The best of Chelsea by the people who know - Cadogan

35 | THINGS TO DO | Museums
A Chelsea
Pensioner
dressed in the
famous uniform
Open 10.30am-5pm (last entry 4pm) —
on match days the opening hours will vary
depending on kick-off time. Open until
6pm (last entry 5pm) in July and August.
Museum only prices: Adult (16+ years)
£10, child (five-15 years, under fives free
of charge) £8, concession (senior citizen
and students with valid ID) £9, family
ticket (two adults and two children) £32.
Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road,
SW6 1HS. T: 0871 984 1955 (general
enquiries), 0871 984 1905 (tickets)
www.chelseafc.com
Carlyle’s House
The house of Scottish satirical writer
Thomas Carlyle and his wife Jane, preserved
since 1895. They were a celebrity
Royal Hospital Chelsea
(For more about the Royal Hospital Chelsea, see Streets
and Sights)
The Royal Hospital, home of the the Chelsea Pensioner, has a
small museum in the grounds. It originally opened in 1866 and
its collection is mostly made up of objects left by former In-
Pensioners. There are artefacts associated with the Duke of
Wellington, a diorama of the Royal Hospital in 1742, a reconstruction
of a typical berth in the Long Wards (which are not
open to the public) and a collection of more than 2,100 medals,
among other items. Visitors can also see the Parade Chair,
which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the Royal
Hospital, and the Sovereign s Mace, which the Queen presented
to the hospital in 2002. You can even book a guided tour
with a Chelsea Pensioner (£65 per tour, which contributes
directly to the Royal Hospital s funds to benefit the welfare of
the Chelsea Pensioners. Tours begin 10am and 1.30pm,
Monday-Friday).
The Museum and Souvenir Shop are open to the public
Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm, excluding bank holidays and official
Royal Hospital events, such as Founder s Day. Individuals and
groups of up to 10 people can visit the Royal Hospital Chelsea
for free (larger groups must book a tour on the number below).
Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4SR. T: 020 7881 5200 (switchboard),
020 7881 5298 (to book a tour).
www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk
couple in the Victorian literary world, and
Thomas influenced other famous authors
of the time, including Charles Dickens
and John Ruskin. Jane was a wellknown
letter-writer in her own right.
The house is kept as it was in the 1850s,
when Robert Tait painted a portrait of
the couple in their home. It s a chance to
peek into the past of this very creative
part of Chelsea.
Open Wednesday-Sunday and bank
holiday Mondays, 11pm-5pm, last
admission 30 minutes before closing.
Admission: Adult £5.10, child £2.60,
family £12.80.
24 Cheyne Row, SW3 5HL
T: 020 7352 7087
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carlyleshouse
Star quality
With two luxury cinemas, two worldclass
theatres and more movie cameos
than Alfred Hitchcock, Sloane Square
and the King's Road are unmissable
destinations for fans of stage and screen
Chelsea Theatre
Launched in 1953, Chelsea Theatre
commissions and presents new work
from leading international companies and
artists, such as Goat Island, Lone Twin,
Ron Athey, Annie Sprinkle, Pacitti
Company, Julia Bardsley, Dries
Verhoeven and Kazuko Hohki. Recent
collaborations have involved exchanges
with theatres in Vienna, Moscow, Rio de
Janeiro and New York.
Under artistic director Francis
Alexander, the focus since 2004 has
been on the production and presentation
of live art, creating work where artists
cross between visual, time-based and
performance practice. The theatre has
gained support from organisations
including Arts Council England, the
British Council and the Live Art
Development Agency.
World’s End Place, King’s Road, SW10
0DR. T: 020 7352 1967
www.chelseatheatre.org.uk
Cineworld Chelsea
Cineworld Chelsea is a four-screen
cinema showing the latest blockbusters
and independent films. The building is
one of the oldest of Cineworld s sites,
and first opened as a cine-variety venue
in 1910, and has continued to screen
films right up until the present day.
Cineworld Chelsea also has a programme
of alternative content, including
live feeds of the Met Opera, seasonal
showings such as The Rocky Horror
Picture Show and golden oldie
favourites.
Ticket prices: Adult £10.50 after 5pm
Monday-Friday and all day Saturday and
Sunday, £8 before 5pm Monday-Friday,
child (14 and under) £6.60, senior/student
£7, family £29 after 5pm Monday-
Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday,
£24.50 before 5pm Monday-Friday.
Weekend prices apply to bank holidays.
There is an additional cost for 3D films
(£2.30 for adults, £1.50 for
child/senior/student/unlimited, £5.60 for
family ticket, 3D glasses 80p per pair).
On-street parking only.
279 King’s Road, SW3 5EW
T: 0871 200 2000
www.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/10
Curzon Chelsea
A 700-seat luxury cinema, Curzon
Chelsea shows both big releases and
smaller arty, independent and foreign
language films. It also shows live screenings
of opera and theatre from the New
York Metropolitan Opera and London s
National Theatre, among others.
It s a location full of cinematic history,
built on the original site of film pioneer
William Friese-Greene s studios and
laboratory. He patented a moving image
Curzon Chelsea