HMS BELFAST LONDON
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW...
HMS Belfast London was without doubt a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.
Visiting London's floating museum may not have been top of my list to begin with, but as regulars to my website will know, I can be persuaded...!
So off we went to give this impressive British war museum a little look...
Little look?
Blimey it's massive!
If you look really carefully you can just about see my son standing to the right of the guns.
See? Massive!
What's it all about?
HMS Belfast comes under the London Imperial War Museum group, much the same as the Cabinet War Rooms / Churchill Museum.
As such, a visit will enlighten you to it's involvment in various wars and battles (like the battle of North Cape and the Normandy Landings or D-Day Landings).
You'll also gain insight into what it might have been like to have lived and worked aboard.
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WHERE IS HMS BELFAST?
Their address is:
The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2JH
020 7940 6300
As you can see though, it is really close to Tower Bridge (behind on the right).
You can also just see the turrets of The Tower of London (behind to the left).
We took this picture from Bankside.
The Clink Museum, London Bridge Experience, London Dungeon and
Tower of London are just some of the other London attractions
in the area also.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE?
The nearest tube station is London Bridge (Northern/Jubilee Lines) about a five minute walk.
Tower Hill (District/Circle Lines) is about a ten minute walk.
On the day we visited, it was a gorgeous warm sunny day and so we walked from Westminster Bridge all the way up the South Bank to HMS Belfast.
That could take half an hour if you were walking at a pace and not stopping.
It tooks us an hour and a half!
Why?
There were just so many street entertainers, food vendors, music and fun along London's famous South Bank.
As walking tours of London go, it was massively interesting. If you're able for it, do it!
You'll also pass by the Tate Modern, The Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge Pier along the way.
Walking it would definitely go down as one of my top London tips.
If you cannot walk, HMS Belfast London is easily accessed from one of the London bus Tours.
Or if you have decided to use London public transport (and yes here I go again) check out transport for London’s journey planner too.
IS IT FREE TO GET INTO?
No.
We paid £14.00 per adult, Concession was £11.20 and children under 16 were free.
This price was with a voluntary donation automatically added on at the till. You'll be asked if you want to pay the extra.
You don’t have to pay it though and if you decide not to prices were £12.70, £10.15 and free respectively.
Note though that from January 2013 prices are going up a little so I believe.
IS IT WORTH THE ENTRANCE FEE?
As with the Churchill war museum, this is pricey. However, I feel it was well worth it.
HMS Belfast London is massively interesting and we loved it. There was so much to see and do and I am sure we didn't do half of it.
As I found with the London Imperial War Museum, it didn't glorify war either, it was a factual experience.
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED TO ‘DO' HMS BELFAST LONDON?
The official advice is to give yourself 90 minutes at least and you would definitely get a flavour of the place.
You could happily spend a whole day there if it suited though.
We could have spent hours there, there was so much to do and see. I could barely keep up with my son.
So as with all of these things, it's really up to your available time and interests.
Now for another of my top London tips...
HMS Belfast London is, by its nature, difficult to get around in parts.
They do have accessible toilets and a wheelchair lift from the gangway to the quarter deck (which is where the tours begin).
But in order to access the lower decks, there are a lot of steep steps up and down...
It's something to bear in mind if you are travelling with young children or if you have mobility needs.
So there you have it, HMS Belfast London definitely gets our vote.
We have so many more London adventures to share with you so please stay and enjoy...
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