London: British Army Museum
 

I saw a write up in a guidebook that made this place look very interesting. I'd appreciate comments from anyone who has actually been inside. Looking also for suggestions about nearby sights/attractions to combine in a single trip. I'm showing its open daily (10-1730) and admission is free. Tube is Sloan Square.

It is not quite as comprehensive as the Imperial war Museum, but I think it is worth a trip, You can also visit the grounds of the Chelsea pensioners which is nearby, Carlyle House on Cheyne walk , the V&A , National HIsatory Museum, Harrods, are all easily walkable. Also there is some great shopping along the King's Rd!

Sorry , too early in the morning..that is Natural History Museum!

jody, thanks. Looks like you could fill up a day real quick with all those places. I might try to design a walk to cover that area.

You're welcome , degas.

Do I remember you saying you were staying nr. Kensington High St area.? If so there is a small museum, that is not often listed, in major guidebooks, that we really enjoyed. Leighton House Museum, the Victoian residence of the painter Lord Leighton..nice garden, amazing Arab Hall and lots of paintings..if you have any interest in those things. Just a short walk from the tube, at 12 Holland Park Rd.

jody, thanks again. Funny you should mention Leighton House as I had just run across it in my guide book. I'll add to my list as I'm planning to stay in the Kensington High St area.

My main interests: history, gardens, art, historic buildings, victorian life, old pubs and exotic foods. London is next to heaven for me.

With that list of interests, you'd better get yourself over to the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret. Tiny, obscure, authentic, eccentric, everything I like best in a museum!

http://www.thegarret.org.uk/

Anonymous, thanks for the point out. Exactly the kind of place I'm looking for. Nice website.

Degas,

If you are interested in gardens , visit the Chelsea Physic Garden on Swan Walk..right nearby the other places you'll be visiting while at the Army museum. It was founded by the Worshipful society of Apothocaries in the 17th century and even today pharmaceutical companies are researching plants found there

A very short walk away from Leighton House is the Linley Samourne House where, on weekends, you can take a guided tour with a costumed guide. I haven't been there yet, but it might be an interesting way to spend a couple of hours.

http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/linleysambournehouse/

Not in the same neighborhood, but given your interests, you might enjoy Dennis Severs' House:

http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/

jody and sojourner, thanks for the new places. That's what is so great about this site. May have to stay longer now to fit it all in!

ttt

If you like the Army museum. Try the The Guards museum. Its betwwen the Parliment and Buckingham Palace in White Hall. It is small but very good. And if you are lucky you can watch the guard units doing drill and cermonies. I was there in june.

jphilhower, thanks for the idea. I'll include it in my trip to see the horse guards parade.

degas, you must make time for this very special, wonderful museum: the Victoria and Albert. (www.vam.ac.uk). It is up there in my permanent top five, worldwide. It is a museum of decorative and fine arts. It seems that nearly everything under the sun is under its roof! You can see architecture, textiles, metalwork, paintings and sculptures, among other things. What I like best about it is that it's an intensely human museum. By this I mean there are many ordinary things in this museum--shoes and jewelry for example--and it is the most extraordinary of these items that you will see. Degas, you are very interested in people, and this is a people's museum.

dln, thanks for reminding me about the V & A museum. I pulled out my map and think it will be a top priority on my South Kensington day. Looks like you could walk a couple of miles inside that huge building.

Want to also see or at least pass by the Natural History Museum, Holy Trinity Church, Royal College of Music, Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial.

Looks like a very busy day.

Degas..not to add too much more to your itinerary..but I don't see any mention of the wallace collection..it would do double for you as the collection itself is huge and Hertford House a wonderful building!



SORRY ..maybe you do need to add an extra day or 2!! :)

jody, at this rate, I may have to make two loooooong trips! Wallace Collection looks good.

As always, I'll compile a very long list, prioritize them based on my interests, and then draw a cut line somewhere based on my time and money limitations.

I usaully try to group them together and do a long walk between several sites with lunch and pub breaks along the way. That gives me a good change of pace and let's me see interesting things I'd miss if I just did a series of mad dashes on the metro.

I'll put in another plug for the V&A, especially the new British Galleries. We were there in May, and enjoyed it enough to go back a second day. The galleries are essentially a chronicle of British household life from 1500-1900. Interspersed throughout are computer stations and hands-on activities.
Annette

annettetx, I'm going right to the British material and will cover the international items if time and my aching back allow it.

Annettetx, I think your right about the
British Gallery, but I've heard there are several floors of international rooms that are of interest.

My guidebook says the V&A is a hotch-potch collection. The hands-on stuff might be interesting as long as I don't break anything.

Degas: You can't possibly see the whole V&A (or British for that matter) in one visit. A good strategy is to pick up the free guide as you enter the museum, head back to the restaurant, and over a cuppa or glass of wine, plan out your visit. There are descriptions of each gallery and you can decide which are "Must's". Everyone has different interests - just go to the areas that intrigue you most. One gallery that is a MUST but missed by many because it is off to the left after the main entrance, is the Raphael Cartoons. They will take your breath away.

Re: the V&A - you said you could walk a couple of miles in there - well it's actually 6 miles of displays, so pick what you want to see carefully. It's one of my all time favourites, but you'll hate it if all you see is room after room of silver spoons!

Concentrate on the fashion gallery, the sculpture gallery, the 20th century gallery, the William Morris collection to start with, and anything else that tickles your fancy, but don't daudle else you'll miss the best stuff.

kate and janis, thanks for the reality check. Row after row of solver spoons do get boring real quick.

I'm going to approach it two ways - first as a short intro look (1 hr to 1.5 hrs) as part of a walking tour of the local area and also as a longer, perhaps rainy day activity. Maybe the website will give a good idea of what might most appeal to me.

Mmmmmmmmm..speaking of silver spoons! A visit to Somerset House should be somewhere on your agenda. Beautiful 18th cen building,lovely courtyard fountains, terrace for outdoor dining overlooking the Thames..and that's even before you see the Gilbert collection of the finest silver anywhere! I think the Hermitage rooms were closed for awhile but they might be re-opened and don't forget the Courtauld GAllery there