London - History and Harrods

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South Kensington is the home of the Science museum, the Natural History museum and the Victoria & Albert museum. It is also celebrated for Kensington Palace and its shops. Knightsbridge is known primarily for its swanky shops--the world famous Harrods being its pride and joy.

Begin with the Victoria & Albert museum as it's close to South Kensington tube station and all the museums are well sign-posted from here.

In 1899 Queen Victoria named this museum after herself and her much-loved husband, and the V & A, as it is commonly known, was born. Statues of the pair, sculpted by Alfred Drury, can be found in front of the Cromwell Road faade.

One of the largest museums in the world with over 150 rooms, it's best explored by wandering about. If you prefer to be more focused, there are excellent guidebooks in the museum shop, which will direct you to exhibits of particular interest. Constables, Raphael Cartoons, and The Dress Collection are all wonderful, while the temporary exhibitions are always very good.

Next on the tour is the Science museum. Built in 1913, this museum is equally large, with seven floors covering the science of medicine, food, space travel and much more. More child-friendly than the V & A, much of this museum has hands-on exhibits coupled with informative displays and eye-catching models making it an educational treat for all the family. A map from the museum shop will detail the exhibitions and help you plan your visit.

The last museum in the triangle is the Natural History museum, a spectacular building housing the history of creation. Zoology, palaeontology, entomology and you-name-it-ology provide an endless choice of exhibits for you to view. All manner of living and extinct beings are displayed and explained throughout the museum, with the Dinosaur Gallery being one of the most popular.

All three museums are excellent and should definitely be visited at some point during your time in London. The last two are geared towards children but are also extremely educational for adults. South Kensington has lots of lovely eateries and is worthy of further exploration with shopping mecca Brompton Cross, home to the flagship The Conran Shop, Joseph, and Kensington High Street.

To visit London's most famous shop, Harrods, keep the Natural History museum and the V & A on your left, and go down Cromwell Road, which leads into Brompton Road. You'll pass the impressive Brompton Oratory, scene of many high society weddings, on your left, and before long, Harrods will appear on your right. Just next door to Harrods is Harvey Nichols, an extra-chic designer-friendly department store with a hip food department and restaurant--the perfect place to end a sophisticated day!







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Knightsbridge & Belgravia
London
Knightsbridge & Belgravia
Brompton Oratory


Majestic splendour
 Brompton Road
London, London SW7 1EX
+44 20 7808 0900
http://www.bromptonoratory.com/
Brompton Oratory
Kensington Palace


Princess Diana's former home
 Palace Avenue
Kensington Palace State Apartments
London, London W8 4PX
+44 870 751 5170
http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp
Kensington Palace
Harrods


The one and only
 87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge
London, London SW1X 7XL
+44 20 7730 1234
http://www.harrods.com/
Harrods
Joseph


Fashion and quality combined
 23 Old Bond Street
Mayfair
London, London W1S 4PZ
+44 20 7629 3713
http://www.joseph.co.uk/
Joseph
Natural History Museum


One of London's most popular museums
 Cromwell Road
South Kensington
London, London SW7 5BD
+44 20 7942 5000
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
Natural History Museum
Science Museum


Hands-On Experience
 Exhibition Road
South Kensington
London, London SW7 2DD
+44 870 870 4868
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
Science Museum
Harvey Nichols


The late Princess Diana's favourite store
 109-125 Knightsbridge
London, London SW1X 7RJ
+44 20 7235 5000
http://www.harveynichols.com/
Harvey Nichols
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