Geffrye Museum (London)

Surrounded by the urban sprawl of Shoreditch in the East End of London the Geffrye Museum of Domestic Interiors seems incongruous with its surroundings. It’s a collection of period rooms housed in some delightful Georgian Almshouses that surround a pleasant lawn. It really is a little unexpected oasis and worth a look if you would like to head off London’s beaten track. The handsome Almshouses were bequeathed by Robert Geffrye to the Ironmakers Company in 1714 and were used to house the old and the poor of the trade. By the 20th century Shoreditch became more urbanised and the occupants were moved out to buildings further from the inner city. The buildings ...

The Geffrye Museum seems to be one of London's less well-known museums/galleries, but it is one of the best. Situated near the Shoreditch end of Kingsland Road, it is a beautiful 18th century building - a former almshouse - which houses a fascinating collection of English furniture and other objects. The collection is arranged in chronological order with a series of small rooms furnished in the typical styles of each era beginning with the 16th century and continuing up to the present day. For anybody at all interested in interior design/decor and art history the collection is a must, but quite small children will like it as well (though it's ...