London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [61]
The Clink Prison.
Giving rise to the term clink, or jail, this institution was originally the prison attached to Winchester House, palace of the Bishops of Winchester until 1626. One of five Southwark establishments, it was the first to detain women, most of whom were called “Winchester geese”—a euphemism for prostitutes. They were endemic in Southwark, especially around the bishops’ area of jurisdiction, which was known as “the Liberty of the Clink” because their graces’ solution was to license prostitution rather than ban it. You’ll discover, in graphic detail, how a grisly Tudor prison would operate on a code of cruelty, deprivation, and corruption. | 1 Clink St., South Bank | SE1 9DG | 020/7403–0900 | www.clink.co.uk | £6 | Summer, daily 10–9; Oct.–June, weekdays 10–6, weekends 10–7:30; last admission 1 hr before closing | London Bridge.
Design Museum.
This was the first museum in the world to elevate everyday design and design classics to the status of art by placing them in social and cultural context. Fashion, creative technology, and architecture are explored with thematic displays from the museum’s permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions provide an in-depth focus on such subjects as the work of great designers such as Charles Eames and Isamu Noguchi, or thematic shows on the Bauhaus or book design. The museum looks forward, too, by showcasing innovative contemporary designs and technologies, an area that kids find absorbing (there are free activity packs to spark their interest further). All of this is supplemented by a busy program of lectures, events, and talks, including a children’s workshop. If you’re in need of sustenance, there’s the trendsetting Blueprint Café (designed by that most venerated of design gurus, Terence Conran), with its river terrace and superb views. For quicker snacks at a lower price, there’s also the museum’s own café on the ground floor. Entry to both cafés and the museum store is free. | 28 Shad Thames, South Bank | SE1 2YD | 020/7403–6933 | www.designmuseum.org | £8.50 | Daily 10–5:45, last admission 5:15 | London Bridge, Tower Hill, DLR: Tower Gateway.
Fodor’s Choice | Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Famed for its regal Old Master painting collection, the Dulwich Picture Gallery (pronounced “Dull-ich”) was Europe’s first purpose-built art museum when it opened in 1811. The permanent collection includes landmark works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Poussin, and Gainsborough, and it also hosts three major international exhibitions each year. As one British art critic puts it, “we would all travel bravely for a day in Tuscany or Umbria in order to see much less.” The gallery also has a lovely café serving meals and drinks. Most of the land around here belongs to Dulwich College, a local boys’ school, which keeps strict control over development. Consequently, Dulwich Village feels a bit like a time capsule, with old-fashioned street signs and handsome 18th-century houses strung out along its main street. Take a short wander and you’ll find a handful of cute clothing and crafts stores and the well-manicured Dulwich Park, with lakeside walks and a fine display of rhododendrons in late May. | Gallery Rd., Dulwich Village, Southwark | SE21 7AD | 020/8693–5254 | www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk | £5–£9. Free guided tours weekends at 3 | Tues.–Sun. 10–5 | National Rail: West Dulwich from Victoria or North Dulwich from London Bridge.
Florence Nightingale Museum.
With the renovation bandages removed after a £1.4-million face lift to mark the centenary of Florence