A new survey has found that many Londoners haven’t seen some of the city’s most iconic sights.
Let’s face it, when you’re running for a bus in the rain, it’s easy to forget that around 30 million visitors flock to the capital every year.
And after a long week at work, shuffling in between over-enthusiastic tourists might not be top of your to-do list.
But you might be surprised by some of the famous landmarks that many Londoners say they’ve never seen.
A study by Specsavers found that 78% had never seen some of its most iconic sights, with 14% of locals never having seen Big Ben in real life.
Top of the list was Highgate Cemetery, and while we can understand why a graveyard might not be to everyone’s tastes, it’s steeped in history, and is the final resting place of some of the city’s most famous residents, including Karl Marx, George Michael and George Elliot.
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These are the 20 London landmarks locals have never seen:
And despite being famously busy, it turns out no locals are heading over to Piccadilly Circus, as the road junction also made the list.
In fact, it might be the crowds that are putting locals off: notoriously chaotic destinations such as Harrods, Camden Town and China Town were also included.
Other famous spots including Notting Hill, HMS Belfast and Westminster Abbey also made the list.
And, while 76 per cent have seen many landmarks from afar, they say they’ve never gotten up close and personal, and taken a look in more detail.
Of course, if we’re not heading off to these world-renowned sights every weekend, it begs the question: what are we doing with our time instead?
Well, the research found that 71% of locals say they prefer the more low-key things about the city: our local pubs, food markets, and the city decorated at Christmas time were all cited.
We also love seeing wildlife in the city, the view of the skyline from Primrose Hill, and an empty tube carriage or platform.
And while we might not be heading off to the top tourist attractions, we’re still big fans of London town. One in six said they live for the buzz and energy of the city, and 87% say they’re hugely proud of the capital.
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