London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [40]
GETTING ORIENTED
TOP REASONS TO GO
British Museum: From the Rosetta Stone to the Elgin Marbles, this is the golden hoard of booty bought or “borrowed” by centuries of the British Empire.
The Inns of Court: When you hear the word “lawyer,” the immediate tendency is to yawn, grimace, or check your wallet, but these gorgeous residences—the heart of Legal London—embody Enlightenment.
Sir John Soane’s Museum: This fascinating ex-abode of one of Britain’s best architects is full of antiquities, gargoyle heads, and a plethora of chunks of buildings, not to mention the Sarcophagus of Seti I.
British Library: Few traces remain of the personalities that brought Bloomsbury such intellectual fame—Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey, E. M. Forster—so head to this great repository to see the Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, and Shakespeare’s First Folio.
Charles Dickens Museum: Pay your respects to the beloved author of Oliver Twist.
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
Bloomsbury can be seen in a day, or in half a day, depending on your interests and your time constraints.
If you plan to visit the Inns of Court as well as the British Museum, and you’d also like to get a feel for the neighborhood, then you may wish to devote an entire day to this literary and legal enclave.
An alternative scenario is to come back on another day to visit the British Museum, which can be quite exhausting in itself.
Although there can be many students in the neighborhood, it’s a pleasure to wander through the quiet, leafy squares, examining historic Blue Plaques or relaxing at a street-side café.
GETTING THERE
The Russell Square Tube stop on the Piccadilly Line leaves you right at the corner of Russell Square.
The best Tube stops for the Inns of Court are Holborn on the Central and Piccadilly lines or Chancery Lane on the Central Line.
Tottenham Court Road on the Northern and Central lines is best for the British Museum.
Once you’re in Bloomsbury, you can easily get around on foot.
FEELING PECKISH?
The Betjeman Arms (Unit 53, St. Pancras International Station | N1C 4QL | 020/7923–5440), inside St. Pancras International’s wonderfully Victorian station, is the perfect place to stop for a pint and grab some traditional pub fare. Perched above the tracks of the Eurostar Terminal, the view of the trains and travelers will keep you entertained for hours.
The Hare and Tortoise Dumpling & Noodle Bar (15–17 Brunswick Shopping Centre,opposite the Renoir Cinema, Brunswick Square, Bloomsbury | WC1N 1AF | 020/7278–9799) serves scrumptious Asian fast food. This bright café is a favorite with students, and it’s easy to see why: Ingredients are all natural, the portions are huge, and the bill is always reasonable.
BLOOMSBURY HISTORY
The neighborhood’s very British-sounding name stems from that of Norman landowner William de Blemund who, in 1201, acquired what was then just a rural patch of land. In the early 1660s the Earl of Southampton built what became Bloomsbury Square and later, in the 18th century, a cluster of wealthy landowners acquired additional land, which led to the development of the neighborhood’s center. Bloomsbury Market opened in 1730, and today the district is home to some of London’s most picturesque parks, squares, and buildings, as well as London’s four Inns of Court.
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TOP ATTRACTIONS
British Library.
Formerly in the British Museum, the collection of around 18 million volumes now has a home in state-of-the-art surroundings. The library’s greatest treasures are on view to the general public: Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, Jane Austen’s writings, Shakespeare’s First Folio, and musical manuscripts by G.F. Handel as well as Sir Paul McCartney are on display in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery. Also in the gallery are headphones—you can listen to some of the most interesting pieces in a small showcase of the National Sound Archive (it