I’ve known about Sir John Soane’s museum for a while. It had great reviews, but never made the itinerary until this trip. Sir John was an architect and educator. Both he and his wife were collectors. The house has been kept as it was when he died in 1837. That’s his bust below.
The house is packed with various statues, paintings, books, and all kinds of stuff. Our visit was a bit disjointed because there was a tour going on (which we didn’t do) and we couldn’t be in the same room. So we missed The Picture Room. Both the museum and the tour are free. You need to sign up for the tour in advance. They sell a guide to the museum for a couple of pounds.
Furnishings and fixtures are still place also. We liked how they use pieces of teasel instead of constant “please do not touch/sit here” signs. Sounds like this is a thing across the UK with National Trust properties. (The signs are fine; the teasel is less intrusive.)
We started in the cellar and worked our way up. The upper floors were living spaces. The more private spaces on the top floors are only accessible through a tour, which we did not do.
Even the hallways are packed with collectibles. Every inch of space was used, like this desk with multiple drawers in a hallway.
Shakespeare has his own niche in the stairway. We saw the original of this Mercury statue at the Bargello museum in Florence.
Window enclosure are fitted with bookshelves. Paintings hang in the stairway. It’s challenging to take it all in because there is so much of everything everywhere.
Even the interior courtyard contains statuary. There was a queue to get in both when we arrived and when we left. Space is tight inside so they limit traffic flow. Entry to the museum is free. They charge a small fee for the helpful brochure.
