Tate Britain

The first of four galleries in the Tate network, London’s Tate Britain offers a journey through British art decade by decade. Travel through time, from the oldest paintings in the Tate’s collection through to works of art by William Hogarth, the pre-Raphaelites, Barbara Hepworth and David Hockney.

Built on the site of a former prison, Tate Britain doubled in size within 15 years of opening, with the barrel-vaulted Duveen Galleries becoming the first in England specifically designed to display sculpture. Now, new work for the space, created by a different British artist each year, is among Tate Britain’s highlights – alongside the gallery’s Winter Commission, which annually transforms the grand entrance.

Tate Britain is also home to the world’s largest collection of works by JMW Turner, the prolific English Romantic painter who lends his name to the Turner Prize. Nine rooms are given over to the artist; a further eight take a regularly changing, in-depth look at other artists and themes.

Unusually, part of Tate Britain’s site is occupied not by art, but a coffee roastery – housed in the Second World War Nissen Hut on the grounds. The beans are served in the gallery’s Djanogly Café, alongside a seasonal menu that occasionally features dishes influenced by resident exhibitions. Tate Britain’s two shops are the place to go for gifts and souvenirs, and the Manton Studio offers an ideal space for families.