Albertopolis

In 1851 Prince Albert husband of Queen Victoria held The Great Exhibition. It promoted the best of the British Empire with exhibits brought from all over the world.

It was a runaway success and with the large profit generated Albert purchased a large swath of west London on which he planned to build “An Area Of Culture And Learning” This corner of London came to be known Albertopolis and this is where Katy Haswell explores today.

Katy’s walk begins outside the most famous department store in the world, Harrods, and from there she heads westwards along the Brompton Road and around Brompton Square, built in the 1820’s this is a beautiful little piece of Jane Austin England.

Next Katy passes the Brompton Oratory, one of the most famous churches in London before arriving at the Natural History Museum where she discovers some of the original specimens of Charles Darwin.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is Katy’s stop where she learns more about Albert and his amazing exhibition, before wondering into the hidden gem of Prince’s Gate Mews behind the museum where she discovers a private art gallery.

Emerging from the mews Katy visits the Science Museum to check out the machinery that drove the British Empire. She then walks up Exhibition Road and west along Kensington Gore, to the Royal Albert Hall.

This vast concert hall was built after Albert’s death and the thirteen thousands “A’s” in the fabric of the building are a testament to Victoria’s devotion to her dead husband.

For the last leg of this fascinating journey Katy crosses into Kensington Gardens to visit the magnificent Albert Memorial constructed by Victoria in memory of Albert and considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic Victoriana in existence.