Page 65 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - England's South Coast

L ONDON  63

Portobello Road Market
Stretching for over 3 km (2 miles) through fashionable Notting Hill,
Portobello Road is a characterful street of Victorian terraced shops
and houses that is home to one of London’s most vibrant and popular
markets. It derives its name from the Porto Bello Farm, purchased by
developers in the mid-19th century, which itself was named after a
British naval victory of 1739. It was originally a general provisions
market until the 1940s, when antique and bric-a-brac traders joined
in. Today, it is probably the most famous antique market in the world,
open on Saturdays (9am–7pm) with some dealers also operating on
Fridays. There are also plenty
The fascinating Mammals section in the of great fashion and fresh
Blue Zone at the Natural History Museum produce stalls here during the
rest of the week (apart from
j Natural Thursday after noons). Halfway
History Museum along the road, under the
Westway flyover, is Portobello
Cromwell Rd, SW7. Map A4. Green, a hub for clothing –
Tel 020 7942 5000. @ 14, 74, 414, C1. both new and vintage – which
1 South Kensington. Open 10am– is open Friday to Sunday.
5:50pm daily (to 10:30pm last Fri of Further ahead, there’s a rich
month). Closed 24–26 Dec. 8 9 array of food and drink on
7 0 - = ∑ nhm.ac.uk offer, from Caribbean street
food to trendy cocktail bars
This cathedral-like building’s and old-fashioned pubs.
richly sculpted stonework Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke
conceals an iron and steel frame, Grove are the nearest Colourful antique shop selling a variety of
a construction technique that Underground stations. collectables at the Portobello Road Market
was revolutionary when the
museum opened in 1881. Inside,
the imaginative displays tackle k Royal Albert Hall concert venue, although it has
fundamental issues such as the Kensington Gore, SW7. Map A4. hosted a wide variety of other
ecology and evolution of the Tel 020 7589 8212 (box office). events over the years, including
planet, the origin of species and 1 South Kensington. Open varies political rallies, stand-up comedy
the development of human according to event. Box office: 9am– and sporting contests. Today, it
beings – all explained through 9pm daily. Closed 24–26 Dec. 8 7 is probably most famous for the
the latest tech nology and 0 - = ∑ royalalberthall.com popular annual summer season
interactive techniques. of classical music concerts that
The museum is divided into The network of Victorian cultural are known as the “Proms”.
four sections: the Blue, Green, and educational institutions in
Red and Orange Zones. The South Kensington – popularly Environs
Blue Zone showcases mammals referred to as Albertopolis – A short walk to the north of
great and small (and a few that was the brainchild of Queen the Albert Hall, in Kensington
are extinct), fish, amphibians and Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, Gardens, is the grandiose Albert
reptiles, and takes a trip round the who died before many of them Memorial. Designed by leading
DNA and brain of humans. One were completed. Victorian architect George Gilbert
of the most popular exhibits in The vast oval hall named Scott and completed in 1875, it
this zone is the Dinosaur Gallery after him was opened in 1871, is made up of a vast decorative
with lifelike animatronic models and has mainly functioned as a Gothic canopy within which sits
of dinosaurs. The Vault, in the a gilded statue of Prince Albert
Green Zone, contains a dazzling sculpted by John Foley.
collection of the finest gems, A sculptural frieze at the
crystals, metals and meteorites base celebrates 169 great artistic
from around the world. Pride of figures. Eight large allegorical
place in the Red Zone’s Earth Hall sculptures stand at the corner
is the most complete Stegosaurus of the memorial and at the base
skeleton ever discovered. The of the steps leading up to it:
Darwin Centre, in the Orange four representing industry; the
Zone, is a modern extension other four the Empire.
to the museum and the largest
curved structure in Europe. The P Albert Memorial
eight-storey-high cocoon houses Kensington Gardens, W2. Open
the museum’s vast collection of Joseph Durham’s statue of Prince Albert dawn–dusk. 8 ∑ royalparks.
insects and plant specimens. (1858) in front of the Royal Albert Hall org.uk

062-063_EW_ESC.indd 63 05/04/17 3:06 pm