The Saatchi gallery is one of London’s premier contemporary art galleries. It is based in an impressive Grade 2* listed building opened in 1801 as a school for children of soldiers’ widows. From 1892 it served as the Duke of York’s Military School and in 1911 was re-named the Duke of York’s Barracks and became [...]
Category: Historical London
Historical locations, people and buildings in London
The Wallace Collection – an opulent townhouse and museum of art
Hertford House The Wallace Collection is a national museum of fine art. It is based in Hertford House, an original London townhouse from the 18th century and one of the best art museums in London, off the beaten track. The museum is situated in Manchester Square, just north of Oxford Street and has a stunning [...]
London’s Bronze Age bridge
Vauxhall is an area in central London on the south side of the River Thames. It is also the site of some of the oldest in-situ structures in London. Just to the west of Vauxhall Bridge, on the south side of the river, you can see the remains of a Bronze Age bridge or [...]
The Spirit of Soho – how it evolved, what to see and where to go
Soho is a well-known district of the City of Westminster in London. This article will describe how Soho evolved into the epicentre of London’s entertainment scene. Soho is thought to take its name from the hunting cries used when it was a royal hunting park belonging to King Henry VIII, who hunted here with members [...]
A short history of Shakespearean theatre in London
The chances are you’ll come across Shakespeare at least once during your visit to London. You might even visit the Globe Theatre for a performance. Here’s a primer on how Shakespearean theatre started in London. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and spent the greatest part of his working life in London - living [...]
The site of the world’s first national postal service
This post describes a group of buildings near 'Cheapside' in the City of London; an area well-known as being associated with medieval London. The area is also the site of the world's first national postal service that was established in the early part of the eighteenth century. The Royal Mail was originally established in Tudor [...]
Historic Kennington pub walk
The district of Kennington is south of the River Thames in the borough of Lambeth. It is Historic Kennington owing to its royal connections reaching back to Saxon and medieval times (its name means the 'Kings Town’). Kennington was the location of the palace of the Black Prince, eldest son of King Edward [...]
Chinatown and Chinese New Year in London
The heart of Chinatown is Gerrard Street. Here, we have a fusion of Hong Kong and mainland China in the centre of London! In 2019, Chinese New Year is on 5 February and the main public celebrations will take place on Sunday 10 February. 2019 will be the year of the pig! [...]
Highlights from the V&A Museum, British Galleries
The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London is a triumph of Royal patronage, government foresight and public sponsorship spanning back to it’s inception after the Great Exhibition of 1851. We recommend the V&A for its scale, privacy (in many galleries), great restaurants and the exhibits! The Great Exhibition (in London’s Hyde Park) was such [...]
The Churchill War Rooms
Among the most popular and famous of sights in London are the Churchill War Rooms. We visited recently to experience it again, along with the Churchill Museum. Commissioned in the nick of time in August 1939 the War Rooms were the venue for 115 meetings of the War Cabinet during the 'Blitz' of London in [...]