London - Somerset House
Somerset House, formerly government offices (notably the general registration departments), today houses the Courtauld Collection. The Royal Academy, the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries were previously also accommodated in the building. Somerset House was built in 1776-86 from designs by Sir William Chambers, the east wing (now King's College, University of London) and the west wing were added in the 19th century.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The main entrance of the building is on the The Strand, the main facade, however, about 250m/800ft long, faces the Thames. The central arch of the ground floor arcade acted as a flood gate before the construction of the Victoria Embankment.
Hours
January 1 to December 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 12:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Always opened on:
Spring Bank Holiday - Britain (last Monday, May )
Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
The best view of the building can be obtained from the Thames south bank through the arches of Waterloo Bridge.
Admission charged for Courtauld Gallery, Gilbert Collection and Hermitage Rooms.
Guides
Guided tour available as optional extra.
Related Attractions
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Gilbert Collection
The Gilbert Collection was formed over four decades by the late Sir Arthur Gilbert who first started to collect English silver. The 17 galleries present English and Continental gold and silver, precious snuffboxes, enamel portrait miniatures and Italian cabinets and tables.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Disabled
Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
