On our last day in London, we decided to visit the Natural History Museum, which was established way back in 1881, in the fabulous Waterhouse building. My husband had never been, and I only remember going as a child... so quite a while ago, ahem...
It is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington - the others are the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. There were large temporary structures within the grounds too, as it was also London Fashion Week.
The building itself is amazing... and practically every nook, cranny and tile is embellished in some way... I particularly liked these griffin-like statues and gargoyles...
and the grand arched entrance way... Everywhere you look inside is covered with carvings and reliefs of animals, fish, flora and fauna... totally gorgeous!! ... and without even having seen any of the treasures inside yet either.
The main hall houses the fantastic 105 foot long replica of a Diplodocus skeleton, which is constantly being admired - apparently it is affectionately known as "Dippy"!
There are hundreds of fossils and skeletons in the museum, and all laid out in such an interesting and informative way.. this is a large-skulled Plesiosaur skeleton, one of the many finds that Mary Anning made in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Imagine discovering such a thing!
Especially with that beady old eye fixed on you....
These flightless Dodos (above) became extinct in their native Mauritius in the 1660s, only 80 years after their discovery - this pair were found together in a private collection after its' owner died, and donated to the museum.
Here's an aerial view of "Dippy"!
This photo is sadly a bit on the blurry side, but really shows off the amazing architecture of the building.. everywhere are more arches and balconies and passageways to explore.. a childs' dream.. or even an adults'! ;-)
This is the magnificent skeleton of a Triceratops.. with his sharp beak and huge horns he looks pretty ferocious.. but was luckily only a vegetarian...
...I bet this scary upright beast ate more than grass though!
This is me by the huge animatronic model of a T-Rex.. complete with realistic movements, roars and grunts, he really was the star of the show!
And finally, how about this for a pair of claws.. all the better to grab you with, my dear! I hope you enjoyed my mini-Museum tour, I certainly had the most fantastic time in London.. and simply can't wait to go again! Bye for now xx
Simply a lovely blog, really enjoyed it, fabulous photos, the museum is such a beautiful building, and houses such wonderful things, really enjoyed your tour of Londonxx
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