Day 1.  The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

On By Little Miss TravellerIn London, London, January 2017, United Kingdom

The start of another long weekend in London.  Arriving in the capital around lunchtime, I decided to take the Underground to South Kensington so that I could visit the Victoria & Albert Museum which is on Cromwell Road.

The entrance to the Victoria & Albert Museum
The detailed entrance to the Victoria & Albert Museum

The Victoria & Albert (V & A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design housing many of the UK’s national collections.  The Museum was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  Located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Queen Victoria dedicated this district to her beloved husband Albert where the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall were also built in his honour.

Victoria & Albert Museum
The opulent interior of the Victoria & Albert Museum

Entrance to the museum is free of charge and complimentary tours and talks are available each day, details can be found here.  The museum covers 12.5 acres so it’s best to pick up a map and visit the galleries that you find the most interesting.  I enjoy looking in the Fashion galleries and during my visit there was a special exhibition taking place entitled ‘Undressed’ displaying our relationship between underwear and fashion through the ages.

The Inner Courtyard Cafe, V & A Museum
The Inner Courtyard Cafe, V & A Museum

When it’s time to rest your feet you will find a large cafe and a bar with an outdoor terrace which is open throughout the year.  The Inner Courtyard is particularly beautiful in summer when visitors can sit and admire the stunning architecture and mirror pool whilst enjoying refreshments in the warm sunshine.

The Place To Eat', Peter Jones, Sloane Square
‘The Place To Eat’, Peter Jones, Sloane Square

Glancing at my watch there was just enough time for me to enjoy tea and cakes so instead of dining at the museum, I took the underground the short distance to Sloane Square, Chelsea and enjoyed a pot of tea and a slice of cake in Peter Jones rooftop cafe on the Kings Road, before meeting my son who was arriving into London around 7.00 pm.

City Hall and The Scoop Amphitheatre, London
City Hall and The Scoop Amphitheatre

We met up at our hotel, the Clapham Junction Travelodge where we’ve stayed several times before.  It’s very quiet yet ideally situated close to both Victoria and Waterloo stations and offers good value, comfortable accommodation.  After dropping off our bags we went out for supper followed by a riverside walk near Tower Bridge.  We passed City Hall with its sunken amphitheatre ‘The Scoop’ in the foreground.  In summer there is often some live entertainment taking place here whilst at other times one can sit on the steps enjoying the view.

Tower Bridge, London
Tower Bridge, London

It was bitterly cold but we enjoyed a pleasant walk alongside some of London’s iconic landmarks before returning to our hotel to warm up and discuss our plans for the next day.

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94 thoughts on “Day 1.  The Victoria & Albert Museum, London”

  1. Pingback: Regent’s Canal Walk: King’s Cross to Paddington – Love Travelling Blog

  2. We really enjoyed our visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2008, as well as walking the South Bank of the Thames. We love that walk from Westminster to Tower Bridge and have done it many times. We do miss London and hope to get back one day. Hope all is well Marion. Allan

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  11. You are quite the traveler. Being based in England certainly opens up a world of much more convenient travel, rather than having to first make that long flight across the pond as we do here from the U.S. I just posted about my London visits in 2002 and 2012 on my own blog – pearlsnmbog.wordpress.com. I lived in England and Wales back in late 2001 and 2002. During the upcoming year, I will be writing and posting about my life there, as well as my brief visits to Ireland, Scotland, Belgium and northern Italy while I was there.

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  40. I remember the first long stopover (it was about 6-7 hours long) we had when travelling with kids that went through London. We stashed our bags at the airport, road the tube into the city and went to the museum. We were amazed, positively awe struck, by the fact that it was free! Free access to knowledge for all. Very impressive.

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  43. I love Victoria and Albert Museum. Having said that , I feel living in London, we are spoilt for choices as a Londoner. Thank you for your post and reminding me to visit the museum again. Have a wonderful time in London.

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  44. Another great reminder of how wonderful London is. I love the V&A museum, especially the fashion displays, and jewellery. The ceramics and glass section is pretty amazing too. And the gallery of rock star costumes and posters! All of it! I need to go again!

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