Great West Way Travel Magazine | Issue 08

There are some really big, world-famous attractions
along the Great West Way, as well as magnificent
ancient abbeys and cathedrals, stately homes,
arboretums and nature reserves, interactive art
galleries and immersive museums. We take a look at what’s
new and exciting for you to see and experiences this summer:
LONDON & THE THAMES
THE BRITISH MUSEUM, CENTRAL LONDON
The British Museum was the first national public museum in
the world, and today is home to eight million objects. Here
you can discover the vast diversity of human cultures from the
dawn of human history to the present. Located in London, at
one end of the Great West Way route it is a great museum to
begin or end your Great West Way journey. Visit between the
4 May -13 Aug 2023 to see Luxury and power Persia to Greece,
an exhibition drawing on dazzling objects from Afghanistan to
Greece, exploring the story of luxury as a political tool in the
Middle East and southeast Europe from 550–30 BC.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON
Founded in 1824, the National Gallery tells the story of
European art, masterpiece by masterpiece. From its home
in London’s Trafalgar Square, the gallery collects and cares
for more than 2,600 of the world’s greatest paintings, from
Renaissance Italy and by the French Impressionists. The
National Gallery welcomes groups to explore over 700 years
of wall-to-wall masterpieces. Visit to discover the history and
stories from their collection which is open all year round, or
join them for a one-hour, intimate expert-led tour of their
world-renowned collection.
STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE AND GARDEN,
TWICKENHAM
Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic revival
architecture, Strawberry Hill House and Garden was
Horace Walpole’s 18th Century masterpiece. The property
is breathtaking both inside and out. Be sure to explore its
decorated corridors and furnished rooms before settling into
the garden café for a light treat. There are often book clubs,
heritage and twilight tours, quizes and more - plus you might
even like to get involved, volunteering as a sewing bee, choir
singer, community gardener or by becoming a member of the
book club.
WINDSOR & ROYAL BOROUGH MUSEUM, WINDSOR
TOWN CENTRE
Before leaving behind the Thames-side delights of Henry
VIII’s Hampton Court, historic Runnymeade, notorious
Cliveden and Royal Windsor, seek out the Windsor & Royal
Borough Museum, unassuming but full of interesting exhibits
illustrating the thousands of years of the settlement’s
existence and Royal patronage. Exhibitions include A Lost
Generation from Eton Wick, documenting a whole generation
who came of age in the early 20th century and had their lives
entirely transformed by the First World War. →
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