee Place Shopping Mall
On the south side of Canary Wharf, there is an underground shopping mall that is called Jubilee Place Mall, which offers a great choice of fashion, cafes, restaurants, and pharmacies. There are two main shopping complexes in Canary Wharf. Canada Place shopping mall is the largest of the two and it starts from Westferry Circus that is underneath Canary Wharf.
Jubilee Place mall runs from Montgomery Square. This is the place that is filled with all kinds of shopping materials and food staples that can take your heart away. You will be a fan of extraordinarily delicious hot chocolate when you go down off the ground.
In short, the Jubilee Place shopping mall is made for those who love to spend time with their family with some amazing desirable products and great food.
3. The Museum of London Docklands
The Museum of London Docklands is in one of London’s oldest former port warehouses. It is a great way to learn about the beginning of West India Docks and the incredible transformation as a financial hub. This family-friendly museum of London Docklands gives you major traveling goals.
The history of Docklands and Thames and a journey to be a trading center of London is the main focal point of the museum that you will love to explore. You will learn about it through many exhibits and exhibitions floor after floor, as these are arranged in chronological order.
There is also a fantastic interactive space for young children who are up to 8 years old. It is called Mudlarks. This is where your kids would love to learn and discover the stories about the place in a fun way.
The exciting part is that the entry fee for the museum is free and opens every day, so get ready to explore and learn about this beautiful heart of Canary Wharf.
4. Crossrail Place Roof Garden—You can’t miss
The Crossrail place is a 300-meter enclosed garden and a fabulous green space full of plants and trees against the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.
Crossrail roof gardens can be considered a fabulous urban forest that is a part of the Canary Wharf Crossrail station. This lovely place offers an excellent range of free events, performances, and workshops.
The amazing fact about the place is that the plants are arranged meaningfully; they are from which hemisphere? The garden represents the history and geography of Canary Wharf, which makes it a wonderful attraction for visitors.
This is also the fact that the place doesn’t have such visitors as it must be because of the overpowering popularity of Sky Garden, but this is a spectacular place that must have a special mention.
The inspiration for the wooden and glass structure surrounding the garden comes from the Wardian case to propel a ship loaded with exotic specimens back to London. So, This is going to be a great experience to visit this fantastic garden.
5. One Canada Square—Worth Visiting Place
One Canada Square is named for Canada By Olympia and York, the original developers of the complex, which is owned by the Richman family of Toronto. It is served by the Canary Wharf underground station on the Jubilee line.
It is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf, London, constructed in 1991. The square contains 50 stories with 770 ft. height from ground level making the building 3rd tallest building in the United Kingdom. One Canada Square is used for offices.
As the building gets much attention through films and television, it is also recognized as a London landmark and has the title of being the tallest building in the UK.
It has a distinctive pyramid roof with glass and steel-made structures. Level 39 incubator is the most exciting area of the building, and the ground floor of the building offers regular art exhibitions. The place is also the home of the One Canada Square Bar.
But it is a little bit unfortunate that it is not for public viewing. So, if you wanna visit this wonderful place, you must come during one of London’s annual open house weekends or for public talks at Level39 incubator through the invitation.
6. Billingsgate Market
It is the largest inland fish market in the United Kingdom since 1982. It is a wholesale market covering a large 13-acre area.
The place was known as Blynesgate before settling the name into its present form. The origin is still unclear, but it was a general market originally for wine, salt, corn, coal, iron, and miscellaneous goods. After passing the act of Parliament in 1869, it was made a free and open market for all sorts of fish.
The ground floor of the market complex boasts 98 stands and shops that are 30 in number which include two cafes, cold rooms, and freezer stores. Around 25,000 tons of fish and fish products are sold annually, just an average amount of it. For Fish lovers, it is no less than heaven.
Restrictions to Know Before Visiting the Place
- Children under 12 are not allowed to visit the market floor.
- Items with wheels, such as trollies, carts, and suitcases, cannot be taken on the market floor.
- Non-slip footwear is advised to carry to maintain your comfort level.
- Strict rules are applied concerning photography or filming by the City of London Corporation, whether it is for any purpose.
- If it is important to take photos, whether you are a student or a visitor, you must fill out a mandatory application form, and you can’t use these photos for any commercial purpose.
7. Artistic Charm of Public Art
This place has the largest art collection in the form of art and sculpture, dotted around the Canary Wharf estate. You will witness around 75 sculptures throughout the estate and outdoor art exhibits.
It is essential to grab a copy of the art trail map to start an incredible journey. The apparent effort of the Canary Wharf group can be seen as adding artistic charm to the financial hub, which gives you a solid reason to visit Canary Wharf.
Amazing public art is accessible easily without any tickets and tours. There are plenty of benches to sit on and amazing takeaway food and drinks to make your journey more comfy and enjoyable.
Canary Wharf possesses many beautiful sculptures, mosaics, and paintings from all kinds of places that are commissioned across the world such as Gile Penny’s Man with Arms Open and another one is, Two Men on a Bench, which are roughly hewn Bronze figures.
Henry Moore’s Draped Seated Woman also has its remarks on the list of iconic public art.
8. Visit West India Quay
In 1802, West India Docks were divided into two separate things—Import docks and Export docks. Throughout the century, management of the docks was a challenge because of the difficulty of increasing competition and financial crisis. This became a reason for enlarging West India Docks. However, many West India docks were wretched during the Second World War.
Heron Quays and South Quays were redeveloped in Manhattan style. The surviving warehouse of North Quays was re-branded as West India Quay.
A Docklands light railway station and its immediate surroundings are located in the northwest corner of the Isle of Dogs and are named after the docks that occupied the site over the past two centuries. So, it is a landmark situated just north of Canary Wharf in East London.
If we talk about the things to do in West India Quay, the Museum of London Docklands is located here, and two remaining traditional warehouses are also located here in West India Quay and West India Quay DLR station. The famous Cineworld cinema and Marriott hotel add beauty to the place.
9. Where to eat, is not a big deal!
One of the most desirable things in Canary Wharf is having delicious food of your choice, as this city offers something for everyone. There are a lot of leading restaurants and cafes that suit all tastes.
Big Easy on Crossrail Place is the main center of attraction if you want to have an American dining experience. Manhattan Grill at London Marriott is also an excellent option for you to pick. The Breakfast Club is another spot for food according to American taste.
There are a lot of choices if you want to choose – British, Asian, or American cuisine. The Kerb West India Quay in Canary Wharf is also where you will have the great flavors of the area.
Street Feast is also the place to have some excellent street food with the best fillings and great pricing that you always love to have.
10. Places to Stay—An Amazing Experience!
Canary Wharf is an ideal location to stay with your family. Although it might not be your first choice, Canary Wharf offers excellent accommodation, shopping, dining, and first-class leisure service.
There are many more things to do in Canary Wharf and the city has much more to offer. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London, with some dazzling views, would give you the right reason to stay there.
Lansbury Heritage hotel is a luxury hotel with smart modern amenities. The other great option is Novotel London Canary Wharf Hotel, with its excellent rooftop bar and sprawling views.
Wrapping up
Canary Wharf is an excellent place if you are planning a vacation. The art and culture events are held yearly and are famous among the visitors and the netizens.
There are plenty of great attractions to see and many more fun things to do in Canary Wharf that you will love to explore. The place has amazing food, artistic masterpieces and engaging markets.
Last Updated on January 5, 2024 by Gautam
