London can be a fantastic place to visit but at this time of year the weather can be against you. Looking for lovely, cosy indoor places that still have access to outdoor light and a sense of space? I’ve often found rainy days in London make me want to hibernate but with a renewed sense of energy I discovered these places to share with you. Many of these locations have multiple rooms or stores to visit so you spend your entire day rainy day here.
Perfect for a group get together.
Victoria Market Halls. Perfect for a group catch up with friends the Victoria Market Halls stretch across two floors with a glass roof over the main stairwell. I’ve been here a couple of times with friends and it’s the perfect spot for a gathering of friends with different budgets. Once you secure a table everyone can pop to their preferred street food joint and order what they like. There is no pressure to have a drink and you can mix and match your food. Whilst it is quite busy after work during the day this is a great place to bring the laptop and work on your business or catch up with your friend who’s just become a parent!
A location that no one knows about.
The Wallace Collection. One of the Wallace families’ homes, Hertford House, displays the art collection that was brought together by four generations. Free to enter, each room has bright flocked wallpaper covered in a significant number of artworks. Some of the rooms have two or three of the same painting with slight variation by the artist. An old version of art prints! In the middle of the building is the glamourous, glass roofed restaurant. There are full size trees and the ceiling is over three stories high. I visited with a friend on a rainy day. We dropped our things into the cloak room to wander around all the rooms. Once we were peckish we had some lunch under the roof as we listened to the rain. The best bit was The Wallace Collection isn’t well known and a little bit of a walk from Baker Street Station which means it is quite empty and it is likely you will have the place to yourself.
Art for everybody.
Victoria and Albert Museam. My absolute favourite museum in London with over 140 rooms to explore. As you weave through the large Victorian building light streams in from various large windows and glass roofs. I have yet to see every room in the museum despite visiting regularly and you could easily lose a day here! There are also two cafes offering warm drinks, scones and cakes and more substantial foods. If you choose to become a member there is another cafe just for you under a glass top. The best bit about the museum is that you can access it from a tunnel connected to the underground so any bad weather can be avoided!
What are you favourite places to visit on a rainy day in London or your home town? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. PF xo
