Take Ten: London’s Small Museums

Well worth a visit when you’re in the neighborhood

London’s plethora of large world-class museums, such as the Victoria & Albert and the British Museum, deserve their reputations, and certainly ought to be high on the list for London visitors. But Britain’s magnificent capital is home as well to literally scores of fascinating and diverse small museums in every neighborhood. Here is just a representative cross-section of delightful visits that may have passed unnoticed.

1. CHARLES DICKENS MUSEUM, HOLBORN

The Georgian house on Doughty St. was the writer’s residence in the late 1830s, and where he achieved celebrity status. Today, the period house showcases Dickens life and lifestyle as well as the novels and stories that continue to make him the most beloved of Victorian novelists.

2. BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, THE CITY

Located within its famous headquarters on Threadneedle Street, the museum of Britain’s central bank unpacks the Bank of England’s history, personality and role in shaping the British economy over the last 300 years. From bank notes to gold bars, interactive displays make economic history lively.

3. THE GUARD’S MUSEUM, WESTMINSTER

On Birdcage Walk, practically adjacent to Buckingham Palace, the Guard’s Museum recounts the history and lore of the five regiments that comprise Her Majesty’s Foot Guards—the Household Division—in their dual function as combat soldiers and their familiar ceremonial roles across the capital.

4. MUSEUM OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN, CLERKENWELL

[caption id="attachment_13698173" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo attribution: Alan Murray-Rust[/caption]

With its roots in the Crusades caring for pilgrims to Jerusalem, the knights and monks of St. John established their headquarters at Clerkenwall Priory in the 1140s. The modern order, chartered in 1888 by Queen Victoria, is best known as St. John Ambulance. Catch a millennium of history at 16th-century St. Johns Gate.

5. THE CLINK PRISON MUSEUM, SOUTHWARK

[caption id="attachment_13698174" align="aligncenter" width="702"] Photo attribution: Sir James[/caption]For more than 600 years, the infamous Clink prison held political and religious prisoners, felons and vagabonds of all sorts. Built into the site of the jail that gave its name to all others, the Clink Prison graphically and gleefully serves the notorious and colorful history until its vigilante destruction in 1780.

6. APSLEY HOUSE, PICCADILLY

Gifted to the Duke of Wellington after Waterloo, the national hero’s elegant home on Hyde Park Corner elegant and art-filled. The mansion displays the life, artifacts and treasures of Wellington–a wealth of history.

7. THE FAN MUSEUM, GREENWICH

There is a colorful and intricate story to be told. Explore the history and art of fans and their making at this pretty Georgian townhouse in the center of Greenwich. The orangery is also one of neighbor Sandra Lawrence’s favorite places to take afternoon tea.

8. ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC MUSEUM, REGENT’S PARK

The fascinating collections tell the story of the Royal Academy, and include famed and unique instruments, manuscripts and the artifacts of English music over more than 300 years. Gallery assistants and guides are all current students at the Academy—a rather nice touch.

9. SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM, REGENT’S PARK

You probably recognize the 221B Baker St. address. It is London’s only museum dedicated to a fictional figure—and one of the city’s best-known personages. The museum recreates Holmes and Watson’s lodgings, and recalls numerous his legendary exploits.

10. THE ROYAL MEWS, WESTMINSTER

While still an active stable maintaining the Queen’s carriage horses, the Mews just behind Buckingham Palace display a breathtaking collection of historic coaches, carriages and livery, as immaculate as the stately animals.

And as an added bonus...

DENNIS SEVERS' HOUSE, SPITALFIELDS

This Georgian terraced home is a "still-life drama" that takes its visitors back to the sights, sounds and even smells of earlier eras. Listen to Sandra Lawrence describe the peculiar time-traveling magic or read more about it here.

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM, BLOOMSBURY

Constructed on the site of the Foundling Hospital in the 1930s, this museum tells the story of the UK’s first home for abandoned children. It also celebrates the work of the hospital's founder, Thomas Coram, and two of its greatest benefactors, artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, WESTMINSTER

[caption id="attachment_13698183" align="aligncenter" width="702"] Photo attribution: Kaihsu Tai[/caption]

This one is broken into two parts: The Churchill Museum, which tells about the great man's life and legacy, and The Cabinet War Rooms, an underground complex that housed a British government command centre during WWII.