London Gems: The Geffrye Museum

The Geffrye Museum in the East End of London is based around a series of living rooms.  They show the many changes in the domestic life of London’s middle classes from around 1800 to the present day.

The rooms are complete with furniture, carpets, curtains, paintings and ornaments.  The Geffrye Museum rooms are set out as though the occupants have just stepped out for a minute.  Every detail has been researched, often from surviving examples of the relevant period of building situated in London.

In addition to the room settings, the Geffrye Museum has displays of fabrics, objects and furniture with explanations of how they were used and examples of where they might be found.  The interpretive displays tell the story of changes in society and patterns of behaviour as well as style, fashion and taste.

Admission to the Geffrye Museum is free.

This is possible because the Geffrye Museum is an independent charitable trust, grant-aided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (so it is partly paid for by UK taxpayers).

The trust actively seeks to attract donations and corporate sponsorship.

You may want to have a snack or purchase something from the shop.  You will also need to travel to the museum, so it would not be true to say that the visit to the museum is entirely free.

Where is the Geffrye Museum?

The Geffrye Museum is at 136 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London E2 8EA.

At the time of writing, the nearest Underground station is Old Street.  If you leave Old Street station via Exit 2 the Geffrye Museum is a short walk.

A new Underground station for Hoxton is currently under construction.  This is almost next door to the museum.

When I visited the Geffrye Museum I travelled by main line train to London Bridge station and caught a bus to the museum.

Both trains and buses are very frequent.

The Kingsland Road was the centre of London’s furniture making industry in the 19^th Century, so it seems very apt that a museum whose main focus is furniture should be located in this neighbourhood.

The museum is set in the former almshouses of the Ironmongers’ Company.  These beautiful 18^th Century buildings are worth a visit in their own right.  They are a rare example of historic almshouse  buildings in unaltered and intact condition.

Almshouses in England date back to before the Norman Conquest (1066), although available historic evidence suggests that the medieval era saw their most rapid expansion.  They still exist today.

Almshouses were often founded by the Church or special interest groups, but sometimes by wealthy individuals.  The purpose of almshouses is to provide care and housing for the poor, especially the old.

In medieval times, some almshouses founded by individuals had an additional religious motive.  The residents of the almshouses were required to pray for the soul of the benefactor

The building in which the Geffrye Museum is situated was built and financed by the Ironmongers’ Company, which is a society founded for the benefit of members of that trade, and continues as a City livery company.

Sir Robert Geffrye was a Master of the Ironmongers’ Company and was once the Lord Mayor of London.

The almshouses were formed of three ranges of houses around a courtyard, with the fourth side enclosed by a low wall.

The chapel was in the centre of the main range and has been preserved in situ.

Some of the rooms have been restored to show their condition and furnishings from the time when the building was functioning as an almshouse.  These rooms are open to the public a few days every month.

In 1912 the almshouse function was moved to new premises in Mottingham, Kent.

The old buildings were saved from demolition by the National Trust.

The Museum has a cafe that opens every day until 4.45pm.  The food is reasonably priced (in my opinion).  I had a pot of tea and a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese and thought it delicious.

There is a cloakroom near the main entrance with lockable storage for coats and bags.  The cloakroom is free of charge.

The Geffrye Museum is a good place to visit for those with mobility issues.  All the main displays are located on the ground floor and the entrances are ramped and accessible for wheelchairs.  There are accessible toilets and a lift.

The Geffrye Museum has facilities for school visits. 

The Museum has a series of garden ‘rooms’ which have been planted out to reflect changing styles of gardening.  These are open from 1 April to 31 October.

A few months ago we (the 2 Patricias) were studying the colour supplements of national newspapers looking at listings of places to visit.  It seemed that many of the suggested destinations were distant from our homes or cost a lot for a family to visit.

We decided to introduce a theme for our website (www.looklovely.net) on ‘Doorstep Discoveries’.  We intended this to cover places that are free or low cost.

We choose the Geffrye Museum as an example because it is not very well known outside London yet it is an inexpensive place to visit with a wide appeal.

Obviously, the Geffrye Museum is not local for many people reading this Hub, but there are many places waiting to be discovered in most areas.  Why not go exploring next weekend?