Ten really, really secret things to see in London

At first glance, there seems little reason to venture down Dansey Place, a little back lane in Chinatown mainly filled with the rubbish bins of surrounding restaurants. But look past these and you'll find a number of shops that could be straight out of Beijing. Near the Macclesfield Street end, boxes of Chinese veg reveal a couple who sell groceries out of their front room. Halfway down is an excellent fishmonger with tanks of enormous lobsters and bundles of razor clams. And at the Wardour Street end, there's Lo's noodle factory, where you pay less than £2 for a huge bag of the freshest ho fun or cheung fun, straight from the tiny factory where it's been made since 1978.

Did you know? London's Chinatown wasn't always where it is today. In the eighteenth century Chinese sailors settled in Limehouse, and the city's community remained in the area until after the Second World War.

If you're feeling harrowed by an encounter with the Borough Market crowds (heaven knows what's in those choc-dipped strawberries) then this secret alleyway will offer the respite you need. Hidden between two housing estates, Gibbon's Rent is a shady cut-through that's full of lustrous evergreens and flowering shrubs, thriving in pots cared for by local residents. Sit on a bench and enjoy tranquil views of The Shard, framed by greenery.  

Did you know? Look inside an old wardrobe and you'll find a mini community library: perfect for a relaxing read amongst the green.

Although from the outside 18 Stafford Terrace looks like every other house in this otherwise unremarkable west London street, stepping through the door is like passing through a wormhole into the late Victorian era. The inside of this townhouse has been left largely unchanged since cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne lived there until his death in 1910. Remarkably, generations which followed haven't modernised or disposed of the family's papers, leaving the home a freeze-frame of middle-class aestheticism in the middle of Kensington.

Did you know? You're just an eight minute walk away from the similarly splendid nearby Leighton House: you can purchase a joint ticket to get a double dose of Victorian gorgeousness. Just be prepared to come home with a yearning to cover your dwelling in William Morris wallpapers.

Many people are born, grow up and die in London without ever contemplating a trip to Penge, but more fool them. This south east suburb is full of charm and history. Right by Penge East train station, you'll discover this delightful passion project of a garden centre, groaning with vintage trinkets and blooming with flowers. The site is divided into a series of intimate rooms with reclaimed wooden window frames, stained glass filtering on the plants and cast iron tea tables. Pick up a plant, browse the treasures in the gift shop (from luscious Sicilian lemon-shaped soaps to designer Franchi seeds) or tuck into a cup of tea and a freshly baked slice of cake.

Did you know? Before gardener John Parker rescued it in 2012, this site had been derelict since the 1970s, and many locals believed it was haunted. Look closely and you'll find relics from this Victorian spot's past, hidden amongst the leaves.

Fitzroy Square is home to that most elusive of prizes in London: a good hot meal for less than a tenner. Although it seems wrong to waltz into the Indian YMCA when you're not staying there, rest assured: anyone is allowed to eat in its no-frills canteen. So take a seat at one of the dining hall tables, along with the student and businessman regulars. There are usually a couple of curries to choose from, supplemented with rice and chapati. That should keep you going until dinnertime, no problem.

Did you know? Gandhi spoke at the Indian YMCA during his visit to London in 1931 - though it was based in Gower Street back then, so he would have missed out on the current place's £3.20 dal.

Hollywood's spotlight recently shone on Postman's Park, when it became the spot where Jude Law and Natalie Portman got ‘Closer’. But even so, this secret City garden flies way under the radar for most city-dwellers. It's the singular vision of Victorian artist George Frederic Watts, who created ceramic plaques designed to honour ordinary people who'd died, trying to save someone else's life. Between 1887 and 1931, he hunted down stories of drowning children or fine ladies whose dresses caught fire - and paid tribute to the ordinary heroes who rescued them, in an era where memorials were generally reserved for the wealthy and titled. He only managed to create 54 plaques before his death, but there are spaces for 66 more: time for another crusading artist to take on the mantle?

Did you know Unexpectedly, the park's name is nothing to do with the ordinary people it commemorates. It's a reminder that it was once the favoured lunch spot for employees of a nearby Post Office.

Galleries tend to squirrel away works that aren't on display, but at the Tate Britain Prints and Drawings Room you can get up close and personal with its vast archive. That means you can flick through Turner's sketchbooks and preparatory watercolours. You have to make an appointment and know what you want to see, but that little bit of homework is well worth it for a chance to hold a piece of unseen art history.

Did you know? While there's plenty to see here, there could have been more - when the Tate was flooded in 1928, many works were damaged or lost forever.

Amid the well-heeled shoppers and backpack-toting tourists, there's a room that only a few make it to on the fourth floor of Liberty that's quite unlike anything else in central London. The rug room is draped in handmade Oriental and Persian rugs that you half-expect to fly off with you on a quest for an enchanted lamp. You might be just off Regent Street, but it feels like a souk in Marrakesh.

Did you know? The world's most expensive rug is the Persian Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet, which sold for $33,765,000(around £22.2m) at auction in 2013. At £200,000, Liberty's priciest floor-filler is a snip by comparison.

Down a perfectly normal-looking street in east Dulwich you'll find a perfectly not-normal-looking abode known as the House of Dreams. Taking the concept of one man's trash being another man's treasure and running with it, artist Stephen Wright is in the process of covering every available surface of his home in his kitschy mosaics. Whether it's abandoned dolls or pen lids, everything here comes together in a magical hideaway that's only open to the public a few days each year. 

Did you know? One display includes lines from Wright's diary, including one devastating passage written in the hours after his partner, Donald Jones, passed away.

Even at the height of summer, when every scrap of green space in the city seems to have been claimed by a sun-worshipping Londoner, you can still find a quiet spot in historic Sydenham Hill Wood. The last remaining part of the ancient Great North Wood (which once covered all of south London from Deptford to Selhurst) this nine-hectare patch of dense woodland, crisscrossed with pathways, is one of the capital's most atmospheric outdoor areas. To add to the magic, if you walk far enough into the woods, you'll come across the curious faux-ruins of a Victorian folly. 

Did you know? A disused railway tunnel among the trees is apparently home to roosting bats. Don't let that put you off visiting, though.