Early Spring in London: The City Wakes Up
Early spring in London is a hopeful time. The days are getting longer, the first blossom is appearing, and there’s a collective sense that the worst of winter is finally behind us.
The first signs
Crocuses in the parks, lighter evenings, people lingering outside again. March is all about those small signals that the city is coming back to life.
Get outside early
Don’t wait for full summer. The first mild days of March are worth grabbing with both hands, even if you still need a coat. For more in this vein, have a look at a spring evening done right.
A fresh start
Spring has a way of resetting how you feel about London. After a grey winter, the city looks new again, and it’s the perfect time to explore.
Where the blossom shows up first
St James’s Park and Greenwich Park tend to lead the way each year, with early blossom appearing well before the more famous cherry trees further out get going. Battersea Park and the Regent’s Canal towpath are also worth a walk in March, and they’re a lot quieter than the big-name spots, which makes for a more pleasant stroll if you’d rather not share the path with a crowd of people taking the same photo. It’s still worth checking a local blossom tracker online before you head out, since the exact timing shifts by a week or two depending on how mild the winter’s been.
Markets start to feel different too. Borough Market and the smaller weekend markets across the city swap out some of the heavier winter produce for the first of the season’s greens, and a few start setting up outdoor seating again once the worst of the cold has passed. It’s a small thing, but eating outside for the first time in months genuinely feels like a milestone this time of year.
What to actually wear
March weather in London is genuinely difficult to dress for, swinging from a bright fifteen degree afternoon to a bitter wind within the same day. Layering properly matters more here than almost any other month. A base layer, a jumper and a coat that can come off and get carried gives you the flexibility to handle whatever the day throws at you, rather than committing to one outfit at breakfast and regretting it by 4pm.
Fewer crowds, better prices
Early spring is genuinely one of the better times to visit London if you’d rather avoid the summer crush. Hotel rates tend to dip after the winter holiday season and before the Easter rush, flights are cheaper, and the main attractions are noticeably less packed than they’ll be by May. If flexibility on dates is an option, the first two or three weeks of March in particular tend to offer some of the best value of the entire year, with the added bonus of that first hint of spring in the air.
Whatever you plan for, keep the itinerary loose enough to wander when the sun does come out. Some of the best March afternoons in London happen when you drop the plan and just enjoy the unexpected warmth.
You might also enjoy our guide to Things to Do in Brighton if you are still planning your itinerary.
