(Above Photo - Leighton House: An Interiors Gem In London )
Leighton House, London is a must-visit art museum for anyone coming into the country. Many online travel booking sites have listed it among other attractions in the greater London. The building is situated in the Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough in West London in the elegant Holland Park neighbourhood. We spent a lovely few hours enjoying the rooms and antiques with perhaps the highlight being 'The Blue Room'. Incorporating amazing coloured tiles, a fountain and objets d'art from the Middle and Far East rising up four storeys, many people have described it as the most beautiful room in London. I also enjoyed walking around Holland Park which is one of the wealthiest neighbourhood in London straddled between Notting Hill Gate and Kensington. Also not far from our old showroom on Westbourne Gove near Portobello Road. You can definitely make a great London day out in this area.
(Above photo - The fabulous Blue Room in Leighton House )
Leighton House was once the home of the painter Fredric Leighton, First Baron Leighton, who lived between 1836 and 1896. He commissioned George Aitchison, an architectural designer to build a home and studio all in one.
During the construction of the house Aitchison incorporated different elements, including tiles acquired from the Near East. The construction work started in 1866 and ended in 1895, creating an exquisite building that’s currently Grade II listed. It has aesthetic interior that utilize elaborate orientalist features.
The Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council runs the building today, allowing visitors from all over the world. It displays various works of art on a permanent basis, including those by George Frederic Watts, Edward Burne-Jones, John Everett Millais, and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Besides, there are over 81 oil paintings created by Leighton himself.
In 1958, Leighton House was turned into a museum by the City of London in Commemoration of Leighton for his wonderful works of art. The museum is open to visitors daily, except on Tuesday. It’s a twin to the 18 Stafford Terrace Museum, which is also situated in Kensington.
Since it is one of the best tourist attractions in the city, Leighton House, London provides the perfect opportunities to try out the city’s other attractions. Whether you’re visiting Leighton house for the first or umpteenth time, the following are some of the things to do in and around it:
(Above photo - Portrait of Frederick Leighton - friend of the Pre-Raphaelites )
As you walk around Leighton House, London, you’ll learn a lot about the artists who contributed to the art collection in the museum. Among them is the founder of vorticism. Since you’ll be viewing some of the art created by the Pre-Raphaelites, you’ll learn about how their movement began.
Besides, you’ll learn about an individual who posed for a painting and got pneumonia in the process. The museum also has details about where 19th-century artists lived and worked. Of course, you’ll also learn more about the celebrity models featured in the art pieces.
Get a Big Bus sightseeing pass and go to any location in London at will. Of course, that’s once you’re through with touring Leighton House London. Take the pass for one to three days and make the most of your holiday through unguided independent travel.
It’s the perfect opportunity to tour all the famous London landmarks and have a different perspective of the city. Plus, you could cruise the Thames River. If you can make it to the London Eye, you’ll a rare aerial view of the city.
The Bottom Line
(Above photo - A dazzling interplay of colours and materials in Leighton House )
Visiting Leighton House is one the things to do once in London. It displays great art pieces and provides you with the perfect opportunity to tour the City of London. So, make a point of visiting it one of these fine days.
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( Above Photo: Leighton House )
(Above photo - Upstairs room interior shot )
(Above photo - Regency Lacquered Bookcase at Leighton House )
(Above photo - Leighton was part of a group of artists known as the Holland Park Circle )
(Above photo - The peacock grabbed my attention )
(Above photo - Eurydice to Orpheus by Frederick Leighton )
(Above photo - Victorian oak architectural desk )
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