British Red Cross

Kensington & Hyde Park


The motto 'One man's rubbish is another man's treasure' couldn't be truer in this part of London, where the 'rubbish' is made up of designer gowns, cashmere sweaters and perhaps a first edition or two. Prices are a little higher here than in your run-of-the-mill charity shop, but it's still a bargain for the quality, and browsing is half the fun.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kensington & Hyde Park attractions

1. Carlyle’s House

0.16 MILES

From 1834 until his death in 1881, the eminent Victorian essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle dwelt in this three-storey terrace house, bought by his…

2. Chelsea Old Church

0.18 MILES

This beautiful and original church stands behind a bronze monument to Thomas More (1477–1535), who had a close association with it. Original features of…

3. Chelsea Physic Garden

0.46 MILES

You may bump into a wandering duck or two as you enter this walled pocket of botanical enchantment, established by the Apothecaries’ Society in 1673 for…

4. King’s Road

0.51 MILES

At the counter-cultural forefront of London fashion during the technicolour '60s and anarchic '70s (Ian Fleming's fictional spy James Bond had a flat in a…

5. National Army Museum

0.55 MILES

This inventively redesigned museum vibrantly relates the history of the British Army, from the perspective of its servicemen and servicewomen. Reopening a…

6. Michelin House

0.59 MILES

Built for Michelin between 1905 and 1911 by François Espinasse, and completely restored in 1985, the building blurs the stylish line between art nouveau…

7. Peace Pagoda

0.63 MILES

Erected in 1985 by a group of Japanese Buddhists to commemorate Hiroshima Day (6 August), the pagoda in Battersea Park displays the Buddha in the four…

8. Royal Hospital Chelsea

0.7 MILES

Designed by Christopher Wren, this superb structure was built in 1692 to provide shelter for ex-servicemen. Since the reign of Charles II, it has housed…