Somerset House
Heading southeast towards the river again to the amazing Somerset House, the massive neoclassical palace situated between the Strand & the Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. Starting from the 13th century, the riverfront and the Strand became popular locations for the Londoners seeking influence at Westminster Court.
Great Houses belonging to the King, the Queen and members of the court, to bishops & noblemen were already in existence when in 1547 the First Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour, Lord Protector of Edward VI after King Henry VIII‘s death started building his great mansion. Although he had commissioned what would eventually become one of the most influential buildings of the English Renaissance, the Duke had little opportunity to enjoy his magnificent House. In 1551 his opponents had him arrested for the crime of treason. He was executed on Tower Hill in January 1552.
After Somerset’s execution, the building passed into the hands of the Crown. Finally completed in 1553, the house was occupied by Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I, until she acceded to the throne in 1558. As a Queen, she preferred to live in the palace of Whitehall or St. James’s, while using Somerset House for occasional meetings of her council and as a lodging house for foreign diplomats. The palace’s royal use continued until its demolition in 1775 & the construction of the new Somerset House that we see today.
The building was initially constructed by Sir William Chambers. After he died in 1796 James Wyatt took over the project. The works were not completed until the construction of the New Wing in 1856, the last phase of a plan conceived some eighty years earlier. Its completion finally allowed Somerset House to be appreciated as a three-dimensional building, rather than as one facing only onto the Strand and the river. Until 1870 & the construction of the Victoria Embankment the Thames lapped the South Wing where three great arches allowed boats and barges to penetrate within the building.
In the late 20th century the building was reinvigorated as a center for the visual arts. The first institution to move in was the Courtauld Institute of Art, including the Courtauld Gallery, the main attraction of Somerset House today. Occupying the North or Strand block of the House, the Courtauld Gallery houses today one of the most exquisite art collections from the Renaissance period up to the post-impressionists. Courtauld Gallery is particularly renowned for its impressionist and post-impressionist paintings by artists such as Manet, Van Gogh, Rubens, Cézanne, Degas & Monet.
Some of the other tenants of the Somerset House include King’s College London & The Royal Society of Literature among many others. It is also the host of some brilliant photographic exhibitions while its central courtyard is home to a popular open-air ice rink during the winter & to an open-air film festival in Summer. An array of fountains display 55 vertical jets of water rising to random heights in the courtyard. There are plenty of ways to lose yourself at Somerset House and just be a part of this amazing venue.
You can also find a restaurant by the accredited chef & food critic Skye Gyngell here, which focuses on seasonal produce. There’s also the Fernandez & Wells café and bar for lunch or tapas, fresh and exciting lunch ideas at Tom’s Deli and The Courtauld Café, Tom’s Kitchen by Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens, Tom’s Terrace open-bar for an ideal overlook of the Thames for the summer months or festive treats in Tom’s Skate Lounge during winter. Simply put you can spend a whole day and night at Somerset House and it will be well spent. More
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