London, Uk: 11 Free Things To Do In Camden Town

If you find yourself in Camden, you are either a citizen or a visitor. Either way, you must understand how the town operates. Have you ever thought of having free fun in any town you have visited? These free things to do in Camden town will be well worth it. Well, even if they are not fun to you; they are still free so, you don’t have anything to lose.

There are people who don’t like missing out on free things and it is not a bad thing, after all, you are paying with your time.

Well, it is a common knowledge that London is a city of incredible music and football culture. It has a very rich cultural heritage and it is a circular state.

For those that really know, Camden is about the capital of music in the UK. Their specialty is rock and punk music. I can tell you that there are so many free things to do in Camden and it is generally a funky area. You will find more on this here.

It is a great town for eating, watching people, partying and listening to some very good music. You should absolutely check it out.

I must be honest with you, London is freaking expensive. Little wonder people who have little hardly get by in the city. However, Camden town is a good alternative and it is quite popular among students.

The reasons for this are not far-fetched; it is one of the (if not the cheapest) boroughs in London, it is quite fabulous, it is very close to central London, just about 35 minutes to Oxford street and it is very connected.

Apart from the fact that there are free things to do in Camden town, you should note that things are reasonably cheap in the town when you compare them with some other towns. However, they are still costly if you compare them with the international standard.

We know that Camden has lots of things to offer you at little or no cost but you will need to understand what it is they have. We will look at some of the free things to do in Camden town but before that, we should shed some light on the history and demographics of the town. I believe you will enjoy that.

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A Little Background Information on Camden Town

Camden is a term that represents the entire borough and it is located in Northwest London,     England. In the London plan, Camden is identified as among the 34 centers that make up the Greater London. It will interest you to know that Camden is the administrative center of the London Borough of Camden.

Camden town rose to prominence during the development of the railways and it is well positioned in the London canal network. It is a residential district that was laid out in 1791 and it was part of the Kentish town. It was also known for its industrial economic base but most of it has been replaced by service industries (entertainment, retail, tourism). It is the center of street markets and it has music venues that are affiliated with the alternative music.

The town is named after Charles Pratt. He was the 1^st Earl of Camden and a lawyer and politician in the 18^th century. It was his Earldom that became the town of Camden. It is located very close to Chislehurst in Kent. It now stands on what was initially the manor of Kentish Town.

There is the Camden Markets that began in 1973 and has grown very large since then. They attract lots of visitors. It is no wonder that many visitors and locals come together to look for treasures in these markets, they also walk by Regent’s Canal, check out food from around the world and take time to listen to great live music. It is home to many famous people.

Some of the famous places in Camden town include; Street art that is near the Camden market, very close to the electric ballroom are the Punks and the Ambedkar house. A visit to the Roundhouse which is an erstwhile locomotive engine roundhouse and it was constructed in 1847.

It was constructed for the London & North Western Railway. The St Pancras old church, St Michael’s church, Greater London House, Jewish museum, Arlington House etc are some of the other places you can visit.

You will also find Camden street markets and there are so many of them at your disposal. There is the Inverness Street Market, the Camden Lock market, Buck street market, Stables market, Camden Lock village and one indoor market located in the electric ballroom.

Lastly, you will find lots of means of transportation in Camden town. You will have options to choose from based on the routes you want to take. The underground transport will see you explore the Camden town tube station and it is near the markets. You can also use the rail transport, road transport, and the Regent Canal

As you are well aware of, we are concentrating on free things to in Camden town and most of the information above doesn’t necessarily say much about that. It is not a bother. Everything is not free and there are times you would want to get certain things or services of value and you should know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

We shall concentrate our efforts now on the free things to do in Camden town. You may not like some of them, but there must a couple that will intrigue you. However, I want you to know that some of them may not be entirely free. Some will require you to pay a token but they are still regarded as free because the price is a far cry from what they should be.

In case you are trying to get into London or you are already there and you have Camden Town in mind, I would suggest that you get through this list. It is specifically good for students and those on budget. Therefore, if you have money to spend, the better, because there will more to gain and Camden is still receptive and will take you to places of considerable fun.

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Free Things To Do In London

1. You can enjoy the street art

I love art. I don’t know about you. As a student, it was my hobby to visit the department of Fine and Applied Arts. I really don’t know if you love it too but I can tell you that many people do. London is great and art is seen all over the streets in London.

You may have heard of wonders of art in East London especially, in Shore ditch. Some even refer to it the hub of street art. Well, this shouldn’t mean that it is the only place you will find art in London. It is my firm belief that Camden deserves a lot of credit for its street art.

I will tell you why. In Camden town, you will find a work of three-eyed pig sited above. Three-eyed pig! That sounds like something right? Well, that is not all. There is this great artist named Bansky and any lover of art must know that name. His works are all scattered around in Camden town.

If you will feel like you want free things to do in Camden, you can take some time to check out these great works without extra cost. Just maybe your transport fare.

2. Pay a visit to the Art Gallery

Art can be seen in the streets but they are not all in the street. That is the rationale behind having galleries where art can be displayed. Visiting an art gallery will cost little or nothing. It is one of the free things you do in Camden town.

When you visit the Lock market, you will need to pay a visit to Proud. Proud is an art gallery during the day and turns to a night club in the night. Again, you can try out the Camden Arts Centre which is totally free. More importantly, you can attend their workshops if you are a lover of art and it is totally free.

3. Cyberdog is there to be visited

 If you don’t visit the art gallery or take a walk around the street art, you could check out the Cyberdog. The experience that awaits you is indescribable. The moment you open green-tinted doors, you will see amazing things that await you. You are allowed to go around and see the wonders there free or you could pick one or two things at very little cost.

It sells a lot of amazing things. The neon rave attire, the hair dyes especially Manic Panic hair dyes, ice makers (the skull-shaped ones), and some other items can be found in the shop. You will find shop keepers that are dressed like they are from the future. A trip to that place will convince you.

4. Try watching people

Some people have the hobby of sight-seeing especially as it concerns watching people and Camden town is full of a lot of interesting people. There are so many Weirdos in the town. Just imagine that you just sit somewhere and watch people of interest and you don’t have to pay a dime to do that.

In Camden Town, you will be reminded that it is the epicenter of all things alternative. The people living there have continued to maintain that in a very lovable and unforgettable way.

You will see adorable tourists donned by sock and sandals, the Goths will also come your way and you will see hippies. Technically speaking, you are bound to see all kinds of subcultures except the hipsters. You can go to Hackney if you want to find them.

5. You can eat up

There is the option of eating food at little or no cost. It is one of the free things to do in Camden town. Here is the deal; you will find out that there are over 100 food stalls in the town and they are all competing for customers.

A strategy they all employ is to shout openly to get customers and they hand out samples. Imagine having to say yes to everybody that asks you to have a taste of what they are selling, you would have enough to eat for a day. It is about fun and not because of hunger. You can just walk about if you feel like it.

6. Try out outdoor gym and get fit for free

Many people are scared of going to the gym not because they don’t want to get fit but because they cannot afford it. This is quite common among the students. They resort to just joggings and other indoor and outdoor exercises that do not require any funds.

The good news for those in Camden town and are looking for free things to do in Camden is that they can have all that a gym can offer. It costs very little or nothing to have a go at your local outdoor gym in Camden. You don’t have to pay any membership fees to become part of this arrangement. It is a good way to get fit if you are on budget.

If you need to see the local outdoor gyms in Camden town, you can check them out here.

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7. You can become part of a running group

We cannot all like outdoor gym and it is just the simple truth. But that doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the free things to do in Camden town. One of those things is joining a running group. It will be very interesting to do that.

Fortunately, there are many running groups in the city. You can join any of the many multiple initiatives in the town that give free classes for beginners. An example is the Mornington Chasers. More so, you can become a part of a running club and one of them is the ParkRun. Parkrun organizes free sessions for runners all around the town.

8. Become part of community gardening

For those who like going green, here is something for you. There are many community gardening groups in Camden town and you can become part of one. That way, you can help the town look better and produce better fruits and vegetables. I don’t need to emphasize that it is totally free. In most cases, there are little financial gains too but not always.

Remember you are looking for free things to do in Camden town and this is absolutely one of them with a little incentive. You can join the Calthorpe Project or the Bring Back The Butterflies project and help the society become better. Growing some green fingers wouldn’t be bad now, right?

9. Visit the welcome collection’s reading room and relax

I love reading. It interests and enlightens the mind. For you, I don’t know what you love doing but if reading is one of them, then you are in great luck because it is one of the free things you can do in Camden town. I know you are wondering why it should make the list but you do know that it is costly to access great books online and offline.

A visit to the welcome collection offers the chance to be in a very quiet environment with lots of books. You will be presented with a digital catalogue and you can access any book of your interest for free when you sign the guest book. It will be a little restricted though and you can get unlimited resources when you get a membership.

More importantly, you can use their free WiFi and printing is also allowed. When you visit the home page of Wellcome Collection on Love Camden, you will see a good description of their offer.

10. Attend lectures at UCL lunch hour lectures

Other than reading books, you can also broaden your knowledge by engaging in lectures. In Camden, attending lunch hour lectures is one of the free things to do in Camden town. One of the providers of the lectures is UCL. There is an array of amazing researches been done at UCL and it offers you a great way to invest while eating your lunch.

The function on first-come-first-serve basis and they provide you with a good way to have a quality time while having fun. You will make your lunch quite impactful and you can also check out more options and your time will count and you don’t pay for it which makes it even better. UCL Lunch Hour Lectures are quite impactful, you should try it out.

11. Visit and take books from your local library

If you cannot visit Wellcome Collection, you can visit your local libraries and find some books of interest which you can read or take home. You must be a member before you can take home some books. Did your heart skip a beat? Relax man, membership is free.

In your local libraries, there are so many things on the table.  You will get books, newspapers, magazines, free WiFi and more importantly, look up exhibitions happening at Swiss Cottage Library. You will see the one closest to you here.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that you don’t have to be rich to enjoy the fun happening around you. Being rich is about the best because you get most things that you want. As students, you may not be rich so don’t go about feeling bad about it. So, get your ass up, move around and enjoy the things you can because when you become rich, you will wish you had taken your chances.