A patch of “urban utopia” which overlooks the Hackney skyline, Dalston Roof Park is a great place to hang out, especially in summer. You can become a member for only £3 a year. Deckchairs and sofas populate the rooftop, so order some delicious food from the cafe and grab your favourite spot in the sunshine.
The reading room was built in 1857. Alfred Hitchcock used it as one of his sets for the 1929 thriller Blackmail. It is now used as an exhibition space but you can still find a quiet corner to read in its regal surroundings.
It’s not as eery as you’d think and this oasis of green space is quiet even though it is just below Old Street. As the burial place of John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Daniel Defoe, who wrote Robinson Crusoe, and the poet William Blake, there’s plenty of literary inspiration to fuel your creativity while you read.
The cafe sits right on the Hoxton stretch of Regents Canal and is a friendly stop-off for a good read over a coffee and grilled cheese sandwich. Created by, Lori De Mori, an American Italian food writer, the cafe serves up amazing Italian coffee, as well as food.
The Barbican is known for its creativity. It is filled with potential reading spaces, one of the best being The Conservatory – a tropical haven of finches, quails, exotic fish and over 2,000 species of plants and trees.
There is definitely a sense of tranquility when you pass through the door to the Camden Arts Centre. It is home to many an art exhibition. It is a small but creative centre that has a garden round the back where you can escape with the book of your choice.
Most people have heard of the poet Keats, but few know about his house and gardens in Hampstead. The garden is open to the public between 1-5pm every day. Wander the lawns then find a patch in the sun, as you soak up the poetic ambiance of a place that the infamous man once called home.
It is one of North London’s most loved book shops but it is also a social space. They regularly hold literary events and debates. The cake shop has been characterised as “the modern answer to London’s long-lost literary coffee-houses”, so well worth a trip. The British Museum is right next door too.
The Geffrye Museum has an award-winning herb garden with over 170 different plants, including roses, honeysuckles and aromatic and medicinal herbs. There are the historical period gardens too, including the Tudor knot garden. It’s a fragrant place to hang out and read.
This is truly one of Hampstead Heath’s hidden treasures. It’s off the beaten track in the midst of East Heath. The Georgian pergola has shaded archways, climber plants and jasmine, honeysuckle, clematis and wisteria that blossoms during summer. The garden has an ornamental fish pond and one of the Heath’s oldest trees, a sweet chestnut. The best spot to curl up with a book is in the little alcove; there’s a bench accompanied by sweeping views of the city.
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HeadlineTop ten reading spots in North London
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1. Dalston Roof Park, Hackney
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A patch of “urban utopia” which overlooks the Hackney skyline, Dalston Roof Park is a great place to hang out, especially in summer. You can become a member for only £3 a year. Deckchairs and sofas populate the rooftop, so order some delicious food from the cafe and grab your favourite spot in the sunshine.
The reading room was built in 1857. Alfred Hitchcock used it as one of his sets for the 1929 thriller Blackmail. It is now used as an exhibition space but you can still find a quiet corner to read in its regal surroundings.
It’s not as eery as you’d think and this oasis of green space is quiet even though it is just below Old Street. As the burial place of John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Daniel Defoe, who wrote Robinson Crusoe, and the poet William Blake, there’s plenty of literary inspiration to fuel your creativity while you read.
The cafe sits right on the Hoxton stretch of Regents Canal and is a friendly stop-off for a good read over a coffee and grilled cheese sandwich. Created by, Lori De Mori, an American Italian food writer, the cafe serves up amazing Italian coffee, as well as food.
The Barbican is known for its creativity. It is filled with potential reading spaces, one of the best being The Conservatory – a tropical haven of finches, quails, exotic fish and over 2,000 species of plants and trees.
There is definitely a sense of tranquility when you pass through the door to the Camden Arts Centre. It is home to many an art exhibition. It is a small but creative centre that has a garden round the back where you can escape with the book of your choice.
Most people have heard of the poet Keats, but few know about his house and gardens in Hampstead. The garden is open to the public between 1-5pm every day. Wander the lawns then find a patch in the sun, as you soak up the poetic ambiance of a place that the infamous man once called home.
It is one of North London’s most loved book shops but it is also a social space. They regularly hold literary events and debates. The cake shop has been characterised as “the modern answer to London’s long-lost literary coffee-houses”, so well worth a trip. The British Museum is right next door too.
The Geffrye Museum has an award-winning herb garden with over 170 different plants, including roses, honeysuckles and aromatic and medicinal herbs. There are the historical period gardens too, including the Tudor knot garden. It’s a fragrant place to hang out and read.
This is truly one of Hampstead Heath’s hidden treasures. It’s off the beaten track in the midst of East Heath. The Georgian pergola has shaded archways, climber plants and jasmine, honeysuckle, clematis and wisteria that blossoms during summer. The garden has an ornamental fish pond and one of the Heath’s oldest trees, a sweet chestnut. The best spot to curl up with a book is in the little alcove; there’s a bench accompanied by sweeping views of the city.
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