British Museum

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British Museum, London. Founded in 1753, housing a stunning and vast collection of exhibits ranging from Ancient Egypt to the Elgin Marbles to reliefs from Assyrian Palaces to the Romans and Celts, to Medieval Europe to exhibits right up to the present day. One of the best and most visited museums in the world.

Galleries are arranged on two levels around a covered courtyard. On the left hand side are the Egyptian and Ancient Greek collections. Gaze in awe at the sheer size of the Nereid Monument- built in 390BC in honour of one of the rulers of Lycia, now part of South West Turkey. Housed in their own gallery, take in the detail on the friezes from the Parthenon, (the Elgin Marbles), read the controversy concerning their removal to England in the early 19th century, and the continuing controversy as Greece asserts her claim for restitution.

Across the Great Court are the Celtic and Roman Galleries. Admire the detail in the solid silver Roman dining service, glassware, Viking Loot. Priceless treasure that is the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial of some unknown King from the 7th century AD. Admire the detail in the solid gold belt buckle, other grave goods included weapons, armour, a warriors helmet and tableware. Other collections of treasure include the Snettisham hordes, containing over a hundred gold and silver torcs, dating from the Iron Age. Some were broken, some had signs of wear, some were like new, the latter clearly from a long lost Treasury. The one in the photo here is over a kilogram in weight

The Museum's Roman Collection is wide ranging and diverse from glass and pottery to a silver tableware set, even a gladiators helmet, to a bust of Emperor Hadrian, to everyday items such as a bronze hinge off a door, to pottery oil lamps. To hordes of treasure such as the Hoxne hoard, containing over 15000 coins, only a small fraction of which are on public display.

Museum Opening Times. Open every day 10.00–17.30 Open late Thursdays and Fridays. Special exhibitions may require payment of an admission charge. Nearest tubes are Holborn and Tottenham Court Road. Frequent bus services run along new Oxford St then only a short walk to the Museum.

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