Family Days Out visits historic Apsley House!

We just LOVE history here at Family Days Out, so we were so excited when we used our English Heritage passes and spent the day at the historic and impressive Apsley House in the heart of London!

Why Is Apsley House important?

Apsley House was the home of somone very important to the history of Britain, and his descendents. Once known as "Number 1 London", Apsley House was the London home of the First Duke of Wellington, with one of the finest art collections in the city!

What's also just so special about walking around Apsley House, is that very little has changed since the iconic battle that the Duke of Wellington led Britain to victory. 

Who was the Duke of Wellington?

Such a great question! So, even if you don't know the specifics of what happened, many of us have heard about the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.  (You may have also seen the impressive scene in the recent Ridley Scott film!)

The Battle of Waterloo was where the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, went up against the British in the town of Waterloo, in what is now Belgium.  The French army were defeated by two British led forces, once of which - and the most famous - was led by the Duke of Wellington.

It's this Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon in an incredibly strategic play, who lived in Apsley House!

What can you see at Apsley House?

Walking through Apsley House was like walking through an early 19th century time capsule. As we mentioned, much of the house has remained unchanged since the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, so you can really feel the presence of the Duke as you walk around.

When we arrived, we handed our English Heritage pass to the admission desk, located in the gift shop (the gift shop is located in the original reception hall that the Duke himself would have received guests in!)

From there, we went back into the new reception hall to pick up our free audio guides so we could enjoy a self-guided tour. Here, take a note of the very large and impressive portrait of the Duke of Wellington on the far left wall!

The audio guide is great, because it is so easy to use, and really gives you an insight as to what each room is, where to head next, and what would have gone on throughout the house.

You can't help but immediately be impressed by all the artwork on the walls. From Rubens to Velazquez, the art rivals any major museum in London.

One of our favourite rooms  was the Musuem Room, where you could first hand all of the finest gifts the Duke received from European Tsars, and royals, and dignitaries, celebrating his win at the Battle of Waterloo.

From impressive swords, shields, and the finest of China, it really is something special!

One of the other highlights was the incredible Coronation robes on display. The robe on the very left was worn by the Duke of Wellington himself, during the Coronoation of George IV in 1821. The two other robes were worn by the Duke's sons.

These are so impressive so see with your own eyes up close. To know that they were worn in such an occasion, by such important figures within British history.... don't be surprised if you get goosebumps!

Don't miss really taking in the details on the robes, the crown, and even the tiny shoes!

The above photo is a stunning painting of the First Duke of Wellington. Make sure when you walk around, you really study the art work as they really are spectacular!

What's also great as you walk around Apsley House, are some of the smaller items in the collection. (And here we mean small in size, not importance!). You can see letters from Kind Louis XVIII to the Duke (can you just imagine what this piece of paper must have heard and seen across the years!?)

You can also see really personal items of the Duke's, including his cane, his hearing aids, and yes, the photo below is of his actual dentures that he wore!

From the intricate and intimate items on the display, to the grandious, Apsley House really will keep the whole family fascinated from room to room.

Some of the items on display also include the Duke of Wellington's actual piano, and according to the audio guide, it's the oldest working grand piano in Europe! (We think we have that right!)

Can you just imagine who would have worn these shoes and gloves? What were they thinking as they wore them? What did they experience? Was what life like? How were they feeling? What did they see?

Throughout the tour you are taken through the impressive dining room, music room, and even a room adorned with paintings of those who joined the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Waterloo. This room in particular really struck a chord with us. To see the faces of those who fought - one can only imagine what they went through, and witnessed. 

How long would you allow at Apsley House?

We spent around an hour walking through the rooms. The house itself isn't huge (and actually from the outside, the home really does look like many other Grade II listed buildings in the city) so you don't need a huge amount of time, but certainly allow an hour so you don't find yourselves rushing from room to room.

Even if a room isn't jam packed with objects from its collection, just soaking up the atmosphere, the energy and the history is worth allowing time for. 

In summary, we had an amazing time at Apsley House. It really was an incredible experience and certainly one that older kids specifically would enjoy.

We ended the day with a visit to the nearby Wellington Arch, which we had no idea you could climb! There's a great gift shop on the ground floor, and if you take the stairs you can pop into a couple of exhibits and art galleries on your way up!

A highly recommended family day out in London, especially if you love history!