places to visit
Below are some great places to visit in and around London where you can search out beads, beadwork and jewellery.
There's a variety of different places listed; from museums to antiques centres and markets.
Not all are bead related as I have also included some to do with jewellery or other crafts and design that will hopefully still be of interest to you.
If you know of any other places to visit which you think should be listed here, please let me know.
- African Worlds
- The Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ
- A permanent exhibition showcasing African art and culture.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Alfie's Antique Market
- 12-25 Church Street, Marylebone, London, NW8 8DT
- A wide range of dealers selling everything from jewellery to antique trimmings. Open Tuesday- Saturday 10am to 6pm
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Antiquarius Antiques Centre
- 131-141 Kings Road, London, SW3
- The oldest antiques centre in London. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 10am-6pm. Featuring many dealers specialising in jewellery.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Bermondsey Market
- Tower Bridge Road, London SE1
- Billed as London's premier and most serious antiques market with over 500 traders every week. This market is open Fridays from 6am until noon.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Camden Passage Market
- Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8EF
- Mainly open on Wednesday and Saturday, this market area also features shops selling beadwork, beaded purses etc. Look out for Sugar Antiques which has the most amazing collection of costume jewellery.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Covent Garden Market
- Covent Garden, London, WC2
- Though this is a bit of a tourist mecca the market is worth a visit and there are lots of nice shops. You'll also be near two of the bead shops shown on the shops page.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Crafts Council
- 44a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9BY
- Based in Islington, London. They are the national organisation for the promotion of contemporary crafts. They host exhibitions, have a resource library and a shop. They're currently closed for renovation so check before you travel.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Gray's Antique Market
- 58 Davies Street & 1-7 Davies Mews London, W1K 5AB
- Just off Oxford Street in the West End this Antiques centre is a great place to search out jewellery.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture
- Middlesex University Cat Hill campus, Chase Side, Barnet, Herts, EN4 8HT
- Not bead related but a great little museum for anyone interested in design. They have previously had an exhibition of African beadwork.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Museum of London
- 150 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5HN
- As well as a decorative arts collection featuring jewellery there is also a dress and fashion collection. Please see the miscellaneous page for a link to an article by Diane Fitzgerald relating to the Museum of London.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- Portobello Road Market
- Portobello Road, London, W11
- One of the most famous markets in the world and worth a visit whether or not you find beads.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- The British Museum
- Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG
- Lots of treasures to be found in this museum including charms, Islamic and Viking artefacts.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- The Fan Museum
- 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ER
- The only museum in the world devoted entirely to fans; with a collection of over 3,500 of them.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- The Fashion and Textile Museum
- 83 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF
- Currently undergoing renovation work- please check before visiting.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- The Sewing Machine Museum
- 308 Balham High Road, London, SW17 7AA
- Open the first Saturday of every month.
- [click for website] [click for map]
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
- This museum is definitely worth a visit. As well as the fashion and new Islamic gallery, there are many other wonderful galleries where you can spend hours looking at beautiful objects and keep your eyes out for beads and jewellery! One delight is the beautiful chain maille piece in the silver gallery. Also has a great shop featuring a branch of the Crafts Council.
The new jewellery gallery opens on the 24th May 2008 and is well worth a visit- even if there's just 1 beaded necklace! - [click for website] [click for map]