Somerset House

Somerset House was built on the site of a Tudor Palace (designed in 1547 for Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset). There was an important renaissance garden between the house and the Thames (from which a fountain survives, in Bushy Park). The present house, designed by Sir William Chambers in 1775 was conceived as 'a place of national splendour' to house public offices, including the Navy Board and the three learned societies (the Royal Academy, the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries). Somerset House now contains a branch of St Petersburg's Hermitage Museum, the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, the Gilbert Collection - and Britain's Inland Revenue. There is still a south-facing terrace (now used as a cafe) but it is separated from the River Thames by the Victoria Embankment (containing a road, a railway and a trunk sewer). The internal courtyard of Somerset House was, disgracefully, used as an Inland Revenue staff car park for many years (this used to remind one of the Vatican's Belvedere Court - still used as a staff car park). Today the Somerset House court is used by dancing fountains in summer and ice skaters in winter. This is excellent.