WikiClimateForecast

London/Bloomsbury - district in West End, London

Location of the Bloomsbury area in London This article is about three neighbourhoods of central London: Bloomsbury, St Pancras and Fitzrovia.

Bloomsbury is the hub of London's university district, is home to the British Museum and is next to the British Library. St Pancras is a largely residential area with many fine 17th- to 19th-century townhouses built around pretty squares with gardens of varying levels of privacy, and the perfect place for a wander to soak up the atmosphere of being in London. This is also a promising place to look for accommodation, from cheap student hostels to 4-star hotels and apartment rentals. What Fitzrovia lacks in attractions it makes up for in an excellent variety of pubs and bars, most of which cater for a young, intellectual crowd of students, media types and junior doctors.

Understand

Bloomsbury is a vibrant historic district made most famous by a group of turn-of-the-century writers that included Virginia Woolf and EM Forster (the "Bloomsbury Set"), economist John Maynard Keynes and the artist Roger Fry.

It is also the location of the British Museum, the campus of University College London and numerous historic homes, parks, and buildings.

Fitzrovia is to the west of Bloomsbury. The border between these 2 districts is the Gower Street–Bloomsbury Street axis. Allegedly, Fitzrovia was named after the Fitzroy Tavern. The BBC's New Broadcasting House is at the western end of this district.

Get in

Map of the Bloomsbury district

By tube

Bloomsbury can be easily accessed from several convenient tube stations as follows:

  • Euston (Northern and Victoria lines)
  • Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines)
  • Goodge Street (Northern line)
  • Great Portland Street (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines)
  • Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines)
  • King's Cross St Pancras (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern (Bank Branch), Piccadilly and Victoria lines – yes, that many!)
  • Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines)
  • Russell Square (Piccadilly line)
  • Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines)
  • Warren Street (Northern and Victoria lines)

By train

Nearby Camden has 3 mainline rail stations within walking distance: King's Cross, Euston and St. Pancras International.

Tottenham Court Road is on the Elizabeth line from Reading to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

Get around

Most of the sites are reachable by foot or a single stop on the tube.

See

Museums and exhibitions

Ceiling of the Great Hall, inside the British Museum

  • British Museum, Great Russell St, WC1B 3DG (tube: ), 51.5190°, -0.1264°, +44 20 7323-8000, information@britishmuseum.org. Sa-W 10AM-5:30PM, Th F 10AM-8:30PM; Central Great Court remains open Sa-W until 6PM, Th F until 11PM. A vast repository of the world's cultures, controversially including hundreds of items that were looted from their places of origin. Entire sections are devoted to Egyptian, Greek, and Middle Eastern artifacts, as well as the piece which united them all, the Rosetta Stone. Other items on everyone's list are the largest collection of mummies outside Egypt and the Elgin Marbles. The collection also includes some of the world's finest collections of Chinese and Sub-Saharan African art; perhaps the most famous of the latter are the Benin bronzes. A definite highlight of a trip to London. Temporary exhibitions are invariably excellent and meticulously researched, but can be expensive. It has a fine store, mainly selling replicas of items in the collection. Free

  • Cartoon Museum, 65 Wells St, W1A 3AE (tube: ), 51.517602°, -0.138732°, +44 20 7580-8155, info@cartoonmuseum.org. Tu W F-Su 10:30AM-5:30PM, Th 10:30AM-8PM. A vast collection of cartoons and comics on display with special, often topical, exhibitions. £8.50, concession (60+) £5, students £3, under-18s free 2022-10-13

  • Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty St, WC1N 2LX (), 51.5234°, -0.1162°, +44 20 7405-2127, info@dickensmuseum.com. M W-Sa 10AM-5PM (last admission 4:30PM), Tu 10AM-7PM, Su 11AM-5PM (last admission 4:30PM). Museum at the former home of Dickens exhibiting writings, paintings, furniture and other items relating to the writer. £5, students and seniors £4, children £3, families £14 (two adults and up to five children), special group rates apply

  • Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Sq, WC1N 1AZ (), 51.52519°, -0.12169°, +44 20 7841-3600, enquiries@foundlingmuseum.org.uk. Tu-Su 10AM-5:30PM. A museum and a gallery telling the story of the Foundling Hospital, an orphanage for abandoned children founded in the 18th century. Massive art donations by British artists and the involvement of George Friederic Handel as a patron made this childcare organisation an early centre of art and music. £5, concessions £4, children free

  • Fitzroy House (L. Ron Hubbard House), 35/37 Fitzroy St, W1T 6DX (tube: ), 51.52245°, -0.13906°, +44 20 7255-2422, info@fitzroyhouse.org. A historic house that was inhabited by playwright George Bernard Shaw, it is where writer L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, worked in the 1950s. The building is reminiscent of the time, complete with Adler typewriters, Grundig tape recorders, and Western Union telefax. Tours by appointment. Free

  • Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, Malet Pl, WC1E 6BT (tube: . The museum can be hard to find. Malet Pl is a narrow lane opposite the end of Maker St. Find the large Waterstone's Bookstore on the corner of Malet St-Malet Pl continue over Torrington Pl. Venturing down the lane, the museum's banner should be prominent on the left hand side. Go through the doors and ask the porter for the museum), 51.52351°, -0.13295°, +44 20 7679-2884, petrie.museum@ucl.ac.uk. Tu-Sa 1-5PM. Formerly the teaching collection of Sir Flinders Petrie, one of Britain's greatest archaeologists, now preserved by University College London. Exhibits include beaded dresses, sculpture and wall reliefs, items of everyday use, papyri, cartonnage and pottery. Fascinating! Free 2018-11-26

  • Pollock's Toy Museum, 1 Scala St, W1T 2HL (tube: ), 51.52029°, -0.13522°, +44 20 7636-3452, pollockstoymuseum@gmail.com. M-Sa 10AM–5PM. A treasure trove of antique toys exhibited in a warren of 6 rooms above the toy shop of the same name. A very charming place indeed, though the doll rooms are a bit gruesome. £9, Concession £8, child 4-15 £4.50

  • Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE (), 51.5258°, -0.13385°, +44 20 7611 2222. Tu-Su 10AM-6PM, Th 8PM. Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome's vast collection of medical artefacts and art work that together explore what it means to be human. Special health related exhibitions. Free 2018-03-07

  • Camera Museum, 44 Museum St, WC1A 1LY, 51.51768°, -0.125359°, +44 20 7242 8681. M-F 11AM-7PM, Sa noon-6PM, Su closed. A downstairs museum dedicated to cameras from the 1800s to present day, including a camera rifle like the one used in License To Kill. The museum is a quick visit and worth the stop even for someone with a moderate interest in photography. £2. U10 free 2018-04-14

  • Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, WC1H 0XG (on Russell Square opposite the main entrance to SOAS), 51.522072°, -0.127909°, +44 02078984915, gallery@soas.ac.uk. Tu–Sa 10:30AM–5PM, Th 10:30AM–8PM. An exhibition space that hosts a programme of changing contemporary and historical exhibitions from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, aiming to present and promote cultures from these regions and to be a student resource and public facility. There are live music performances every last Wednesday of every month except December and July. Free 2022-06-30

Landmarks and parks

Bedford Square in Bloomsbury - wonderful Georgian architecture

  • Bedford Square, WC1 (), 51.51894°, -0.13004°. This wonderful square was built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area takes its name from the Dukes of Bedford, who were the main landlords in Bloomsbury. Distinguished residents have included Lord Eldon, one of Britain's longest serving and most celebrated Lord Chancellors. This is one of the best preserved set pieces of Georgian architecture in London and the majority of the buildings are grade I listed. The gardens are private and always remain locked.

  • British Telecom Tower, Maple St, W1T 4BG, 51.5215°, -0.1389°. Not open to the public. 191-m (627-ft) skyscraper can be seen from far away and is the sixth highest building in UK.

  • Bloomsbury Square, Bloomsbury Sq, WC1A 2LS (Holborn [central] [piccadilly] / Russell Square [piccadilly]), 51.51897°, -0.12289°, +44 20 7974-1693. Dusk-dawn. This garden square was established by Lord Southampton in 1665 and is the oldest square in London. It was opened to the public in the 1950s. The square is surrounded by a number of beautiful 18th- and 19th-century buildings and terraces. Free

  • Coram's Fields, 93 Guilford St, WC1N 1DN (Tube: Russell Square [piccadilly]), 51.52419°, -0.11986°, +44 20 7833-2393. A park which is run as children's play area. Facilities include a pet's corner, lawns, sports pitches and a nursery. No adults are allowed to enter the park unless they are accompanying children. All visitors are welcome to join the local kids.

  • Russell Square, WC1B (), 51.5217°, -0.1260°, +44 20 7974-1693. 7:30AM-10PM. The largest square in London. It was established in 1806 by the 5th Duke of Bedford and his statue can still be seen in the square. There is also a café.

  • Senate House Building, Malet St, WC1E 7HU ( then walk through Russell Square), 51.52103°, -0.12876°. Art deco headquarters of University of London featured in the film Nineteen Eighty-Four. 2021-03-26

  • St George's Gardens, Heathcote St, WC1N 1AB (), 51.52599°, -0.12101°, info@friendsofstgeorgesgardens.org.uk. Peaceful gardens and interesting monuments including the daughter of Richard Cromwell, son of Oliver Cromwell.

Other

BBC Broadcasting House

  • Goodenough College, Mecklenburgh Sq, WC1N 2AB (), 51.524304°, -0.117934°. Goodenough College offers accommodation for international postgraduate students. The college's student community of approx 650 represents over 90 countries, offering a unique experience through stimulating intellectual debate, fostering cross-cultural activity and providing an exceptional social environment. Tours around the college are offered every Friday at 1PM and every first Saturday of the month at 11AM.

  • University College London (UCL), Gower St, WC1E 6BT (tube: , access from the northern end of Gower St), 51.524325°, -0.133252°, +44 20 7679-2000, postmaster@ucl.ac.uk. Includes a small but beautiful quad and an interesting Neo-Classical facade. The core buildings of UCL were built after the university's foundation in 1826. Outside the BBC's The One Show studio

  • BBC Broadcasting House (New Broadcasting House aka NBH), Portland Place (tube: or ), 51.5189981°, -0.1436591°. Due to security reasons the Broadcasting House is not open to visitors. The complex incorporates the Old Broad House built in 1930s. The façades of which feature the famous sculpture of Prospero and Ariel and the Ariel friezes by Eric Gill and Gilbert Bayes. BBC's The One Show is transmitted from the studio at the ground floor every weeknight starting from 7PM. The studio is quite visible from the plaza outside and some parts of the show are performed from outside of the studio – in the plaza. 2015-12-07

Do

BIMI–Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image, 43 Gordon Sq, Birkbeck, University of London, WC1H 0PD, 51.5246°, -0.1302°, +44 872 148 2992, bimi@bbk.ac.uk.

Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon St, WC1H 0AH (tube: ), 51.5253°, -0.133056°. Theatre owned by University College London staging both student and professional productions. Broad range of performances.

Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Rd, W1T 7AQ (tube: ), 51.5166°, -0.130139°. A large London theatre that tends to show mainstream blockbuster-type musical productions.

London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57-58 Russell Square, WC1B 4HS, 51.52116°, -0.12446°, +44 20 7637 3686. Based on Russell Square, they give lectures and exhibitions, for those numerically inclined.

Renoir, Brunswick Sq, WC1N 1AW (), 51.52406°, -0.12315°, +44 20 7837-8402. Cinema showing arthouse and foreign language films. £3.50-6.80

Walks, +44 20 7388-8822. Bloomsbury has a number of famous walks that cover the lives and works of the Bloomsbury Group.

Bloomsbury Festival. Takes place in the Summer around the environs of Bloomsbury, concentrated in Russell Square, and hosts arts and crafts fair, children's painting classes and dance workshops. The food stalls are good value too.

Buy

Bookshops

With University College London being a dominant presence in Bloomsbury, it is no surprise that there are a lot of bookshops. The area around Marchmont St and the Brunswick Centre (north of Russell Sq) rivals Charing Cross Road to be the bookshop capital of London.

Gay's the Word, 66 Marchmont St, WC1N 1AB (tube: ), 51.525361°, -0.125379°, +44 20 7278-7654, sales@gaystheword.co.uk. M-Sa 10AM-6:30PM, Su 2-6PM. The leading gay-related bookshop in Britain. It has been around since 1979, during which time it has been closely linked with LGBT rights and other activism, including the 'Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners' campaign in the 1980s. Visitors will find fiction books and a large academic stock.

Judd Books, 82 Marchmont St, WC1N 1AG (tube: ), 51.52599°, -0.12547°, +44 20 7387-5333, info@juddbooks.com. M-Sa 11AM-7PM. Large stock of used, remaindered and academic books especially in the fields of architecture, history and philosophy.

Persephone Books, 59 Lamb's Conduit St, WC1N 3NB (tube: ), 51.52211°, -0.11882°, +44 20 7242-9292. Specialises in 20th-century fiction by women writers.

Skoob, 66 The Brunswick, WC1N 1AE (tube: ), 51.52503°, -0.12453°, +44 20 7278-8760, skoobbooks@btconnect.com. Wide selection of secondhand academic books, philosophy, modern literature and classics. Very popular with students.

Collinge & Clark, 13 Leigh Street, WC1H 9EW (tube: ), 51.526552°, -0.124964°, +44 207 3877105, info@collingeandclark.co.uk. Specialises in graphic design and typography. It was also used as an exterior location for the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books. 2022-06-13

Clothing

Roberto Revilla, Savva Tailors Workroom, Shropshire House, 179 Tottenham Court Rd, W1T 7NZ, 51.5222°, -0.1355°, +44 20 3006-8451, contact@robertorevillalondon.com. M–F 8AM–5:30PM, closed Sa Su. Bespoke tailoring services and luxury accessories. 2021-05-10

Other

Millenia, 147 Oxford St, W1D 7GE (tube: ), 51.515935°, -0.137245°. Pop culture merchandise from famous franchises such as Pokémon, Harry Potter and Dungeons & Dragons. 2022-10-17

Tottenham Court Road, 51.5207°, -0.1345°. The centre for electronics retailers in London. If you are visiting the city and need to buy or replace an electronic item, you will not find a better selection nor better prices than here. Explore both sides of the street to the north of Tottenham Court Road station. 2018-11-22

The Brunswick Centre, 51.524°, -0.124°. Shopping centre with a large Waitrose supermarket and some other shops. 2015-11-10

Eat

Budget

This area is teeming with students so there is a wealth of cheap (relative to London prices) eating options. Charlotte Street near Goodge Street underground station, parallel to Tottenham Court Road has a number of nice restaurants, some of them very reasonable. Look for the cheap Korean restaurants under Centre Point at Tottenham Court Road. They are great value and very close to the British Museum.

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

Fitzrovia

Bubbledogs, 70 Charlotte St, W1T 4QG (tube: ), 51.5204°, -0.1366°, +44 20 7637-7770, info@bubbledogs.co.uk. Tu–Sa 11:30AM–4PM, 5:30–11PM. Champagne and cocktail bar serving gourmet hotdogs. From £6–11.50 (glass of wine/champagne), £6–8 (hotdogs)

Flying Horse (formerly The Tottenham), 6 Oxford St, London W1D 1AN (tube: ), 51.51652°, -0.13074°, +44 20 7636 8324. A Grade 11 listed Nicolson's pub. 2021-10-10

The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Pl, W1T 1JB (tube: ), 51.51774°, -0.134°, +44 20 7580 1585. Freehouse with beautiful leaded windows. Used to be Aleister Crowley's regular. 2021-10-10

Sam Smith's Pubs (Samuel Smith's Old Brewery), NA°, NA°. Check also a map with pub locations. £2-4 per pint

Bloomsbury

There are a number of pubs and wine bars around the British Library and University College London campus.

The College Arms, 18 Store St, WC1E 7DH (tube: ), 51.5198°, -0.1319°, +44 872 148 2469. Pub frequented by students from nearby University College London and Birkbeck College.

The Harrison, 28 Harrison St, WC1H 8JF, 51.52751°, -0.12060°, +44 20 7278 3966. 2023-03-09

The Jeremy Bentham, 31 University St, WC1E 6JL (tube: ), 51.5235°, -0.1356°, +44 872 148 1528. Named after the prominent political philosopher and early supporter of University College London, and located very near the main entrance to the college, the pub tends to attract more senior academics than does the College Arms.

The Lamb, 94 Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1N 3LZ (), 51.5230°, -0.1190°, +44 20 7405-0713, lambwc1@youngs.co.uk. M-W noon-11PM, Th-Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-10:30PM. Food: daily noon-9:30PM. This beautifully preserved Victorian pub attracts many young and old patrons. Classic ales and some great food. Crowded after 5PM.

The Lord John Russell, 91-93 Marchmont St, WC1N 1AL (), 51.5260°, -0.1259°, +44 20 7388-0500. Authentic pub popular with university students.

Mabel's Tavern, 9 Mabledon Pl, WC1H 9AZ, 51.5278°, -0.1276°, +44 20 7387 7739. 2023-03-09

The Museum Tavern, 49 Great Russell St, WC1B 3BA (tube: , opposite the British Museum), 51.5182°, -0.1259°, +44 20 7242-8987. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su noon-11:30PM. A very good pub, offering a wide range of real ales, and some excellent food. Can get busy in the summer months.

TCR Lounge Bar (formerly, and commonly still known as, Ye Olde Surgeon), 183 Tottenham Court Rd, W1T 7PE (tube: ), 51.5220°, -0.1354°. A common drinking place for medical students from University College Hospital, who jostle alongside office workers. Gets exceptionally crowded after office hours.

Yorkshire Grey, 2 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8PN, 51.52154°, -0.113567°, +44 20 8176 6990. noon-11PM (closed Su). 2023-03-09

Sleep

Bloomsbury is a great choice of district to stay in as there is a large range of hostels, B&Bs, budget hotels and four-star hotels in the area.

Budget

Hostels

Hotels

Many of the budget hotels are located on Argyle St in the very northern part of the district, nearest tube station: .

Mid-range

Splurge

Connect

Go next

Related Wikipedia article: Fitzrovia

Related Wikipedia article: Bloomsbury

Related Wikipedia article: St Pancras, London

Bloomsbury

Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:Europe/LondonCoordinates:51.52, -0.13

Greater London

2nd-order administrative division

England

Primary administrative division

United Kingdom

gov.uk
Population:66.5 MDial code:+44Currency:Pound (GBP)Voltage:230 V, 50 Hz