progol

Hi, all,
We are arriving in London on the weekend of the London Open House. It's been many years since we've visited London and there is so much to see even without the added bonus of this event. My husband is interested in both history and architecture, so I wondered if anyone had any recommendations for sights or opportunities that are accessible only because they are in the Open House that are especially interesting. We have 6 days in London and I've been daunted by the overwhelming number of places that we want to visit, so the Open House is like a tease with its many additional sights included! We've done this in NYC so I know that popular sights can have long lines, and since there are so many other places to see, I don't want to spend additional time on lines. Maybe that's the day we visit other sights since they won't be so crowded?!

https://openhouselondon.open-city.org.uk/

nanabee

I have not heard of London Open House. Good to know.

It doesn't sound like you have children with you, but I took my grandkids on a Harry Potter Walking Tour (in London) that was a lot of fun for kids of all ages. Plus, my 7 year old grandson loved the Paddington Bear event held on Sundays where they read the first couple of chapters of the book, get a visit and photo opp with Paddington and then we walked around the Portobello Road market in the Notting Hill District. We did not run into Mr. Gruber.

progol

Thanks, nanabee. No children or grandchildren with us - I don't think my husband would be a big fan of a Harry Potter tour! I was really just curious if those who are familiar with the architecture in London see any unique experiences on the Open House that would be worth going to. Many of the offerings are accessible at other times but I was interested in any unique site/sight that we should consider. I also don't want to be on long lines and the website does indicate which sites are expected to be crowded.

janisj

Open House is amazing -- the problem is trying to pick which few you can fit in.

It really depends on your own personal interests and which properties fit them. Some have very limited access and tickets allotted by lottery.

There are soooooo many in the square mile maybe concentrate there - but the Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster (an enormous area - not just specifically 'Westminster') also both have have a ton. How I'd attack it personally would be to choose my favorite 2 or 3 architectural periods/styles and research just those properties. Even then it can be pretty overwhelming.

progol

Hi, janisj,
Thanks, there are too many! We are staying in Chelsea and I did book the walking tour of Chelsea's Architectural icons for Sunday, so I think that will be excellent. The rest of it, well, I think we'll just have to see what there is. I've done this in NYC so I know that the lines can be way too long. It's hard to sort it out especially since I'm trying to contain my general desire to see it all in a week! Yeah, I know, I can't

Southam

I have toured these events in Glasgow (where the custom originated as Doors Open), in Avignon, France, and in Canada. The big attractions are not necessarily the places to choose. I have visited an automotive electrical generator converted from coal to natural gas, Glasgow private offices from the arts and crafts period, a sewer pumping station, the Great Lakes research institute, and churches with faiths unfamiliar to me. Always lots to see -- especially since the hosts are usually volunteers who are delighted to show off. An engineer loves to talk about a good turbine. I'd go to almost anything on the London list; this is not a time for famous churches or commercial displays. And the more off-beat, the less chance of a crowd.

LCBoniti

My dear friend took me on this adventure a few years ago. It was so much fun - we ended up doing the Lloyds of London building. We waited in line about an hour at 8:00am, so that gives you an idea of the amount of interest in the event as a whole. We only did the one building but it was really interesting and the view from the top floors was amazing.

I'd say, do your research about what you want to see and be prepared for a line. It may take more time than you want to invest.

Also, since you are staying in Chelsea, we did a walking tour of Kensington with London Walks on another trip. It was a really good walking tour - lots about the historical architecture. Sounds similar to the one you have chosen.

thursdaysd

Thanks for the link. I'm planning to be in London Sep 23 specifically for Open House and had forgotten the list was going up today. Will post after I decide.

progol

Glad to be of help, thursdayd!

So after discussing this with my husband, we have decided to see what we are up to doing after the walk. Having the walk booked at a very reasonable 11am, we'll probably wander north and be open to what is available within the general geographic area. We did this in NYC this past year, and found that worked well for us rather than making a specific plan to see a number of different places. There are a number of sites we want to see, but I know that they will be accessible during the week.

Southam, I think your advice is great -- but since this is our first full day and we haven't been to London in over a decade, we're less inclined to go too far afield. But I agree, that is a great way to be exposed to things not usually seen.

LCBoniti, sounds like you had a great day - Lloyds of London must've been a lot of fun! But you're right, waiting an hour at 8am isn't something I think we're up to doing!

thursdaysd

I checked the Camden and City of London listings (I'm staying close to Euston station) and aside from the BT Tower, which would be top of the list but requires winning a lottery, my picks are Apothecaries Hall, Bevis Marks Synagogue, Landing Forty Two, Masonic Temple, and Middle Temple Hall. I'd like to see the Billingsgate Roman House but the listing says long queues are expected. Enough I may not need to look further! But I need to coordinate with my sister.

progol

Interesting places, thursdaysd. I like the Apothecaries Hall and Middle Temple Hall especially. If the line isn't too bad, we'll stop by the Leighton House during the Open House; if not, we'll just go during the week.

janisj

>>Bevis Marks Synagogue<<

One of London Walks offerings includes a visit to the Synagogue and it was really fascinating. At the Synagogue a member of the congregation takes over the narrative. It is a Wed morning walk so maybe you could leave that one for a 'non-Open House' visit and concentrate on other sites.

thursdaysd

Thanks for the info, janisj, but I'm not sure I'm up to London Walks these days.

progol - I loved Leighton House, but I think I'd save it for later. When I went there was hardly anyone else there and I would think it might be crowded for Open House. If you have a National Trust or Royal Oak membership, it's a London Partner.

Looking a bit further, I added 18 Stafford Terrace, 3floor in 2, the Ismaili Center and the tour at the V&A.

progol

Hi, thursdaysd,
That's my feeling about Leighton House, too. I'd rather go when there aren't crowds. The tour at the V&A sounds really good. Since we're already doing the Chelsea walk, though, I don't want to try to schedule another tour, especially since I don't know the timing and we'll still be recuperating from jet lag. 18 Stafford Terrace looks fun! I'll have to look at the rest.

ChgoGal

Hi, progol. If you're in Chelsea and are interested in the Victorian era, I highly recommend Carlyle's House. Not part of the Open House weekend, but if you're a National Trust/Golden Oak member, you can get in free. The house seems frozen in time, and the docents were great the day I was there. Also, the Chelsea Physic Garden has an incredible history--worthwhile if you take the docent's tour only, unless you're already a historian of botanical exploration.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carlyles-house
https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/

I've done the London Open House weekend a couple of times, and it's wonderful, but don't try to hard to get in places that are usually open with the price of a ticket. Because I'm interested in the 19th century, I prebooked the Reform Club, which was wonderful. And I really loved the Foreign and Commonwealth building. If the Royal Geographical Society is open, that was wonderful, too. (But again, it's what you're interested in. Victorian era exploration and science is my jam, so wherever your interests lie will help. Avoid those buildings available any time with the price of a ticket. Another thing I took into account is whether the building was damaged in the war and rebuilt. It made a difference to me.)

I looked up how I organized my first Open House Weekend, and pasted it below...

SATURDAY/WESTMINSTER AREA
Admiralty House & 26 Whitehall; Sat/Sun 10-4
Banqueting House; Sat/Sun 10-5
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sat/Sun 10-5 (LOVELY)
The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace Sat 10-7/Sun 11-4
Marlborough House Sat 10-5, Pall Mall
Royal Society of Chemistry; Sat 10-4; Burlington House
The Linnean Society Sat 10-5; Burlington House
Geological Society of London, Sat 10-530; Burlington House PREBOOK
Royal Academy of Arts; Sat/Sun 10-6; Burlington House
68 Dean Street, Sat only 10-5 (tours on the hour; I COULD NOT GET IN... VERY LONG LINES)
Dr Johnson's House (National Trust members get 50% off; 17 Gough Street; sat only 11-6 (OK... BUT LONG LINE NOT WORTH IT WHEN IT'S OPEN ANY OTHER DAY)
St Bride Foundation sat 10-1/sun 1-5 (printer inst.)

SUNDAY
Leighton House, Sunday 10-5 (NT half off; BEAUTIFUL JEWEL BOX OF A HOUSE)
18 Stafford Terrace; Sun. 11-5 (WONDERFUL HISTORICAL TOWNHOUSE)
Then I traveled High Street Kensington to Temple/Blackfriars
Middle Temple Hall (1601 Shakespeare Twelfth Night); garden tours 12/1:30/3;Middle Temple Lane, London, EC4Y 9BT
The house of st barnabas sun only 11-5; 1 Greek St London W1D 4NQ
Chandos House, Sun only 10-3; 2 Queen Anne Street, London, W1G 9LQ
Then I traveled: Oxford Circus to Victoria (Belgrave Square)
Romanian Cultural Institute; 1 Belgrave Square; Sat/Sun 11-5
Argentine Ambassador's House; 49 Belgrave Sq; Sat/Sun 12-5

The 2nd Open House weekend, I only chose to return to the Royal Geographical Society. It all depends on how much energy you want to expend those two days.
Have a wonderful time!

progol

ChgoGal,
Thank you so much for your very detailed response and take on the Open House! This is incredibly helpful and I'm going to look more closely at some of the sites you've mentioned. I do agree that it's not worth dealing with large crowds when the sites are otherwise accessible and I don't plan on spending huge amounts of time on line. We arrive late on Saturday so will just have Sunday, but suspect that we won't have quite the energy you had on your first OH weekend!

Again, thank you!

ChgoGal

Yes, I had to caffeinate. Have a great time in England!