Bloomsbury is a very
trendy, upmarket residential area in Central London;
it is officially in the London Borough of Camden and is one of those places
which just seem to ooze a sense of high brow culture. But there are more reasons to visit this
popular part of the city than just the fact that it is a very cool place to be
seen.
It
has some interesting architecture
Bloomsbury has a
wonderful eclectic mix of architecture which is well worth exploring from the
Georgian architecture to London’s
very first skyscraper. One of the most
recognisable type of buildings in this area are the very traditional Georgian
terraces, many of which are home to the rich and famous. One of the best places to see these houses is
in Bedford Square;
this garden square is one of the best preserved examples of Georgian
architecture in the city and many of the buildings are Grade I listed. Then there is Senate House, the Art Deco
library. Senate House was one of the
first sky scrapers in London
and is now a Grade II listed building.
This towering building is home of the University of London’s
central library and is not only a stunning piece of architecture but it also
has a quite intriguing history. It was
originally built to help expand the University following the First World War
and during the Second World War it became home to the Ministry of Information.
It’s
the perfect place for bookish folk
Perhaps
unsurprisingly, Bloomsbury is the home of Bloomsbury Publishing; the very
publishing house who saw the potential in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter
books. If that wasn’t acclaim enough, it
has also been responsible for the publishing of some other great tomes
including works by Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster and Margaret Atwood. Perhaps because of its connection to this
great publishing house, there are also numerous great bookshops which would be
the perfect way to get lost for an afternoon or two; Judd Books, Skoob Books
and Gay’s The Word are just three wonderful examples. It would take just under 10 minutes to travel
from The Metropolis London Hyde Park
to Bloomsbury Square
station so ideal for those staying in Central London.
It has lovely green, open spaces
Despite being so centrally
located, Bloomsbury actually has some of the most beautiful parks and gardens
in the whole of London. If you are
looking for somewhere to escape for a couple of hours (perhaps after picking up
a decent second hand book at one of the suggestions above) then you can’t go
wrong in Bloomsbury. Russell
Square is one of the most well known options; it
was created as an oasis in the early 1800s and is surrounded on all sides by
some pretty attractive buildings giving it a very secluded and private
feel. Bloomsbury Square, Gray’s Inn Gardens
and St George’s Gardens are also great places to escape
if you just want to appreciate a more peaceful feel for a short period of
time. Bedford Square
Gardens are sometimes
open to the public but only on certain days throughout the year.
It has been home to some very famous people
Perhaps this is down
to the fact that it is considered one of the trendiest residential areas in the
city but Bloomsbury has been the chosen place of residence for some of London’s
most famous inhabitants throughout the years.
Keep your eyes peeled for the telltale blue plaques which are dotted on
buildings all over the city (not just in Bloomsbury)
and highlight when a building is connected to someone famous or even
infamous! Great examples in Bloomsbury include Charles Dickens and Bob Marley. Other well known residents have also included
Virginia Woolf, Gandhi and Ricky Gervais.
Virginia Woolf was probably the area’s longest standing resident and was
in fact, central in the creation of the Bloomsbury Group; made up of
intellectuals during the first half of the 20th century.
It has great educational links
Bloomsbury
is home to some of the oldest and most prestigious colleges and schools in the
whole of the UK. The University of London
has many of its colleges here including the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine and the Royal
Veterinary College
as well as Senate House Library which we mentioned above. It is also the place you can find the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) which is one of the most renowned and respected
theatre performance schools in the entire country. Many famous actors and actresses have begun
their careers here including the likes of Alan Rickman and David Tennant. Alongside all of this, Bloomsbury is also
host to the study centres for American universities as well such as the University of California
and Florida State University.
It’s great for a
day out
So
aside from experiencing the architecture, the cool colleges, the book stores
and the open spaces, Bloomsbury is also home to some of London’s best attractions. The British Library, The Cartoon Museum, the Charles Dickens
Museum, the Founding
Museum and the John Soane Museum can all be found here and that is
really just scratching the surface of the types of museums and attractions
which are located in this part of the city.
It could easily take you a day to just explore some of these world class
museums, never mind discovering everything else which Bloomsbury
has to offer visitors. Chic coffee shops
and restaurants and even its own festival…there really is so much to see and do
here.
With
all this and more squeezed into just one part of Central London, we would
heartily recommend setting aside some time to explore this interesting and
diverse area of the city next time you are in London.
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