Somerset House Free Guided Tour

See More of Somerset House for Free

Somerset House, London's 18th century neoclassical palace, offers free guided tours on the first Saturday of the month.

• First and third Saturday of each month at 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm and 3.15pm.
• Tours last approximately 45 minutes each.
• Tickets cannot be booked and are available on the day of the tour from the Information Desk in the Seaman's Hall. (When you enter from The Strand, Seaman's Hall is at the far side of the fountain court.)
• The tours are popular and places are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Top Tip: There are self-service lockers in the basement. You’ll need a £1 coin (which is returned). Available 10-6pm daily (to 9pm on Thursdays).

Pros

• An excellent free tour of a stunning building
• Guided tours mean you can ask questions
• Highlight: Visit to a lightwell (an area than provides light to rooms below ground level)

Cons

• The guide was a little presumptuous that you'll know English history and architectural terms
• Often hard to hear the guide due to the fountains and traffic noise.

Many say Somerset House is London's most outstanding 18th century building. It was commissioned by George III (1760-1821) and a statue of him can be seen with Father Thames before entering the courtyard.

Somerset House was designed by Sir William Chambers who wanted to have a large central square with no trees as was popular in Europe. This central courtyard is called Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court after Lillian Safra donated the fountains in honor of her husband. The fountains have 55 openings and can be combined with fiber-optic lights and coordinated with music.

Somerset House was constructed between 1776 and 1801 on the site of the palace built by Edward Seymour in 1547. Edward Seymour was the Duke of Somerset hence the building's name. At that time there were many palaces along the river, each trying to be better than the next. Seymour destroyed many buildings in the area and used stone from churches for Somerset House. Even though he was the king's uncle, he was executed for treason in 1551.

Tour Guides lead groups of about 20 visitors around Somerset House, pointing out interesting architectural features and explaining the history of the buildings and its various residents, past and present.

As there is a lot of information to take in, I recommend you visit the free exhibition under the Embankment Galleries in Somerset House to be more prepared. The exhibition is well worth a visit even you can't join a guided tour. It was installed by the Museum of London and includes a short video showing the transformation and history of the buildings, as well as a barge as would have been used to bring people from larger vessels into Somerset House.