Tottenham Court Rd., Russell Square, or Holborn. Tours by request. Free. Small suggested donation. Prices for events and exhibitions vary. Museum open daily 10am-5:30pm. Select exhibitions and displays open Th and F until 8:30pm. Paul Hamlyn Library open M-W 10am-5:30pm, Th 10am-8:30pm, F noon-8:30pm, Sa 10am-7:30pm.
THE BRITISH LIBRARY
96 Euston Rd.
LIBRARY
020 7412 7676 www.bl.uk
Castigated during its long construction by traditionalists for being too modern and by moderns for being too traditional, the new British Library building (opened in 1998) now impresses all nay-sayers with its stunning interior. The 65,000 volumes of the King’s Library, collected by George III and bequeathed to the nation in 1823 by his less bookish son, George IV, are displayed in a glass cube toward the rear. The sunken plaza out front features an enormous and somewhat strange statue of Newton, and also hosts a series of free concerts and events. The heart of the library is underground, with 12 million books on 200 miles of shelving; the above-ground brick building is home to cavernous reading rooms and an engrossing museum. In the Literature Corner of the museum, find Shakespeare’s first folio, Lewis Carroll’s handwritten manuscript of Alice in Wonderland (donated by Alice herself), and Virginia Woolf’s handwritten notes to Mrs. Dalloway (then called The Hours). Music-lovers visiting the museum will appreciate Handel’s handwritten Messiah, Mozart’s marriage contract, Beethoven’s tuning fork, and a whole display dedicated to the Beatles, including the original handwritten lyrics to “A Hard Day’s Night”—scrawled on the back of Lennon’s son Julian’s first birthday card. In the museum, the original copy of the Magna Carta has its own room with accompanying Papal Bull that Pope Innocent III wrote in response. Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks are in the Science section, while one of 50 known Gutenberg Bibles is in the Printing section.
Euston Sq. or King’s Cross St. Pancras. Free Wi-Fi. To register for use of reading room, bring 2 forms of ID—1 with a signature and 1 with a home address. Open M 9:30am-6pm, Tu 9:30am-8pm, W-F 9:30am-6pm, Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm. Group tours (up to 15 people) Tu and Th at 10:30am and 2:30pm, £85 per group; call 020 7412 7639 to book. Individual tours M, W, and F 11am, free; booking recommended; call 019 3754 6546 to book.
Chelsea
SAATCHI ART GALLERY
Duke of York Sq.
ART GALLERY
020 7811 3085 www.saatchigallery.co.uk
It’s rare to find a free gallery of this caliber. The rooms are cavernous and bright, providing ample space for each installation. The gallery focuses on contemporary art, all taken from Charles Saatchi’s collection. If you see something you really like, be sure to check out the shop where many of the works are condensed into pocket-sized forms. There are 3-4 shows a year, and the pieces run the gamut from paintings, to sculptures, to really frightening installations of plaster people hunched in corners. If you really want to experience the Saatchi Gallery, stand next to one of the wax/plaster humanoid sculptures and argue with it. Sure, it’s weird, but is it art?
Sloane Sq. Go straight once out of the tube and continue onto King’s Rd. Free as the wind. Open M-F 10am-5:50pm, Su-Sa 10am-5:45pm.
CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDENS
66 Royal Hospital Rd.
BOTANICAL GARDENS
020 7352 5646 www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk
The physic gardens are some of the oldest botanic gardens in Europe. Established in 1673 by a society of apothecaries, the gardens contain pharmaceutical and perfumery plant beds, tropical plant greenhouses, Europe’s oldest rock garden, and a total of 5000 different plants. The garden was also important to the establishment of the tea industry in India, but apart from that, they’re simply beautiful, peaceful, and well worth a visit.
Sloane Sq. Left onto Lower Sloane St.; right onto Royal Hospital Rd. Call ahead to arrange wheelchair-accessible visits. Free guided tours, depending on availability of guides. £8; children, students, and the unemployed £5; under 5 free. Open Apr 1-Oct 31 W-F noon-5pm, Su noon-6pm.
Holborn and Clerkenwell
THE TEMPLE
Between Essex St. and Temple Ave.
SIGHT
020 7427 4820 www.templechurch.com,
www.middletemple.org.uk
The Temple was a complex of buildings established by the Knights Templar, catapulted into stardom by The Da Vinci Code. Established as the English seat for the order in 1185, the buildings were leased to lawyers after the order ended in 1307, and the site is now devoted to legal and parliamentary offices. The medieval church, gardens, and Middle Temple Hall are open to the public. The 1681 Fountain Court is a place for peaceful reflection and was featured in Dickens’s Martin Chizzlewit. Also beautiful is Elm Court, the small garden enclosed by stone structures. Originally used as a stable for the Knights Templar, Middle Temple Hall became a bit more distinguished later when Shakespeare acted in the premiere of Twelfth Night there.
Temple. Go to the Victoria Embankment, turn left and turn left at Temple Ln. 1hr. tours Tu-F at 11am (but not in Aug and Sept when the church is closed); book tours ahead of time. You can book to stay for lunch if you are appropriately dressed. Church and tours free. Middle Temple Hall open M-F 10am-noon and 3-4pm, except when in use. Su service 11:15am. Hours for church vary, but are posted oustide. Organ recitals W 1:15-1:45pm. No services in Aug and Sept.
ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE
Where Strand becomes Fleet St.
HISTORICAL SITE
020 7947 7684
This stunning Neo-Gothic structure was designed by G.E. Street and was opened by Queen Victoria on December 4, 1882. It is home to more than 1000 rooms, and 3.5 mi. of corridor. Justice had better be pretty swift with all the walking it takes to get anywhere in this building. Supposedly, a tributary of the Fleet River, the namesake of Fleet St., runs beneath the building. It is also famous for its large and beautiful mosaic. Guests can sit in the back two rows of the court rooms and listen to the proceedings if court is in session. Order!
Temple. Right onto Temple Pl., left onto Arundel st., right onto Strand. There is a sign with wheelchair accessibility and routes in the entrance to the main building off the Strand. Tours (usually on 1st and 3rd Tu of every month) £10; should be booked in advance. Open M-F 9am-4:30pm.
Kensington and Earl’s Court
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
Cromwell Rd.
GALLERY MUSEUM
020 7942 2000 www.vam.ac.uk
The V and A is one of the most bizarre and all-encompassing museums out there. Originally founded because the director, Henry Cole, wanted to promote different design ideas to the British public, the V and A has examples of styles from all around the world and is as much about the making of things as it is about the artifacts themselves. The many galleries include Asia, Europe, The British Galleries, Modern, and The Fashion Gallery. With such specific topics, who could possibly be interested in the collections? The Asia gallery features everything from ornate, gold Buddhist shrines to traditional suits of armor. Especially popular is the beautiful Iranian Ardabil Carpet, which is lit for 10min. every hour. The Europe gallery features the gorgeous Hereford Screen, which is 11m long and 10.5m high, and depicts Christ’s Ascension. The British Galleries showcase the ever-popular Great Bed of Ware, which, for a bed, was a remarkably big deal back in 1596 when the first mention of it was made.
South Kensington. Take a right onto Thurloe Pl. and turn left on Exhibition Rd. The museum is to your right across Cromwell Rd. Wheelchair-accessible guides available at the Grand Entrance Information Desk. Exhibit on “Diaghileu and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909-1929” from Sept 25 to Jan 9. Free, with the exception of the special exhibitions, which are generally £6-£10. Open M-Th 10am-5:45pm, F 10am-10pm, Sa-Su 10am-5:45pm. National Art Library Tu-Th 10am-5:30pm, F 10am-6:30pm, Sa 10am-5:30pm. Free daily tours available; look at screens in entrances for times.
SCIENCE MUSEUM
Exhibition Rd., South Kensington
MUSEUM
087 0870 4868 www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
The Science Museum is an exciting look at the history and cutting edge of the discipline. Featuring tons of cool, interactive displays (granted, many of these are directed at children), the Science Museum has myriad valuable and historic artifacts from all areas of science; including many that you won’t even realize you wanted to see until you’ve seen them. A Newcomen-type atmospheric engine dwarfs its surroundings in the Energy Gallery, and the space galleries remind visitors of all ages of the excitement of space travel through their history of rockets and artifacts like a V2 Engine from 1944, and things like wrist watches used on the Apollo missions. Learn about Charles Babbage English, the man responsible for mechanical calculators and shoes for walking on water (conspiracy theorists will be disappointed once reminded that he lived long after Jesus). And if you were wondering what an inventor’s brain looks like (we hope this isn’t on your mind), they have one in a jar!
South Kensington. Take a right onto Thurloe Pl. and turn left onto Exhibition Rd. The museum is to your left just past the Natural History Museum. A climate change exhibit will open in Nov. The museum also features a popular IMAX cinema. Tickets to IMAX 3D shows £8, children £6.25. Concession £6.25. Open daily 10:00am-6:0pm. Last admission at 5:30pm, but it starts closing at 5:40pm.
SAINT MARY ABBOTS
High St. Kensington
CHURCH
020 7937 5136 www.stmaryabbotschurch.org
This gorgeous and silent church sits on a site where Christians have worshipped for 1000 years. Designed in 1873 by a famous Victorian architect, Sir George Gilbert, the church is known for its beautiful and simple stained glass by Clayton and Bell and the scorch marks of the 1944 bombing that are visible in the pews. Fridays from 1-2pm musicians from the Royal Academy of Music perform for free.
High St. Kensington. Right onto Kensington High St., left onto Kensington Church St. M 8:30am-6pm, Tu 8:30am-6pm, W-F 7:10am-6pm, Sa 9:40am-6pm, Su 8am-6pm.
Knightsbridge and Belgravia
APSLEY HOUSE
Hyde Park Corner
HISTORICAL SITE, MUSEUM GALLERY
020 7499 5676 www.english-heritage.org.uk
Named for Baron Apsley, the house later known as “No.1, London” was bought in 1817 by the Duke of Wellington, whose heirs still occupy a modest suite on the top floor. The house is a stunning architectural triumph, from the gilded mirrors to the gilded oval spiral staircase. Perhaps the most fantastic of all the valuable collections in the house is Wellington’s art collection, much of which he received from monarchs around Europe after the Battle of Waterloo. One of the most sought after pieces is Velazquez’s beautiful The Water-Seller of Seville, which he painted in 1600. Throughout the house you can find various trinkets, such as a silver-gilt dessert plate bearing Napoleon’s arms, the key to the city of Pamplona (granted after the Duke captured the city), the death masks of Wellington and Napoleon, and a stunning 6.7m Egyptian service set, given by Napoleon to Josephine as a divorce present. Scholars maintain that the dessert service was meant as a mean joke about Josephine’s weight. It’s huge.
Hyde Park Corner. Arch is wheelchair-accessible; house is not. Complimentary audio tours. June 18th is Wellington Day, so check for special events. £6, joint ticket with Wellington Arch £7.40; concessions £5.10, concession joint with Wellington Arch £6.30; children £3, joint £3.70; family joint £18.50. Open W-Su Apr-Oct 11am-5pm; Nov-Mar 11am-4pm. Last entry 30min. before closing.
SERPENTINE BOATING LAKE
Hyde Park
LAKE BOATING
020 7262 1330 www.theboathouselondon.co.uk
Created in memory of Queen Caroline between 1727 and 1731, the Serpentine Boating Lake is one of the most beautiful parts of Hyde Park. Rented boats drift lazily across the placid waters as fat waterfowl battle it out on the shore for pieces of bread. Boats can be rented and taken out for any amount of time. Be sure to check out the nearby Rose Garden.
Hyde Park Corner. Hyde Park. Pedal boats and row boats £7 per person per 30min., £9 per person per hr. Open daily 10am-6pm (earlier in low season). Stays open later depending on weather. Boats don’t go out if it’s raining. Closed in Dec.
Marylebone and Regent’s Park
THE REGENT’S PARK
Regent’s Park
PARK
020 7486 7905 www.royalparks.org.uk
In 1811, the Prince Regent commissioned the parks as private gardens, and hired John Nash to design them. However, in 1841, the parks were opened to the public, and the city lives all the better for it. Locals, pigeons, thirty couples of herons, and tourists alike frolic among the 10,000 wild flowers and 50 acres of pitches and courts. Queen Mary’s Garden houses the national collection of delphiniums as well as a gorgeous collection of 30,000 roses. It is also home to an interesting strain of pink flower known as Sexy Rexy. The park’s popular open-air theater is the setting for all kinds of shows, the screams from the more dramatic performances intermingling with those of children deprived too long of ice cream.
Regent’s Park. Call 020 7486 8117 for information on the deck chairs. Book plays through www.openairtheatre.com. Deck chair £1.50 per hr., £4 per 3hr., £7 per 1 day. Boats £6.50 per 1hr., £4.85 per 1½hr. Park open daily 5am-dusk. Boating lake open Mar-Oct 10:30am-7pm.
THE WALLACE COLLECTION
Manchester Sq.
GALLERY
030 7563 9552 www.wallacecollection.org
Housed in the palatial Hereford House, the Wallace Collection features an array of paintings, porcelain, and armor collected by over five generations of the Wallace family and bequeathed to the nation by Sir Richard Wallace in 1897. The mansion’s stunning collection is rendered even more dazzling by its grand gilded setting.
Marble Arch. Left onto Oxford St., left on Duke St., right onto Manchester Sq. Private tours W, Sa, Su 11:30am and 3pm; call for details. Gallery free. Suggested donation £5. Audio tours £4. Open daily 10am-5pm.
The City of London
Most stereotypical “London” sights are located here and can’t be missed—even if having a camera slung around your neck is practically required for entrance.
SAINT PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
St. Paul’s Churchyard
CHURCH
020 7246 8350 www.stpauls.co.uk
Entering Saint Paul’s Cathedral and not taking the Lord’s name in vain is a challenge. Like many churches in the area, Saint Paul’s was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Christopher Wren’s masterpiece is the fourth cathedral on the site, with the first building dating to 604 CE. From the start, Wren wanted to include the fantastic dome that is now visible throughout London, but the Church of England was hesitant to include a piece of architecture that was characteristically Roman Catholic. Ultimately, Wren won.
INTERIOR. The first thing you see upon entering the Cathedral is the nave. The baptismal font stands next to an elaborately designed wax candle in the south part of the nave. If you can pull your eyes away from the dome, which was painted by Sir James Thornhill, look out for the terrifyingly huge memorial to the Duke of Wellington (on your left in the north aisle as you walk through the nave) and William Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World which can be found in the Middlesex Chapel, a chapel set aside for private prayer dedicated to the members of the Middlesex regimen of the British army.
SCALING THE HEIGHTS. We know what you’re thinking—yes, you are allowed to climb to the top of the dome. After 257 short, dizzyingly tight wooden steps, guests find the Whispering Gallery, a seating area around the inner ring of the dome where, under the right conditions, you can whisper and be heard on the other side. Many people try this at the same time, which makes standing at the rim of Wren’s magnificent dome feel a bit like one of the scarier whisper segments in Lost, but it’s worth giving this acoustic novelty a try. The experience of climbing to the top is greatly enhanced if you make the journey while a choir sings in the nave; the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery are incredible. After 376
steps, visitors can climb out onto the Stone Gallery which is open-air, low-stress, and thoroughly enjoyable. Then it’s another 152 steps to the Golden Gallery, an open-air, super high look out onto the city. The army used this gallery in the second World War to spot enemy planes coming from up to 10 miles away. The only drawback is that you can’t see the grandeur of St. Paul’s itself.
PLUMBING THE DEPTHS. A veritable who’s who of famous Britons reside in the loins of St. Paul’s. Descend beneath the cathedral to find the tombs and memorials of Captain John Cooke, Horatio Nelson, Florence Nightingale, the Duke of Wellington (whose massive tomb is footed by sleeping stone lions), William Blake, Henry Moore, and finally Christopher Wren. Wren’s inconspicuous tomb (to the right of the OBE Chapel) is inscribed “Lector, si monumentum requiris circumspice” which translates to “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around.” Saint Paul’s Cathedral is jaw-droppingly magnificent; there could be no better monument to its visionary architect than the simple words etched on his tomb.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 17