Keeping the peace

Wellness

Από Suzanne Duckett

Απρίλιος 30, 2025

The pull of London is its relentless energy: a mentality of places to go, people to see and things to do. The key is to invest some time to catch your breath, rest and reset. Here are some secret spots where you can do just that while connecting on another level to the heart of the city

Divine intervention

St Columba’s Church of Scotland, Pont Street
A short stroll from Harrods past the smart stucco houses of Walton Street stands this elegant Grade II-listed, Neo-Gothic church. Within the busy thrum of Knightsbridge, St Columba’s feels like a beacon of peace wherever you hail from and whatever your religion, persuasion or tradition. The pale exterior stonework and whitewashed interior set the calm tone – all are invited to rest, reflect and reconnect by slipping into a back pew and sitting in contemplation. Or if you are lucky enough to pass by on a Sunday, tune into one of the lunchtime classical music recitals.

The secret garden

Mount Street Gardens
A little beauty spot and public garden off Mount Street in the heart of Mayfair that is so sheltered that it has its own slightly warmer microclimate. This explains the collection of more exotic trees and shrubs including a thriving Australian mimosa. Meander down footpaths created in 1889 and gaze at the horse-topped water fountain sculpted in 1891. There’s also a terrifically tropical looking Canary Island palm that manages to survive the British winter unchecked.

Elevated calm

Brown Hart Gardens
In 1889 a public garden for local residents was built on this site in Mayfair (then called Duke Street Gardens), just off Oxford Street. In 1903, Westminster Electricity Supply Company erected a substation and, to compensate disgruntled local residents, built a new park on the roof. The terraced garden has been resurfaced with French Villebois limestone and flower-filled raised planters, but still has a number of old-school rules that stand today prohibiting, among other things, “games, quarrelling, shouting, singing, and the practice of gymnastics”. Here, peace prevails.

Thoughtful therapy

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
Building inner strength through connection is the theme for Mandarin Oriental’s Global Wellness Day, with complimentary activities designed to encourage mindfulness and resilience through interaction with nature or the community. In The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London, book in for the Tranquillity of Mayfair treatment, where two therapists work together with synchronised massage movements to deeply relax the body. After the human touch, state-of-the-art vibrational therapy uses tech to quieten the mind.

The Albert Memorial in Hyde Park on a summer day.

Green and serene

The Bowling Green, Hyde Park
The gardens by the bowling green offer quiet and solitude and when people are playing lawn bowls, a sort of moving meditation. “It’s a peaceful pocket that is so good for the soul, especially with a cup of tea or a flat white in hand,” says Phil Newcombe, Assistant Park Manager. Those seeking more active relaxation to boost their wellbeing should make for the six floodlit hard tennis courts and one padel court that can be booked on a ‘pay and play’ basis.

Natural healing

Wildflower Meadow, Hyde Park
Away from the waterside hustle and bustle of the Serpentine and the criss-crossing paths of the parade ground, a wildflower meadow emerges to the southeast of Kensington Palace from early May through to September. In this biodiversity hotspot, the flowers – including red and white clover, poppies, campion and ox-eye daisies – are immensely beneficial to pollinators and other insects who can struggle to find shelter (and food) in the big city. “This is my favourite part of Hyde Park,” says Joanna Grant, Assistant Park Manager. “I like to come and sit on a bench when the sun is out and take a mindful moment to listen to the bees, the birds and the wind in the long grasses and the trees.”

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Suzanne Duckett

Suzanne Duckett is the former editor of Tatler Spa Guide and the beauty and wellbeing director for magazines including Good Housekeeping. She writes lead health and lifestyle articles for The Times, The Telegraph and the Daily Mail.