Free Museums in Hastingwood

"If modern culture is more your style, we highly recommend a visit to the Tate Modern. From William Blake to Andy Warhol, you’ll find some of the most revered pieces of modern art housed in this red-brick temple of Brutalist architecture. The interior is almost as striking as the art it houses, with the mesmerisingly modern turbine room welcoming you to an afternoon of cultural exploration."

"Ever since the Tate Modern opened in 2000, it has quickly risen to be one of the famous places in London to visit. This art gallery generates an estimated 100 million euros annually. The Tate Modern was previously the Bankside Power Station, but it was converted into an art gallery in 1994 by Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron."

"The Tate Modern opened in 2000, so it is one of the newer free museums in London, but it has wasted no time in establishing a great name for itself. Situated inside an old power station on the South Bank, it is one of London’s most impressive museums. A towering monolith of art on the banks of the Thames."

"From Michelangelo to Monet and Raphael to Rembrandt, almost all of the old European masters can be found on the walls of the National Gallery, overlooking London’s famous Trafalgar Square. Crowd favorites include Van Gogh’s "Sunflowers"; Botticelli’s "Venus and Mars;" and Monet’s "The Water-Lily Pond." (If you’re short on time, you can pre-plan your trip around the gallery’s 30 must-see paintings.)"

"With its bold Greek-style pillars, this museum is hard to miss if you’re in Trafalgar Square. Wander around the beautiful museum and you’ll find it’s full of incredible artists creations from many years ago. Portraits of important people in British history is the main theme in The National Gallery."

"Around the square you’ll also find two of London’s top art museums, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Both are highly recommended for art lovers and include works by some of the world’s most famous artists from Turner to Monet. Also nearby (hidden underground in St. Martin-in-the-Fields!) you can visit the London Brass Rubbing Centre (fee*) to learn about and create a brass rubbing to take home. A great activity for families (we had fun too!)."

"London's National Portrait Gallery is a premiere art museum in the heart of the city. The National Portrait Gallery was the world's very first portrait gallery upon its 1856 opening. The gallery's collection focuses heavily on portraits of people who were important to Britain over the years; the gallery is less concerned with who produced the painting, but rather places its value on who the portrait is of."

"Where else but the National Portrait Gallery can you find oils of the Brontë sisters and William Shakespeare alongside black and white photographs of the Spice Girls and a mixed media portrait of J.K."

"One of the branches of Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Childhood was founded in 1872, but only in the 1920s began to concentrate primarily on children. With an enormous collection of childhood objects, the Museum successfully fulfils its mission of giving everyone the opportunity to explore the wonderful ways of the designated world. The unique exhibitions, galleries of toys (older and newer) and the entertainment programs prepared for children will definitely get them prancing around."

"Located in a beautiful redbrick building in Bethnal Green, this museum is the largest of its kind in the world. It’s not just for kids, though – it provides a delightful, nostalgic trip back to more innocent times, with a fascinating collection of toys and games from yesteryear. The current temporary exhibition is dedicated to board games and it’s an absolute treat."

"Out in Bethnal Green, you’ll discover the free Museum of Childhood. Operated and curated by the V&A, it’s home to toys, dolls houses, and thousands of other interesting items, but a major refurbishment is aiming to turn it into a “world-leading museum of design and creativity for children and young people”."

"Children can handle real torture devices at the world’s most notorious medieval prison at this museum in Southwark, on the original site of The Clink Prison, which dates back to 1144. You’ll find out about a day in the life of a medieval prisoner and hear tales of some of the gruesome prisoners. If you’re feeling brave, it’s a great place to spot ghosts: the prison is reputed to be one of the UK’s most haunted locations and is renowned for its ghostly sightings…"

"A rather arresting spot amongst London museums, The Clink spent some 600 years as one of the city’s most feared prisons. Far from the charming spot it is today, Southwark used to be a lawless place; prostitutes, heretics, and drunkards all graced the cells of The Clink at one point or another."

"The Clink Prison Museum was a prison in England that started in the 12th century and operated through 1780. Today, it is the oldest surviving prison in the country. Notable prisoners of The Clink include Father John Gerard, Father John Jones, Farther George Blackwell, and Edward Knott."

"Toddlers can let their imaginations run wild at the UK’s first Story Centre. A day pass includes entry to the Story World and Story Garden where you see tales like The Gruffalo brought to life by Story Builders. There are also storytelling sessions and family exhibitions which you can book onto."

"This neo-Gothic house built in the late 1890s for William Waldorf Astor, of hotel fame and once the richest man in America, showcases art from UK museum collections outside the capital. Visit as much to see the opulent house (it's astonishing) as the collections on display, but note it's only open for a few months each year for the Winter Exhibition Programme (see the website). Check out the bronze putti (cherubs) chatting on old telephones on the steps!"

"Stefan Kalmár, the Director of the ICA London states: The Institute of Contemporary Arts in London has been the model for most ICAs that exist in the world today. Since its founding in 1946, the ICA contextualises contemporary culture within the socio-political conditions of the times. The ICA was created as an institute (not a museum), for the contemporary (not just modern) and for all the arts (not just art)."

"The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an art gallery near London's Trafalgar Square. In addition to exhibits on contemporary art, the ICA includes two cinemas, a bookshop, a theatre, and a bar. Established in 1947, ICA creators wanted to create a place for artists and other creative and science folk to debate ideas without being constricted by the rules and traditions of the Royal Academy."

"Reawaken memories of European holidays in the Corinthia’s secluded courtyard, a Mediterranean garden with lemon and olive trees. On the menu you’ll find a selection of small plates, sharing dishes, pizzettes and mains – think yellowtail tartare, lobster linguine, baked gnocchi and lamb cutlets with rosemary. Drinks-wise, rosé is the clear choice – particularly as The Corinthia’s selection is so good."

"This hidden away gem can be found next to the hotel’s lounge where afternoon tea is served. This courtyard space is open year-round (fireplaces at both ends help with that) and features a menu by the hotel’s executive chef Andre Garret - think fritto misto and lobster linguine along with a suitably impressive list of rosés as well."

"Tourists visiting England are often surprised to learn that afternoon tea involves much more than the hot beverage. In fact, it’s essentially a decadent and delicious afternoon snack. Parents weary after a day of sightseeing will enjoy that many packages include champagne!"

"Restaurants Austrian Marylebone. If your idea of romance is waltzing round old Vienna to the sound of Strauss, you can capture some of that old ‘Blue Danube’ magic with a trip to this instantly comforting Mittel-European number from Messrs Corbin & King. Schnitzels, sausages, ice-cream coupes and – of course – incomparable viennoiserie provide welcome sustenance, with excellent hot chocolate and coffee adding that vital X factor."

"Corbin and King’s refined Marylebone homage to Viennese waltzes past and present is always a fine, low-key luxurious breakfast venue, and in the spirit of fried batter its Austrian crêpes, served either with apricot and brandy jam or a gianduja-approximating hazelnut and chocolate, make a winning centrepiece around which to build an Austrian feast."

"Dover Street, W1S 4NB, and Westbourne Grove, W11 2RHNext to the Chucs men's fashion and swimwear Dover Street shop is Chucs Restaurant & Café: a place so cosy, so intimate (16 seats at a pinch), with its teeny-tiny panelled bar, white-jacketed waiters and Dolce Vita photographs of Positano and the Amalfi Coast, that anyone who enters is instantly transported back to the Fifties, to the Italian seaside and to an arguably better world. There is simple pleasure in the food: beef carpaccio, wonderful pizza bianca with black truffle and Italian-American classics - an ace club sandwich, for example. The Chucs branch is on the posh bit of Westbourne Grove: handily, the 23 bus stops right outside, in case you're thinking of doing it on a budget."

"Restaurants Italian Notting Hill. If you own a superyacht and buy Chucs’ bespoke swimwear, you’ll love this beautifully lit, serene Italian restaurant from the fashion brand; if not, you’ll be panicking about the bill before you bite into your first crudité. Still, big bucks pay for solicitous staff and classic Italian dishes prepared with love and skill – plus the chance to shop in the adjoining boutique."