Top Sustainable Activities to enjoy in Victoria, London
26 May 2023
Here at 4C Group, we’re on a path to net zero and building a sustainable future within the communities that we operate. From farmers’ markets to iconic green parks that are perfect for walking or cycling, our Victoria-based hotels are centrally located and serve as an idyllic place to enjoy some of London’s best low-carbon activities.
Best Food Markets in Victoria London
Pimlico Road Farmers’ Market
This picturesque market is hosted in a leafy square and is Time Out London’s Love London Award winner. There are approximately thirty stalls offering everything from freshly picked flowers to local honey, organic and biodynamic vegetables, freshly baked bread and cakes, free range and organic meat and poultry. You can also find the freshest fish and shellfish available in London at this market.
One of the producers trading at Pimlico Road is Bee Friends, a local family bee farmer producing raw honey and beeswax-based products. They run a number of apiaries and therefore are able to source honey locally to a number of nearby communities.
Another producer worth visiting is Spring Food Ltd who specialise in bone broth, a nutritionally dense daily intake, handcrafted in micro-batches. They work directly with small, low impact British farms with impeccable welfare and sustainability credentials.
At Pimlico Road Farmers’ Market, everything is grown, raised, or fished within 100 miles of the M25. Traders encourage visitors to bring their own bags and food containers to save using new plastic.
Rain or shine, this market is open every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.
Market Halls Victoria
If you’re looking to experience the best of London’s local food culture, visit Market Halls Victoria, a beautiful Edwardian arcade housed over three storeys hosting handpicked traders. All the meat served at Market Halls is free-range & the fish is from sustainable fisheries. They also have a rooftop terrace overlooking beautiful views of central London.
We recommend Butchies, a fun, bustling Fried Buttermilk Chicken shop; their birds are higher welfare Red Tractor accredited, and sustainably sourced from a single farm based in South Yorkshire.
We can also recommend DF Tacos, a carbon-neutral restaurant that sources only from suppliers that share its passion and integrity.
Market Halls Victoria is open daily from 9:00am to 11:00pm, located only a 10-minute walk from both our hotels in Victoria.
Cardinal Place Food Market
The Cardinal Place Food Market is the beating heart of British food culture and community in Victoria where food stalls offer a huge range of great quality hot and cold foods going well beyond traditional fish and chips. Many of the vendors are award-winning regulars within London’s local street food scene. There are plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian food options to choose from. There is a good mix of different stalls to browse through, some offering vegan and vegetarian options from around the world. The food stalls are placed just next to the Cardinal Place shops making the visitor’s trips more sustainable.
Every Thursday from 11 am – 3 pm, visitors can enjoy this gem, just a five-minute walk away easyHotel Vicotria and Comfort Inn London – Victoria hotels.
Other Food Markets Worth a Visit:
Tachbrook Street Market
Opening hours: 8am – 6pm, closed on Sundays. 42 Tachbrook St, Pimlico, SW1V 2JS.
Strutton Ground Market
Opening hours: 9am – 4pm, closed on Sundays. Stratton Ground, SW1P 2JT
Victoria Park Market
Opening hours: Sundays, 10am – 4pm. Between Bonner Gate and, Gore Rd, E2 9JW
Centrally Located Green Parks
St James’s Park
St James’s Park is the oldest royal park in London and includes The Mall and Horse Guards Parade. Visitors can spot iconic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Whitehall from the centrally located park. There are dedicated spaces to bike and jog. St Jame’s Park also offers horticultural guided tours on the park’s wildlife hidden stories, ecology, and much more.
Hyde Park London
Hyde Park is located in the heart of London, hosting world-class events and concerts throughout the year. The famed BST Hyde Park takes place every summer where musicians perform for thousands of visitors and sustainability is one of their commitments. There is a ‘no single-use plastic’ policy across the festival and bars. They also work with charity Ecolibrium to balance visitors’ fossil-fuel travel miles to the festival; these are typically the biggest contributors to an event’s carbon footprint, making up to 80% of the average festival in the UK! All donations are 100% invested directly into clean renewable energy to help tackle the environmental impacts of travel to Hyde Park.
Other notable places to walk or cycle to in Hyde Park include Kensington Palace, Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall and Serpentine Lake. Bus number 52 goes directly from Victoria to Hyde Park Corner.
Regents Park London
Regent’s Park is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Europe. It combines large open spaces with tree-lined pathways, formal gardens, and four children’s playgrounds. There are three playgrounds for sports and there is boating on the lake. Regents Park is home to wildlife with around 100 species of wild birds making it the perfect place for bird watching. The Regents Canal runs along the northern edge of Regent’s Park and borders London Zoo. The canal towpath is another sustainable way to get around London as it extends from Little Venice in the west through to Camden Lock. The park is a short bus ride from Victoria London.
Local Art and Artisans Worth a Visit
The Shepherds Bookbinders
Shepherds Bookbinders formally known as ‘Falkiner Fine Paper’ is one of the oldest bookbinding companies in England, established in 1901. The Holy Bible presented to HM Kings Charles lll during the Coronation 2023 ceremony was created at Bindery in Rochester Row. Shepherds Bookbinders are located just a stone’s throw away from both hotels. Visitors have the chance to step back in time and see a selection of bookbinding tools, archival storage products, and experience the trade skills of vintage stationary, book art, and other traditional art.
Christchurch, Lower Grosvenor and Whitehall Gardens
PC: VictoriaBID on Instagram
The London Heritage Quarter trail begins with three sculptures of a Squirrel, Hare and Badger, found in Christchurch, Lower Grosvenor and Whitehall Gardens. The sculptures have been made from sustainable materials to reflect The King’s longstanding and deep environmental concern. Visitors can explore the different animals throughout the Northbank, Victoria, Victoria Westminster and Whitehall areas. Find out more by clicking here.
Belgravia in Bloom Festival
Belgravia celebrates the start of summer with the Belgravia in Bloom Festival, returning for its eighth year and the theme is called, ‘Into the Wild‘. There will be floral installations of animals of all shapes and sizes across Belgravia. They have partnered with The London Wildlife Trust to celebrate this year’s theme. Belgravia in Bloom is more sustainable than ever before. From using biodiversity-boosting plants and British-grown flowers to donating parts of installations after the flower festival. The florist will not be using floral foam, a microplastic, in their designs. Instead, they are using plants that will provide a habitat for insects and bees to flourish. It is one of London’s free-to-attend flower festivals.
Learn more about how Belgravia In Bloom 2023 is working to be more sustainable.
Belgravia’s shops and restaurants will be blooming with floral-themed events. Belgravia is on the path towards becoming one of London’s most sustainable shopping and dining districts. There are several diverse independent boutiques and restaurants that are at the forefront of sustainable practices.
Green Journey
Our Victoria-based hotels are within easy reach of major London attractions and have direct transport links to most of the financial districts, and all major shopping areas. However, the walking and cycling paths combine quieter roads with traffic-free paths and public bikes are available for a small fee. Victoria BID offers a detailed Bicycle Parking Map which shows bicycle parking points in Victoria and Victoria Westminster BID footprints, including Santander Bike parking locations and lamp post cycle rings.
To visit Victoria from afar on foot or to walk further afield the Central London Footways map offers attractive, low-pollution walking routes. Several of the routes traverse Victoria.
Download the Cycle Parking Map PDF
Electric Vehicle Charge Points
About 4C Group
4C Group manages and develops properties and hotels in key business districts and leisure hot spots across the UK, Middle East, East Africa, and Canada. The company was formed in 2010, building on the foundations of a family property business that stretches back to the 1990s. The group’s mission is to operate sustainably and delight guests and investors, whilst striving to deliver a positive environmental and social impact within local communities.