A Professor of Architecture...

With all the depressing posts of the last two or three weeks, it's time for a change...  Today we will have a quick look at one of London's hidden gems.  What makes this even better is that admission is free!

Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was an English architect, with his most notable effort being the Bank of England.  Sadly, much of his original work has since been destroyed, particularly at the Bank, but perhaps the best preserved example of his work is the manor house in Cricket St. Thomas.  While the building dates back to the 14th Century, the house was modified and largely rebuilt under Soane's direction.

Ironically, Soane died on this day - January 20 - in 1837; I honestly didn't realise that until I started this post, so that is quite a bizarre coincidence!

Anyway, the Sir John Soane Museum is located in Soane's former home and office in Lincoln's Inn Fields, which is the largest public square in London.  The remarkable museum houses numerous art works and examples of fine architecture collected by Soane.

Here is a short video about the museum.

Enjoy!