London is famously a Victorian city and so is a great place to step inside historic homes, their often lavish interiors preserved as they were in the 19th century.
While these houses can be a source of interior design inspiration I must remind you that stained glass windows and dark green wallpaper won’t look quite so good in your two bed new-build.
Set over five floors of one of Charles Dickens’ former residences, I’ve read no Dickens but enjoyed this museum more than I expected.
It is a chance to see inside a Bloomsbury terrace as it would’ve been in the 1800s and to explore an early example of celebrity culture.
The Georgian townhouse where famous composer Handel lived and the flat next door where Jimi Hendrix lived in the 1960s.
They both have their own incredible stories, vividly told by the volunteers in each room!
The former home of Frederick Leighton, a famous and immensely wealthy Victorian artist.
The house is best known for its ornate Arab Hall, decoarated with tiles from Damascus.
The best way to visit is to get a ticket for both Leighton and Sambourne houses for £22.
The immaculately preserved home of Linley and Marion Sambourne. Linley Sambourne drew cartoons for Punch, one of the most famous satirical magazines.
As well as magnificent quantities of Victorian clutter you can see many of Linley’s cartoons and photographs that he took for inspiration.
Former home of Sir John Soane, a celebrated neo-classical architect. The house has been preserved as it was at the time of his death in 1837 and contains a spectacular collection of antiques, including Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress.
