Tate Britain

What makes it special

Turner left 180 oil paintings and about 19,000 drawings and watercolours to the nation, and the Clore Gallery was built to house them. Eight rooms there are given to his paintings and works on paper.

Look for the storms and shipwrecks at sea, which Turner painted over and over and often left unfinished. The room of late paintings holds canvases nobody knew in his lifetime, and they are now the ones he is most celebrated for.

Back in the historic rooms, find Millais's Ophelia, a Pre-Raphaelite painting in bright colour.

The gallery stands on the site of Millbank prison. On John Islip Street, the paved alley with a lamp post and bollards is what remains of the prison's moat.

Visiting

At the door, bags are checked, so allow a few minutes. Just inside, digital screens list the day's free tours and talks; check them before you set off. No ticket or time slot is needed for the collection, and the free cloakroom takes a bag or other items.

Start in Historic and Early Modern British Art, whose rooms open with the oldest works in Tate's collection, and follow them forward in date order.

Finish in the Clore Gallery with the Turner rooms. The building has a Main Floor and a Lower Floor, linked by lifts and stairs. If you need a pause between the two halves, the Clore Foyer is one of the quietest spaces in the building.

Guided or on your own

Free tours led by volunteer guides run three times most days, on the hour from 12.00 to 14.00. Each lasts about three quarters of an hour and starts at the meeting point at the top of the Rotunda Stairs. On your own, the date-order hang is easy to follow, so join a tour for the stories behind the paintings rather than for directions.

Tips

Bring a bag no bigger than cabin size, because anything larger cannot come in or go in the cloakroom. The gallery is cashless, so anything you buy inside is paid by card or contactless.

Photography is allowed with the flash off. Special exhibitions are ticketed, so book ahead if one is on your list.