London's newest museum concerns itself with some of the oldest residents.
The Chelsea Pensioners Museum is a pint-sized experience at the western end of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. It explores the history — as is patently obvious from its name — of the Chelsea Pensioners, those crimson-clad military retirees who've inhabited Christopher Wren's riverside buildings since the 17th century.
It's surprisingly flashy. The four or five rooms are festooned with video displays, which give a history of the site and an insight into the lives of the many veterans who've called it home. The first proper room is given over to an interactive timeline, projected all over the place like you're in some kind of Timelord holosuite.
The next room (calmer) features an anachronistic conversation between Sir Christopher Wren and Sir John Soane. The latter — famous for the Bank of England and his eccentric home-cum-gallery in Lincoln's Inn — designed the stable block of the Hospital, which is where the museum now sits. Soane apologises to Wren for demolishing one of his buildings to create the stables. A neat touch.
Dotted between the video screens are a number of objects relating to the Hospital site. Clay pipes smoked by yesteryear residents, pewter tankards, war diaries... that kind of thing. Perhaps the most interesting objects are the items of uniform. The pensioners have strict rules about which hats may be worn in which situations.
Their crimson overcoats and tricorne hats have been part of the deal since 1704. They also have a more recent 'casual' blue uniform to wear out and about. Casual it may be, but it's still more formal than any day wear I've ever mooched around in. According to the rules, the pensioners can only wear these 'blues' within two miles of the Hospital. It's not entirely clear what happens if they break the rule — and I did see one pensioner in Wandsworth later on, which must be pushing it.
The star exhibit comes in the final room, which houses a model of the Hospital site. More projection mapping shows how the complex of buildings has changed over time, including several awful bomb and rocket strikes during the two world wars. It's very well done, and refreshingly brief. Still, I leave wondering why such a small museum decided to devote two whole rooms to projected timelines.
The museum is part of a charming new visitor area called the Soane Stable Yard, which also comes with a cafe, gift shop and the lure of pensioner-led tours of the wider site. It's literally next door to the National Army Museum, so you could make a martially themed day of it. All at no entry cost.
The Chelsea Pensioners Museum is open Tue-Sun, 9am-5pm. They "strongly recommend" booking in advance but, on my visit, there was no one in attendance to check anybody in, and it was empty. Entrance is free. All images, Matt Brown
