The Garden at 120

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In the Easter holidays we had an overnight stay in London to go to the Tower of London and tick off a few other places we’d heard about and wanted to see. Our first stop was The Garden at 120 and we couldn’t wait to see London from a whole new perspective.

What is the Garden at 120?

The Garden at 120 is a free to visit rooftop garden in the City of London that is open to the public. It’s rare to find free activities in London, especially ones that are really worth visiting – and I think the Garden at 120 is a real hidden gem!

Where is the Garden at 120?

The Garden at 120 is at 120 Fenchurch Street. It is situated 15th floor of the building at 10 Fenchurch Avenue in the City of London, next to fen Court. It’s an easy walking distance from the Tower of London, The Sky Garden, Monument and so many other London attractions.

The closest tube stations would be Aldgate or Monument, Tower Gateway on the DLR or Fenchurch Street railway station. It’s a really easily accessible place to visit.

Our Garden at 120 experience

After we’d dropped our case off at our hotel we made our way to the Garden at 120 – with a little snack stop at Leadenhall Market on the way. Buns from Home are incredible if you’re planning a trip!

We found the Garden at 120 easily and immediately loved how well organised it is – you go in one entrance and leave through a different one. This one way system made the whole entrance and exit process really straightforward.

When you arrive at the Garden at 120 you have to go through airport style security. This is simpler than it sounds and moves quickly. After that you wait for a lift and go up to the roof.

The Garden at 120 was like nothing we have experienced in London before. It’s a real rooftop oasis, a beautiful green space, complete with plants, flowers, a water feature and a layout which has been created to really make the most of the incredible views of the city.

There is seating throughout the garden and it’s a great size to be able to find a space to enjoy the peace and quiet even at busier times. We loved that there were walkways not just around the edge of the gardens but through the middle as well, meaning there was something new to look at with every turn.

The Garden at 120 gave us great views of the Walkie Talkie building, the Gherkin, the Shard and so much more of London. It’s definitely somewhere I would visit regularly if I worked in the city!

Refreshments at the Garden at 120

You’re welcome to take food and drinks into the Garden at 120 but you’re not allowed to take alcohol with you. It would be a great place for a picnic and we were so lucky to visit when the sun was shining!

There is also a bar, restaurant and deli on the 14th floor of the Garden at 120 building but it was closed when we visited – as it was early in the day. There are also toilets on the 14th floor which were clean, functional and individual unisex toilet cubicles rather than full gender specific bathrooms.

How does the Garden at 120 compare to other London viewing platforms?

We have written about the viewing platform options across London – as well as all the free viewing platforms – and are gradually ticking them off and experiencing them for ourselves. The main one everyone thinks of is The Sky Garden – which is free to visit, well advertised and extremely popular.

The main difference is that the Garden at 120 rooftop is also free to visit but with no booking required. You can just turn up and will be able to access the rooftop garden, just maybe with a short wait at peak times. This is a real bonus, especially if you are planning a last minute trip or like to just go with the flow.

Aside from that, the Garden at 120 London isn’t as high as The Sky Garden and so the views aren’t as impressive – but you do still get to see London from a new perspective and we really enjoyed it, especially as when we visited it was so much quieter than The Sky Garden – which is constantly fully booked.

We wouldn’t hesitate to visit the Garden at 120 again in the future. It was a lovely, relaxing experience in an otherwise super busy city and it was a fantastic way to kick off our break in London. It’s definitely the nicest of the London roof gardens that we have experienced so far.

You can find out more about the Garden at 120 over on their website and they also have a handy Live Footfall Counter so you can see how busy it is when you’re planning to visit too.

If you’re looking for more London day out inspiration these articles might help:

• Free Rooftop Gardens in London
• The Best Rooftop Garden Restaurants in London
• Where to have Afternoon Tea in London
• Bottomless Brunch in London
• Where to have Disney Afternoon Tea in London
• The Best Disney Things to do in London
• Animal Things to do in London
• Adventurous Things To Do in London
• Bookish Things To Do in London