Blythe House

Blythe House is a former administrative building in West Kensington with facades of reddish brick trimmed in pale Portland stone. The structure consists of two long wings joined by connecting ranges that form a large internal courtyard.

The site was built between 1899 and 1903 to house the headquarters of the Post Office Savings Bank, handling over nine million accounts by late 1902. After the Second World War, the Post Office continued using it before it was eventually converted for museum storage.

The site now stores reserve collections from three major London museums, keeping objects safe when not on public display. Visitors can enter only during occasional guided tours when curators open the storage areas to the public.

The site is located on Blythe Road near West Kensington station and is protected as a listed building, meaning any alterations require official approval. Access is normally restricted since the interior serves as storage and opens only for special events or tours.

The complex housed its own power station until 1925, generating electricity for all operations inside. Work areas featured glazed brick walls that reflected extra light into the rooms, an unusual solution for that period.