The Best Museums To Visit In North London

London is a city rich in much more than the mere monetary value coursing through the Canary Wharf and Square Mile financial districts. The UK capital also has a wealth of culture which includes an array of great parks, restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as an assortment of fine museums. While many of the more famous museums are located in the central areas of the city, North London is home to a cultured collection of its own highly informative institutions.

Keats House

Hiding away in Hampstead’s luxurious, leafy streets is Keats House, the former residence of renowned romantic poet John Keats. The museum and library invites visitors to discover the letters, poems and personal possessions of the short-lived wordsmith, who died at the youthful age of 25 – tragically before his work was critically acclaimed.

Jewish Museum London

Uncover the history, culture and identity of British Judaism at the Jewish Museum London, less than a five-minute walk from Camden Town station and near Regent’s Park and London Zoo. Visitors can learn about the Holocaust, discover a range of historical artefacts and explore the Jewish experience in Britain since 1066.

Markfield Beam Engine and Museum

On the bank of the River Lea, and beside the southernmost repositories of the Lea Valley Reservoir Chain, the Markfield Beam Engine and Museum pays homage to the engineering excellence of the Victorians. The 100-horsepower beam engine drove two pumps, each of which was capable of moving two million gallons of sewage from Tottenham, towards the Beckton Works, every day.

Freud Museum London

(Freudian) slip on some shoes and head to Finchley, where Sigmund Freud, pioneer of psychoanalysis, and his family had their home from 1938 until the 1980s. The Freud Museum London, just a short walk from Finchley Road station, contains Sigmund’s psychoanalytic couch, as well as a range of antiques and books.

RAF Museum

Drop by the RAF Museum, just over a ten-minute walk from Colindale station, and give that aviation knowledge some lift. Real aircraft and interactive exhibits teach visitors about the history of the Royal Air Force, whose victory over the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War’s aerial Battle of Britain (1940-41) was paramount in preventing an invasion of the British Isles by sea.

London Canal Museum

Located next to Regent’s Canal’s Battlebridge Basin, between King’s Cross St. Pancras and Angel tube stations, the London Canal Museum chronicles the story of London’s former freight highways, the working waterways of the 19th century. Check out the Victorian wells that were used to store imported ice in the days before it could be produced artificially.

In the mood for more? Check out the great museums on offer in East London and Central London.

About the author

Ruaidhrí Carroll

London Travel Writer

Born to an Irish family, Ruaidhrí grew up in West London before moving to the East End to study history and politics at Queen Mary, University of London. He first joined Culture Trip as an intern, after gaining work experience at The Times, and soon took up the mantle of London Travel Writer. After a lifetime of committed research, it's safe to say Ruaidhrí knows the capital pretty well, but if you know about something cool, quirky or interesting going on, he wants to hear about it @RuaidhriCarroll