"Historic Wargaming shops London" Topic

Will be visiting London this summer, was wondering if there are any historic war-game shops to visit or any places of interest to a historic gamer. See lots of fantasy shops (like here). Plan on Army Museum, Imperial War Museum. Thanks for any tips.

If you are visiting the Imperial War Museum, then there are two places within walking distance of the museum that may be of interest. The first is the Dark Sphere shop darksphere.co.uk at 186 Hercules Road. Plenty of historicals along with board games, paints, scenery etc. As a side note, I would definitely recommend popping into the Corner Café very close to Dark Sphere for a bite to eat, particularly a Full English link

The second place to visit, if you are free on a Thursday evening, is the Exiles Wargames Club located in the basement of the Crown and Cushion pub and close to Dark Sphere. We have played a variety of historical games over the years and you would be very welcome to drop by for a game link. We would even buy you a drink or two to go with the gaming.

Thanks,

Ezza

There are very few wargames shops in London nowadays. In addition to Dark Sphere the Orc's Nest (just off the Tottenham Court Road and Shaftesbury Avenue) orcsnest.com has some historical stuff but not much. If you have the time you might be better advised to take a train up to Nottingham for a day.

On the museum front, NAM and IWM are two of the big ones and there are any number of smaller ones. Two other big ones that you might consider are the Royal Air Force museum at Hendon (a short train ride north of the city) rafmuseum.org.uk and the National Maritime Museum link at Greenwich which includes the Royal Observatory and the old college buildings. If you're staying in the city, you can get a water bus back along the river. The Guards Museum theguardsmuseum.com is a gem as is the Royal Fusiliers museum inside the Tower of London link

The Cabinet War Rooms (part of the IWM) in Whitehall link are worth a visit. The Household Cavalry Division museum is actually on Horse Guards Parade link and well worth a visit and Apsley House, No1 London, the London home of the Dule of Wellington is at the end of Piccadilly at Hyde Park Corner (on the way to Harrods) link – in addition to the permanent collection, they have an exhibition of the Peer's time in India until November.

If you fancy a day out of London – other than Nottingham – HMS Victory and the Royal Naval Museum link are in Portsmouth which is 90 minutes from Waterloo and the train will take you right to Portsmouth Harbour station. HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose are in the same complex too.

Have a great trip.

Plenty of book shops up Charing Cross Road. With loads of military subjects (check out Foyles of course.)

Thanks to Dave Jackson for reminding me about books shops. Again close to the Imperial War Museum is the Ian Allan bookshop at 45 Lower Marsh. Plenty of military books along with scale models and paints.

Ezza

The National Army Museum Chelsea which is right next door to the Chelsea Pensioners Hospital and well worth a visit also.

Don't forget the Wallace Collection link
and the Tower of London link

don't forget HMS Belfast

Orcs Nest – despite the name – does carry a reasonable amount of historical gaming stuff, but not much in the way of actual figures (so, boardgames, rules, magazines, some terrain).

A moment of silence, please, in honor of Gamers in Exile.

Don't forget the Battle of Britain Bunker, accessed from Uxbridge Station on the Metropolitan and Picadilly Lines.

The Royal Navy's bunker, which was used post-War as well, is close by the Cabinet War Rooms, but it wasn't accessible by the public the last time I was in London. Same with some of the bunkers built on a north-south line--unless they finally incorporated them in the new north-south tube line, as was intended during WWII?

And I don't think any of us has mentioned the Tower--or the Globe, or the British Museum, come to that.

"Gamers in exile"….Blimus…there's a name I haven't heard for donkeys!

I think the Navwar shop is still going, they are on 11 Electric Parade, Seven KIngs Rd, Seven Kings, Ilford IG3 8BY its open sat afternoons iirc

If straying out of Central London, in North London there is Leisure Games in Finchley, close to Finchley Central Tube Station: leisuregames.com and in South East London there is the Warboar Games / Paradice Board Games Café in Bromley: warboargames.co.uk

Ezza

Reminiscing mode now….mind wanders off…

Gamers in Exile…..aaah
the Minifigs shop (was that Victoria ?)

a couple I can't remember, one I used to purchase minifigs from, Parsons Green I think ?

and a cheeky chap that briefly ran a model shop in Seagrave Road Fulham, who told me I couldn't afford anything in there (being that I was in school uniform!!)

and finally (maybe near Portobello road) a games shop where I used to buy Jacobite 15mm, those were the days…..

Apologies for the hijack :(

Minifigs shop in Victoria was where I made my first purchases 👍

Minifigs-Skytrex – later Adventure Worlds – was a great shop. Then a solicitors, and now a house.

Ah, that takes me back – Gamers in Exile, Games People Play (Notting Hill), Peckham Rye Stamp & Hobby Shop, Minifigs-Skytrex…

I remember shopping at Marcus Hinton's shop back in the day….