Every year on The Daily Constitutional, as the high season for visitors to London hots up, I spend August sharing a few archive posts. This year I'm reposting recommendations from our If You Do One Other Thing In London slot (a regular feature of our Saturday London Spy posts) and updated posts from the Best Museums In London series, in which the London Walks guides shared their best London museum tips.
If theres' a London Walks tour starting or ending nearby I'll add the details at the bottom of each post. I hope you find these posts helpful over the course of the summer.
Keep in touch - I'm not going into hiding! - I'll be posting throughout August and, of course, I'll see many of you "out there" on London Walks tours. All of our regular features – and some new ones, too – will return in September.
A.S-G London, August 2016
The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill features on so many of those “Hidden/Secret London” lists so beloved of journalists that it’s surely no secret any more. A vivid collection of musical instruments, natural history and cultural artefacts, the Arts and Crafts building in which the collection is housed is set in lovely gardens – both the gardens and the museum are free or charge.
Here’s what they have to say for themselves…
“We are the Horniman Museum and Gardens, an inspiring, surprising, family-friendly, free attraction in South London’s Forest Hill.
We’ve been open since Victorian times, when Frederick John Horniman first opened his house and extraordinary collection of objects to visitors. Since then, our collection has grown tenfold and includes internationally important collections of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium and natural history collection.
The Alaskan totem pole that greets visitors to the Horniman in Forest Hill
Unusually for such an important museum, you can see our collection up-close and face-to-face. You can even pick up, try on and play with some of our objects.
Our visitors come time and again to explore our free museum, take part in our activities and enjoy our 16-acre gardens. And they discover something fascinating and mesmerising every time.”
The Horniman Museum 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ The nearest train/Overground station is Forest Hill.
www.horniman.ac.uk/
View Larger Map A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession.
Children under 15 go free.
To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com