With modern marvels such as 'The Gherkin' and 'The Shard' now dominating London's skyline, we felt it was time to pay tribute to our older, yet equally impressive event spaces. James Roche brings you five historic London venues!
Drapers Hall
The original hall may have been destroyed by the fire of London but with the present incarnation dating back to 1772, this superb venue is (hold on while I take off my socks to count) still sixteen years older than Australia!
The Livery Hall is a breath taking space surrounded by twenty-eight marble columns. Within these four walls, you'll find Richard Belt’s statue: 'Hypatia' and a copy of John Gibson’s 'The Tinted Venus' - two items you'd struggle to find on eBay. The Court and Drawing Rooms feature antique architecture, classical art works and an LCD projector. The married couple in the picture seem happy with their choice of venue - you'll also be chuffed when you book a space at Drapers Hall!
Leighton House Museum
Roll up, roll up! From the district that brought you Kensington Palace and the Elfin Oak, comes yet another historic masterpiece ... the Leighton House Museum!
Kensington is one of London's most famous areas and to stand out, you've got to have the goods. Well, this place definitely matches up against any venue, ANYWHERE.
A building full of unique and wonderful spaces such as The Arab Hall and Leighton's Studio, the Leighton House Museum is home to a fantastic collection of Victorian art and is perfect for photo shoots and filming, dinners, receptions, lectures and small concerts.
Lincoln's Inn
I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record when describing these historic venues(or iPad stuck on shuffle for those of you in generation Y-do-I-have-to-wait-more-than-15-seconds-for-what-I-want?) But what more can you say about a place like Lincoln's Inn that hasn't been said before? It is quite simply, stunning.
Set in 11 acres of spacious, beautifully maintained private gardens and boasting more than 500 years of history, Lincoln's Inn provides the perfect location for your next event. Suitable for receptions, dinners, banquets, seminars, conferences, lectures, ceremonies and product launches, the Great Hall (opened by Queen Victoria in 1845) and Bench Rooms are spectacular spaces within this iconic venue.
Westminster Abbey
What would a feature on historic London venues be without mention of Westminster Abbey - the final resting place of countless Monarchs and the setting for Coronations and other Royal ceremonies since 1066? A not-very-good-one, that's for sure!
A recent edition to our fantastic list of spaces, the East and North Cloisters at Westminster Abbey provide an ideal setting for anyone organising a summer event. Outside, yet undercover, the East Cloister enjoys the evening sunshine, as well as beautiful views of the Abbey Church. Combine East and North Cloisters to increase event capacity to 400 and you've got a drinks reception for the ages!
Victoria Line Carriage at Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum
So maybe not as "historic" as our other four venues, but in terms of London history, you can't get much more important. The carriage is perfect for filming tube scenes or for truly unusual private dining experience.
Love or loathe the tube, this events space will definitely make an impact. Unfortunately, though it can't drop you at you local station at the night's end!
We hope you've enjoyed today's blog on some of London's most iconic, historical venues.
Author
Edward Poland
Co-founder of Hire Space. Making event planning a joy with the UK’s leading live venue marketplace.
