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Bloomsbury is London’s quarter of books, museums and leafy garden squares, a calm, cerebral pocket of the centre long associated with writers, publishers and the university. For the visitor it offers world-class culture at an unhurried pace, a short walk from the bustle of the West End.
Where is Bloomsbury and how to get there
Bloomsbury lies in central London between the West End and King’s Cross, ringed by Holborn, Russell Square, Tottenham Court Road and Euston stations. It is eminently walkable, and its ordered grid of Georgian streets and squares makes it easy to explore on foot.
Museums and garden squares
The great landmark is the British Museum, one of the finest and most-visited museums in the world, and free to enter. Around it, Bloomsbury is defined by its handsome garden squares, above all Russell Square and Bloomsbury Square, and by the University of London and UCL. The area gave its name to the Bloomsbury Group of writers and artists, including Virginia Woolf, and the Charles Dickens Museum occupies the novelist’s former home.
Eating and drinking
Bloomsbury keeps a village feel around Lamb’s Conduit Street, a pedestrian-friendly parade of independent shops, cafes and the characterful pub The Lamb. It is an ideal area for a quiet lunch between museum visits.
Good to know
Is the British Museum free?
Yes. Entry to the British Museum’s permanent collection is free, as at most of London’s national museums, though special exhibitions are usually ticketed and donations are welcome. It is one of the reasons Bloomsbury is such rewarding, low-cost ground for a visitor.
Where to go next
Walk on to Holborn, Fitzrovia or Covent Garden, or see all our London neighbourhood guides.
