Sir John Soane's Museum

The man himself was an architect, responsible for buildings including the Bank of England and Dulwich Picture Gallery. Over the course of his life, he built up an extensive art collection, which would have passed to his son, George.

However, Soane disliked his son so much that he convinced parliament to change the law, enabling him to leave the pieces (as well as his home) to the nation upon his death in 1837. In part, this rift was triggered by a pair of articles George had written slating his father's skill as an architect; this was such a shock for his mother that she died following their publication.

But George's loss was the nation's gain: this extensive collection includes paintings by big names including William Hogarth, J. M. W. Turner and Canaletto, while the place is also stuffed full of sculptures and antique treasures.

This can lead to the museum feeling a little cluttered, but visitors are invited to find beauty within the chaos. And of course, let’s not forget about the building itself. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the museum is a true architectural marvel; one highlight is the elaborate ‘Sepulchral Chamber’ in the basement, but really, the whole place is pretty astonishing.