Historical / Cultural sites in London

[bryceQ]

I love to visit museums / churches exhibitions particular pre 20th century history. I've got a day in central London next week, any ideas of where I might not have been.

I'll caveat by saying I've visited quite a lot of places!

From memory I've been:
The Temple
Westminster Abbey
St Paul's
Portrait and National Gallery
War rooms
Kensington Palace
Hampton court
Tower of London
Huntarien museum (sp?)
Postal museum
Transport
Charles Dickens
Imperial war museum
British museum

Greenwich is too far for the time I have next week.

Any hidden gems? Don't need to be big ones! Or new exhibitions?

St. Barts has as small chapel and then the actual church, a bit hidden but really interesting.

Museum of London is closed. it's a while since I was in the Dockland one, but if Greenwich is out than it may also be too far.

There is the Benjamin Franklin house near Charing Cross Station.

Definitely Dennis Severs' House
Leighton House in Kensington is worth a look.

I've never been but I've always fancied the Viktor Wynd Museum in East London.

Have you climbed Monument? That is fun and the views are lovely.

Another vote for the London Mithraeum!

Might be a bit cold for February but Bunhill Fields cemetery is worth a visit, and there is the museum of Methodism and John Wesley's Hpuse opposite, which has some of the original Thomas Crapper toilets. I have visited the cemetery but not the others - they are on my do to list!

Oh and St Magnus the Martyr another Wren church with a model of the old London Bridge and a Viking St.

The Vagina museum and the Young V&A!
look them up x

Oh I just spotted the Viktor Wynd in my research for my own trip this weekend. I’ll add that to my list!

Bank of England museum - free and really interesting

Samuel Johnson’s house
Southwark Cathedral
The Jewel House

I'd never heard of this and looked it up. Sounds amazing

That's what I was going to say! Both very interesting. Not far from each other, either, and easy to get to from the centre.

If you had time to get to Hampstead, Keats House and 2 Willow Road (Goldfinger's house). Very near each other indeed. Nicely constrasted.

King's Gallery (Buckingham Palace)

The whole of London is a historical and cultural site!

What part of London will you be in?

The City is overlooked as a destination. If the weather's any good, just mooching around and poking down side streets and into alleyways and courtyards is interesting. I agree the Guildhall Art Gallery and Amphitheatre are worth visiting. Very nice loos, too! The Mithraeum isn't far. The Bank of England Museum (free) is also nearby. (At least, I assume it still is, it was some years ago I went.)

All the City churches, but All Hallows Barking by the Tower and St Bride's Fleet Street in particular have a lot to see.

Docklands Museum is worth it if you have time. DLR to West India Quay.

For anyone else reading, who has the time on a fine day, the Wapping walk is interesting. Start at the Tower and walk east, keeping to the riverside where you can, or along the street lined with warehouses, to Canary Wharf. Stop off at the Prospect of Whitby and hope to get a table by the window, where you're right over the river.

Or just go for a ride on top of a bus!

How about the Natural History Museum - even if you're not that into animals it's an amazing building, then you could go to the V and A, and or the Science Museum - even if you're not into science you can drool over the jewelry displays, and they're all so close to each other.

@MissRoseDurward

I live in London (zone 3) I just mean I've got a few hours when I'm not being mum to please myself in central 😂 I've lived here 16 years.

Lots of great suggestions on the thread!

I didn't know this and I live near Hampstead! Thank you

@Oneofusisdead

We go to these quite a bit during the early sen mornings with my son! It's lovely visiting natural history before it opens to the public!

When is your visit?

I love Leighton House, but Frederick Leighton also has a fair few bits on show for free at the Royal Academy (including Flaming June). I dragged my teen and DH around both last week. The Design Museum and Holland Park with its Japanese Garden are an easy stroll away.

www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/flaming-june

If you like a bit of golden bling, go to Apsley House and then walk down to Westminster Cathedral:

www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/apsley-house/

westminstercathedral.org.uk

@Madcats

Apologies I didn't phrase it very well. I live in London, but I'm usually working and caring for my disabled son and doesn't leave much time to pursue my history interests! I like to give myself a day a month to go into central and explore a new museum / Church etc by myself.

I've been meaning to visit that for ages.

It's decades since I was there, but I loved William Morris's house in Walthamstow and it probably hasn't changed much.

The Wapping river walk is my favourite thing to do in London ❤️

In Chelsea;
Royal Hospital Chelsea and Chelsea Pensioners' Museum
https://chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/?gadsource=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIymHpdvpigMV90nAR2-3BSbEAAYASAAEgLSTfDBwE
Chelsea Physic Garden - re-opens 26 January
Carlyle's House - re-opens in March
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/carlyles-house