In May 2014 British free climber James Kingston posted a video that made viewers' palms sweat: he climbed a London landmark and the crane on top of it with no safety equipment, leapt across a gap and hung by one hand above a drop reported at 490 feet (about 150 metres). Here is the story behind the clip, and the places where anyone can enjoy the same London skyline safely.

Still from James Kingston’s 2014 London crane video, high above the city
Still from James Kingston’s London crane video, May 2014.

Who is James Kingston?

Kingston is a freerunner from Southampton who describes himself as a "professional freerunner" and has practised climbing and parkour for years. He films his climbs with a body camera, which gives his videos their dizzying first-person view.

He first made headlines in June 2013, aged 22, when he climbed a crane on the Admiral's Quay construction site in Ocean Village, Southampton, and hung from it one-handed. The video passed 100,000 views and was condemned by health and safety organisations. He said he did it "for the adventure". Later climbs took him onto cranes above Los Angeles and Bangalore.

The 2014 London crane video

Gizmodo described the London clip on 28 May 2014: Kingston climbs "another London landmark plus the crane that sits on top of it", jumps a wide gap between steel members and hangs with one arm over the city. The view, the site wrote, "puts everything in perspective".

The footage was shot on a working construction site, closed to the public. The city's best views are open to everyone at the free and ticketed viewpoints below.

Horizon 22 sits on Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate, the 278-metre tower completed in 2020 and the second-tallest building in the UK. At about 254 metres, it is London's highest free public viewing gallery.

  • Entry is free; book a time slot online. Paid extras include a guide to the view and a glass of bubbles.
  • Opening hours: 10:00–18:00 on weekdays, 10:00–17:00 on Saturday and 10:00–16:00 on Sunday.
  • Start by finding the Thames, then pick out Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral and The Shard.

For photos through glass, hold the lens close to the window and wear dark clothes to cut reflections.

Greenwich Park: the classic view from the hill

Greenwich Park, enclosed in 1433, is the oldest of London's eight Royal Parks and part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. From the hilltop beside the Royal Observatory, founded by Charles II in 1675, you look over the former Royal Hospital and the Thames to Canary Wharf and the City. Writer Simon Jenkins ranked it among the top ten views in England. The statue of General Wolfe marks the best spot, and the Prime Meridian runs right past the Observatory.

Reach the park from Cutty Sark DLR station or Maze Hill rail station. At the foot of the hill, the Queen's House next to the National Maritime Museum holds the elegant Tulip Stairs, featured in our guide to distinctive stairways. The London city guide has more ideas for building a day around these sights.

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