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Victorian-themed outing ideas in London and the SE needed asap!

16 replies

tigermoth · 17/08/2003 10:26

My son will be studying the Victorians as part of a school project and I want to take him somewhere 'Victorian' today and also later in the holidays.

We Know the Science museum, the London Transport museum and the Horniman Museum, but what other museums have a good Victorian section? Is the Museum of London any good, for instance? I hear there's a place called 'Bygones' near Hastings with some interactive exhibits. I this worth a trip too?

He's 9 years old and likes history, but is not that keen on seeing lots of exhibits in glass boxes so I'm looking for places that bring the Victorian era to life.

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tamum · 17/08/2003 10:30

A bit one-dimensional, but for children in the Victorian era maybe Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood? I guess the V and A might be worth a go, but that's based more on the name than anything concrete!

ks · 17/08/2003 10:58

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ks · 17/08/2003 10:59

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tigermoth · 17/08/2003 11:10

tamum and ks thanks.

The Musuem of London sounds exactly the right place to go today or next week and thanks so much for the book recommendation too and the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood is another good suggestion. I have a plan. Thanks again for replying so quickly. Incidently, I have already looked briefly on the Musuem of London website and could see nothing about a victorian street, so if you hadn't posted here KS I would have been none the wiser. I am off to phone the museum now.

Any other suggestions from anyone welcome.

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ScummyMummy · 17/08/2003 11:29

A few suggestions, not museums but maybe ways of thinking about Victorians in a non-exhibits-behind-glass way:

A look at the Albert Memorial and a run around Kensington Gdns?

Baker Street station- first underground station built mid-Victorian era- still has big vaulted brick chambers etc underneath- and would lead on nicely to the Sherlock Holmes museum, which might be fun and pique his interest in detective stories.

Kew Gardens- all the glass houses and urge to globe trot collecting plants to put in botanical gardens is v Victorian in origin plus they have a fantastic tree top walk there at the moment, I've heard. Probably not Victorian but none the less fun... (In fact, I really want to check it out with my boys so if you fancy company on that one send me an email!)

Highgate cemetary to see Karl Marx's grave and ramble round. Or Brompton Cemetary is great for a peaceful run around- you can read all the old fashioned Victorian names together and note how they're making a comeback.

Any of the Peabody estates are great examples of Victorian philanthropy (built to provide "cheap, cleanly, well-drained and healthful dwellings for the poor" and a quick shufti at them can be combined with other stuff- Spitalfields market etc.

Tower Bridge is typical mix of new Victorian engineering and old architecture, I'm told. Lots of other stuff to do round there too- St Katherine's dock is Victorian and worth a wander round.

The vintage prehistoric monster collection at Crystal Palace sounds good and you can tell him all about the great exhibition.

Any of the big London railway stations are Victorian. Take him to the coast from one- all that day at the seaside stuff is very Victorian!

HTH.

ScummyMummy · 17/08/2003 11:31

Whoops- meant to put a close bracket not a wink in there!

florenceuk · 17/08/2003 11:38

Does he like science? Somewhere not in London but not too far to go is Darwin's home, Down House. I thought it was really interesting both because he was a brilliant scientist but also you really get a sense of how his family lived. You can do Darwin's daily walk around the garden and there is a small exhibition on evolution as well.

fisil · 17/08/2003 13:43

What about the themed walks? There are some grizzly ghost walks and horror walks. I took my brother on one when he was about 8 and we both loved it. They aren't solely Victorian, but for some reason (Jack the Ripper and Dickens, I guess) have a bit of a Victorian theme.

Dickens House in Doughty Street. Only know where it is, not what it's like, but it's right next to Corhams Fields, and that's great!

twiglett · 17/08/2003 15:27

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twiglett · 17/08/2003 15:28

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twiglett · 17/08/2003 15:29

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aloha · 17/08/2003 15:44

There's an interesting museum of surgery (The Old Operating Theatre, I think) near Borough which has a replica of a Victorian operating theatre and lots of gory stuff about what life was like before anaesthetics and antiseptics. Good for nine year old imaginations I think!

aloha · 17/08/2003 15:45

The Brighton Pier!

boyandgirl · 17/08/2003 21:52

London Transport Museum

codswallop · 17/08/2003 21:55

My nephew is history mad too. He is 8.

Have you seen those quiz books in M and S based on the Horrible Histories? Only 2. 50

tigermoth · 18/08/2003 08:22

great suggestions, thanks all. My son's just reading Vile Victorians, (Horible Histories) and enjoying it, so I'll look out for those quizzes. Thanks for reminding me about the Old Operating Theatre, too. It's an easy place for us to get to. A guided walks would be good too, but definitely not something I could bring my 4 year old to as well, so will have to leave him with dh. We spent a good hour or two in the Victorian section at the Museum Of London yesterday, so thanks again KS. Scummy, I'll get in touch with you about Kew Gardens.

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