The Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery is housed within the North Wing of Somerset House, a building that sits directly atop a fifteen foot deep, chalk-lined cesspit dating back to the fifteenth century. This archaeological curiosity is a remnant of a former residence known as Chester Inn, which occupied the site long before the current grand architecture took shape. Today, these galleries host a world-renowned collection, but their foundation literally rests upon the remnants of London's medieval past.