There's a room in the National Gallery which many visitors never see and most Londoners have never noticed. While on the Seven Noses of Soho Walk recently, the expert Guide, Peter Berthoud, pointed it out and, as expected, none of the group had noticed the room before.Room A is only open on Wednesday afternoons (2-5.30pm) and is down a flight of stairs the public do not use for the rest of the week so it's easy to see why we've all missed it. It's on Floor O but there's a note on the floorplan stating it is due to close in 2012.
Currently, this room is used for hanging artworks that have been in storage and are about to go on display or those that have come back from a touring exhibition, or for conservation assessment, etc. It's not a glamorous room but it's a interesting extra to a visit to the National Gallery and it looks like you'll need to visit soon before public access is not longer available. Image: © Laura Porter | London Travel Blog
Aargh, bad news! It looks like Room A has closed already according to a NG insider (hat tip @mikeofharlow). Should be reopening in 2013.