london open house tours

• Places to Visit
• Sightseeing
• Practical Tips
• Where to Stay

London Open House Weekend

London Open House is a free festival of London’s architecture, engineering and urban landscape. Open House describe it as the world’s biggest architecture festival.

Most buildings are not usually open to the public, so it’s a rare chance to visit anything from a medieval hall to a modern skyscraper.

London Open House 2024 Dates

The Open House festival is on 14–22 September 2024

Visits and guided tours

Visit and/or take a behind the scenes guided tour of a wide range of buildings including:

• Historic houses, livery halls and monuments
• Government buildings, workspaces, schools & town halls
• Private clubs, houses and institutions
• Places of worship, cemeteries
• Theatres, cinemas and arts centres
• Windmills, pumping stations
• Train stations, tunnels, cabbie’s shelters and much more

Walking tours

There are many free guided walking tours and trails showing architectural highlights and historical areas. Some require pre-booking.

How to find out what’s open

Most places are open on a first come basis. Some have limited numbers and need advance booking.You now need to create a visitor account to book attractions and events.

To find what’s open:

• Search the online listings
• View locations on a map
• Download the free app. Search for ‘Open House London’ ( Does not seem to be working for 2023 )
• Order a guide in August. £11.99 Not available in 2023.

Get a guide if you can. It’s more comprehensive than the website.

During Open House, the @openhouselondon twitter account usually posts updates on queue length for popular venues.

Free admission to attractions that normally charge an entrance fee

The information below relates to 2023. Info for 2024 is updated in August 2024

For fans of historic buildings and quirky museums, the Open House festival is a chance to save money on entrance fees.

The places listed below are open to the public and normally charge an entrance or tour fee . They are free to visit on certain days during the Open House festival.

Click on the titles for more information.

Central London

Benjamin franklin house.

Grade I listed Georgian house of Benjamin Franklin. Address: 36 Craven St, WC2 5NF Open: 9-10 & 16 & 17 September 2023 10am–4pm Tube: Charing Cross (zone 1)

The Cartoon Museum

Small museum displaying British cartoons, caricatures and comic strips Address: 63 Wells St, W1A 3AE Open: 10 September 2023 10:30-5:30pm Tube: Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Rd

Banqueting House

Only surviving part of Whitehall Palace with a ceiling painted by Reubens Address: 61 Whitehall, London SW1A 2ET Open: Sunday 10 & 17 September 2023 10am-4:30pm Tube: Westminster/Charing Cross

Museum of the Order of St John

Address: 26 St John’s Ln, London EC1M 4DA Open: Saturday 16 September 2023 1pm-6pm Tube: Farringdon/Barbican

North London

Heath robinson museum.

Gallery showing life history and original artworks of former Pinner resident Address: Pinner Memorial Park, West End Lane, Pinner HA5 1AE Open: Sunday 10 September 2023 11am-4pm Tube: Pinner

South East London

The old operating theatre museum & herb garret.

Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre Address: 9a St Thomas St, SE1 9RY Open: Wednesday 6 September 2023 10:30am-4:15pm Tube: London Bridge

Last updated: 21 August 2023

Places to visit

• Top free museums & galleries
• 2 for 1 London attractions
• 2 for 1 London attractions map
• Discount tickets to attractions
• Sightseeing passes
• Free museum and gallery tours
• Museum lates: late night opening

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Open House London 2023: highlights and best buildings to see

Peek behind the doors of some of London’s most famous buildings at Open House festival this September

If you’re as nosy as we are, chances are you’ll be looking forward to the annual Open House  festival – which gives curious Londoners the chance to pull out their best Loyd Grossman impression and go through the keyhole (and doors)  of some of the capital’s biggest, most renowned and most secretive addresses for free.

For two weekends in September, a whole load of top-grade London real estate will be open for snooping across nearly ever London borough. Here is everything you need to know about Open House London, 2023. 

What is Open House London?

A huge festival dedicated to making the capital’s architectural spaces accessible to all. It  allows entry to private homes, government buildings and historic sites that are normally closed to the public and just waiting to be explored. Some of the buildings offer free half-hourly tours, others are simply open to walk-in visitors. It’s the largest event of its kind in the world and features walks, talks and tours as well as the chance to nose around intriguing London places you’d never usually get to enter.

When is Open House London?

The 2023 edition will take place over two weekends,  September 9-10 and 16-17.

Where is Open House London? 

Hundreds of buildings across all of London’s boroughs, plus the City of London, will be taking part. It’s a vast sprawl, so you’ll need to dedicate some time to planning what you’d like to see. If you want to visit multiple locations, check the Open House website  in advance for details. Open House is extremely popular, so even if the sites you have in mind are apparently obscure, you can expect to queue. 

How much does Open House London cost?

Brilliantly, it’s all free.  Check each listing carefully on the Open House website before you set off, as some require advanced booking. E ntry to very famous sites like 10 Downing Street and New Scotland Yard are allocated via a ballot. For others, just wear your most comfortable shoes and turn up on the day.

What’s the programme for Open House London? 

Highlights of this year’s programme include a guided tour of 1923 Northern Line Extension stations near Golders Green, a chance to explore Theodore Komisarjevsky’s Gothic interior of the former Granada Cinema in Tooting, and an opportunity to discover a masterpiece of Victorian engineering, the Markfield Beam Engine in Tottenham. Find out more here .

Find out more about Open House London 2023 here . 

Find more brilliant London events taking place in  September .

An email you’ll actually love

The best buildings to see at Open House London 2023

Brixton Windmill

Get to know a piece of London’s rural history right in the heart of south London. This Grade II*-listed beauty was built back in 1816 and got a shiny restoration in 2011. It’s the last surviving windmill in inner London, and it’s got stories to tell. From grinding grains to turning water power, this windmill has seen it all. Take a guided tour and catch a glimpse of those magnificent sails. Oh, and did we mention the killer views?

100 Blenheim Gardens, SW2 5DA. Drop in Sep 9-10 between  1pm and 5pm, or book for BSL guided tours   from 2pm to 3.30pm on 9  September .

If one of your guilty pleasures is spying into people’s houses, make a beeline for this gorgeous private home which is opening its doors to the public for one day only. A maze of utilitarian russet tin walls and sloping glass roofs, this is all your ‘Grand Designs’ dreams come true and more.

Smugglers Yard, Devenport Rd, W12 8PB. Drop in Sep 9, 10am to 1pm. 

Gulabi House

A hop, skip, and a jump from Walthamstow Wetlands, this gem of an Edwardian terrace is not your typical London home. A cosy cocoon designed by Artefact Studio and inspired by Indian Modernism, inside, you’ll find a triptych of interconnected spaces and the warming palette inside is like a hug for your eyeballs, perfectly contrasting the unassuming exterior. 

4 Lydford Road, N15 5PX.   Drop in Sep 9, 1pm to 5.30pm

Crystal Palace Subway

This is not your average subway; it's a time machine with cool ceramic ceilings. 

Nestled beneath the A212 at Crystal Palace Parade originally opened in 1865 to link the now-closed High-Level station to the Crystal Palace itself, which was destroyed by a fire in 1936. It remains a reminder of the great Victorian structure, welcoming visits from the public every once in a while. 

Crystal Palace Parade, SE19 1LG. Book a self-guided tour Sep 15, 10.30am to 3pm

Senate House

Usually reserved for the eyes of bookish University of London staff and students, this bombastic building in the heart of the city is an Art Deco masterpiece, and supposedly George Orwell’s inspiration for The Ministry of Truth in ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. Get lost in its marble-lined corridors and towering book stack on an in-person or virtual tour.

Malet St, WC1E 7HU. Sep 9, 11am to 4pm.

Turning Earth E10

• Things to do
• Markets and fairs

Turning Earth’s second and largest studio sits in the Argall Avenue industrial estate bordering the Lee Valley and is a real hive of creativity. Spend an afternoon nosing around the serene space watching budding potters craft their wares and sign up to become a member if you catch the ceramics bug. On your way out, pop into the Lighthaus Café for a slice of ridiculously good banana bread. 

11 Argall Avenue, E10 7QE. Drop in Sep 10, 11am to 5pm 

Little Mouse Cheese Shop

This little Edwardian shop in South Norwood has been  impeccably restored with a sparkling original wooden frontage and fascia. Nowadays it’s also an artisan cheesemonger, so you can have a slice of the good stuff with your slice of London history. 

212A Selhurst Rd, SE25 6XU. Drop in 9-10 and 16-17 September between 10am to 4pm. 

Garden Barge Square

Nestled on the Tideway, just below the majestic Tower Bridge, Garden Barge Square is a collection of floating gardens created in 1983 and home to a community of over 100 barge dwellers. It’s a little slice of tranquillity in the heart of the city and a testament to London’s eclectic charm. 

Access through Reeds Wharf, 33 Mill St, SE1 2AX. Drop in 10 September, 2pm to 6pm 

Britannia Works Studios

Hackney Wick’s Fish Island is an area synonymous with renegade artist creativity. Get a behind-the-scenes look at this vibrant art scene by exploring these working art studios usually off-limits to the public. It’s a chance to see work of some of the UK’s top artists, from internationally acclaimed maestros to the freshest emerging talents and get a little glimpse into what goes into to the making of them. 

56 Dacre Rd,  E3 2NQ. Drop in 16-17 September, 11am to 6pm. 

The Chapel in Tottenham Cemetery

Built in 1858 by George Pritchett, the Chapel in Tottenham Cemetery harks back to an era when space in London’s churchyards and burial grounds was running critically low. The space is actually two chapels connected by a charming carriage arch crafted from Kentish Ragstone. Inside you’ll find beautiful light-flooded spaces adorned with stained glass. 

Church Lane, N17 8AS. Drop in 17 September, 11am to 4.20pm, hourly talks and walks at 11am, 12noon, 2pm and 3pm.

Find more fun things to do in September

London events in September

Say goodbye to summer in style – get out and get stuck into the last of the capital’s festivals, pop-ups and outdoor shindigs this month.

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Open House: Millennium Mills

As part of Open House London 2021, we are excited to offer a unique opportunity to take a tour inside the iconic Millennium Mills in the Royal Docks.

The tours are conducted by Paul Talling, author of the Derelict London website and books, and will give exclusive access to dusty factory floors, hidden narrow staircases and the incredible views from the roof of this historic building. Along the way you will hear about the life of the building from it’s heyday in the 1920s & 30s as a flour mill through to the current plans for its redevelopment.

Important Information

• The tours are ticketed and only those who register for a ticket will be able attend.
• When booking a ticket please be aware that the tours include a climb to the roof via 10 flights of steps and once started there will not be an opportunity to not complete the full tour.
• To ensure a place on one of the tours you must sign up for a specific timeslot.
• Due to the derelict nature of the building spaces are limited to 10 people per tour and attendees must be over 16 to take part

Booking for tours are now open

Time & date

For your visit, wakeup docklands.

Wakeboarding, paddleboarding, and paddleboard yoga – for beginners and back-flippers alike.

Food & Drink

China palace.

Dim sum, karaoke, and tradition Chinese cuisine next to the ExCeL centre.

Tate & Lyle Sugars

This refinery on the banks of the Thames has been producing sugar by the tonne for over 140 years.

Similar events

Art & Culture

Queer film club with badge cafe, every last friday of the month, april-nov, 7-11pm.

Queer Film Club is brought to you by The London Borough of Newham, Royal Docks, and BFI London.

Grand Designs Live London

Saturday 4 may - friday 12 may.

Grand Designs Live is a home building and renovating show.

May I have this Dance

Saturday 25 may 2024.

Get ready to party at May I have this Dance!

Open House Festival

I’ve forgotten my password

Senate House

education, community/cultural, library, online

Charles Holden, 1933

University of London, Malet Street, WC1E 7HU

London’s tallest secular building when it opened as the HQ of the University of London and home to the Ministry of Information during WWII, this Grade II* listed landmark features Classicism and Art Deco elements.

Getting there

Russell Square, Goodge Street, Euston Square, Tottenham Court Road

7, 10, 24, 29, 68, 73, 134, 188

Architectural gem, literary landmark, urban myth

Designed by British architect Charles Holden, who is also credited with the design of many of London’s Underground stations, Senate House was created to house what became the world’s largest purpose-built University.

The landmark Art Deco building, which is one of the few buildings in London to boast original 1930s features, was the University’s first permanent home after a century of being housed in a series of temporary premises. King George V laid the foundation stone on 26 June 1933 and the building welcomed its first occupants in 1936.

Senate House, consisting of 19 floors and standing 210 feet (64m) high, was the tallest secular building in Britain on completion. It was constructed of the finest materials then available, including Portland stone, Travertine marble, English walnut and South American cypress. Acknowledged as a building of great architectural significance, it was listed as Grade II* in 1969.

During the Second World War, Senate House was home to the Ministry of Information and inspired George Orwell’s description of the Ministry of Truth in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Besides being an architectural gem and a literary landmark, Senate House is also subject to urban mystification – allegedly Hitler planned to install the headquarters of Nazi dominion in Britain in the building on Malet Street.

Senate House Library

Senate House is also the home to the world-famous Senate House Library which holds one of the UK’s largest collections in arts, humanities & social sciences, with over 2 million books, 50 special collections & 1,200 archives. Senate House Library celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2021-22 with an online exhibition where you can explore some of its extraordinary treasures.

From late June 2022 until March 2023, Senate House Library, in partnership with Artangel, will be part of the World Weather Network, a constellation of weather stations imagined and operated by some 30 arts agencies from around the world. It forms a new artist-led global coalition in response to the climate emergency and biodiversity loss, presented through a website featuring the range of newly commissioned art works. While in Senate House Library, you can visit A Thousand Words for Weather, the sound installation specially commissioned for the project.

Online presence

www.london.ac.uk

www.instagram.com/unioflondon

twitter.com/UoLondon

www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-london

Wiener Holocaust Library

Sensitive yet bold refurbishment of historic Grade II listed townhouse for The Wiener Library including dramatic first floor reading room, mezzanine and ground floor exhibition spaces.

Barbara Weiss Architects, 2011

Guided tour

Tour of Princes Circus and Alfred Place Gardens

public realm/landscape

Big change can happen. Princes Circus and Alfred Place Gardens are the last two spaces to complete in Camden Council's award-winning West End Project. Both involve reclaiming road for people and for nature. Join for more on the journey.

LDA Design - Landscape Architect, 2023

Drop in / Guided tour

Royal College of General Practitioners

institution/profession, gallery, health

Grade II* listed building. Restored in 2012 to showcase magnificent Edwardian faience tile work, mosaic floor and other historic features in transformed modern surroundings that now provide the headquarters of the RCGP.

Arthur Beresford Pite, 1908

Table Top Museums at the Art Workers' Guild

institution/profession

1713 terraced house with 1914 hall at rear. Notable renovated Arts and Crafts interior. Newly refurbished glass vaulted courtyard. Portraits of Guild Masters since 1884.

Georgian, 1713

Walking tour

Working class spaces of Bloomsbury

This tour will explore a working class view of Bloomsbury through the stories, famous names and classic British films associated with the neighbourhood over the past 60 years, with a special focus on theatrical, film and television personalities.

An enduring, distinctive feature of the London skyline for the last 54 years, this is a rare opportunity for members of the public to visit the famous revolving floor, 158m above the capital. After the flight the guests can watch a history of the BT Tower film in our auditorium.

Eric Bedford and G. R. Yeats, 1965

British Cardiovascular Society

scientific, offices, institution/profession, health, museum

9 Fitzroy Square is the home of the British Cardiovascular Society. In addition to original architectural features, visitors will be able to view the BCS collection of objects illustrating the history of cardiology. Last entry 3.30 pm.

Robert Adam, 1794

GOSH Sight and Sound Hospital & St Christophers Chapel

Visitors will be led on a tour of GOSH's newest redevelopment site, the Sight and Sound Hospital featuring a sensory garden and bespoke artworks. Tours will continue to the beautiful and unexpected St Christopher's chapel in the main site.

Sonnemann Toon, 2021

Fitzrovia Chapel

religious, recreational, historical house, community/cultural, gallery, concert/performance space, mixed use

Loughborough Pearson's red brick building is unimposing from the outside, but inside is a riot of Gothic Revival design. Golden mosaics reveal the character of the Grade II* listed chapel, built as part of the Middlesex Hospital.

J. L. Pearson, 1891

Present & Correct Stationers

Architecture for London designed and built a new home for stationers Present & Correct in a heritage retail unit. In a nod to the neighbouring British Museum, cabinets as 'wunderkammer' display the stationery as objects of desire.

Architecture for London, 2023

T J Boulting

Red brick and Portland stone corner building with three prominent signs in Arts & Craft style lettering in green and gold mosaic for the company 'TJ Boulting & Sons'.

Herbert Fuller Clarke, 1903

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Foreign & Commonwealth Office Open House

Every year, Foreign & Commonwealth Office welcomes thousands of visitors during the Open House London festival. The campaign page will tell them what they'll be able to see and find out, as well as offering films and pictures of the interiors

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Open House

The  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) participated in Open House virtually in recent years. Explore our building on King Charles Street in London through the FCDO virtual tour , learn about the history of the building and hear from our staff about the modern department.

Take a virtual tour of the fine rooms and staircases of the FCDO’s buildings. You can also look at our embassy buildings in Paris, Vienna, Istanbul, Berlin and Rome.

Permanent Under-Secretary's welcome to the 2023 virtual Open House

Permanent Under-Secretary, Sir Philip Barton’s welcome to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office virtual Open House 2023.

A history of the FCDO building

The main Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office building is in King Charles Street, London. It was built by George Gilbert Scott in partnership with Matthew Digby Wyatt.

FCDO Locarno Suite

Suite of 3 magnificent rooms designed by George Gilbert Scott: the Conference room, Grand Reception room and Dining room.

About Open House

Open House Festival London celebrates all that’s best about the capital’s buildings, places and neighbourhoods.

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20 of the most beautiful historic interiors to see in London

Looking for stately homes and historic houses to visit in London? From Tudor dwellings to Modernist masterpieces, London is home to an extraordinary variety of remarkable interiors - and lots of them are open to the public. Whether you've a taste for Regency splendour or artistic bohemia, the capital offers a wealth of world-class historic houses, perfect to wallow in on a weekend afternoon.

2 Willow Road

Fans of modern design will go weak at the knees for this gem of a house in Hampstead. The trio of houses were designed by architect Erno Goldfinger in 1939, who made his home in No 2. Now owned by the National Trust, it contains many of his personal possessions, and some highly covetable mid-century furniture and artwork. It's hard to believe that something built over 70 years ago can still look so modern today. Hampstead, London, NW3 1TH nationaltrust.org.uk

Eltham Palace

Medieval splendour meets art-deco glamour in this incredibly unusual building. Eltham is a medieval royal palace and while history buffs can steep themselves in the centuries of rich history, the real show-stopping aspect is the series of art-deco interiors built by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld when they lived at Eltham in the Thirties. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, with a rather nice tea shop, Eltham's hard to beat for a relaxing day trip. Greenwich, London SE9 english-heritage.org.uk

Sir John Soane Museum

This Georgian town house was the home of architect John Soane, who during his lifetime accumulated an extraordinary collection of antiquities and architectural salvage. During his lifetime he allowed Royal Academy students access to the house to study the contents, and it had been preserved in much the same state ever since. The interiors are truly unique - an extraordinary number of artworks and architectural details have been crammed into a relatively small space - making it a good place to study not only art, but the art of arrangement. 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP soane.org

Apsley House

If grand interiors are your passion, they don't come much grander than the Duke of Wellington's town house. Known as Number One, London, this huge neoclassical mansion stands at the corner of Hyde Park. Now open to the public as an art gallery and museum, its ornate, late-eighteenth-century reception rooms are on show for all to see, yet it still retains the air of a private house. A number of different architects worked on the house so there are some architectural treats - keep an eye out for the Drawing Room and Portico Room designed by Robert Adam. Hyde Park Corner, London W1J english-heritage.org.uk

Leighton House

This former residence of the Victorian painter Frederic Leighton is the absolute antithesis of the traditional artist's garret, and even today, it can easily keep pace with the most elaborate of the Chelsea mansions in the surrounding area. In the 30 years that Leighton lived there, he embarked on a sustained mission of elaboration and expansion, turning it into a 'private palace of art'. The Arab hall, with its intricate mosaic floors, golden dome and walls covered with Islamic tiles is jaw-dropping. 12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ rbkc.gov.uk

Osterley Park

Those looking to visit an English country estate might not expect to find one nestled close to super-urban Hounslow. But there you go: Osterley Park, a Georgian pile with bags of traditional English charm. It's been carefully preserved so it still looks as it would have done in the 1780s: keep an eye out for the masses of elegant Georgian furniture and sophisticated colour schemes that will send you into transports of delight. Isleworth, TW7 nationaltrust.org.uk

Fenton House

Much has been made of the extremely pretty gardens that surround this seventeenth-century merchant's house: not only does it have a rather nice orchard - Apple Day in late September allows visitors to legitimately sample the apples rather than resorting to scrumping - but there's a walled kitchen garden. Inside is equally captivating, with its collections of paintings, porcelain, needlework and instruments. The latter includes extremely rare harpsichords and spinets - time your visit to coincide with one of the lunchtime or evening concerts to hear them played. Hampstead, London, NW3 6SP nationaltrust.org.uk

575 Wandsworth Road

The elaborate interiors of this terraced house germinated out of a desire to solve an extremely practical problem. When Kenyan-born Khadambi Asalache moved into this nineteenth-century house in Wandsworth in the 1980s, he was troubled by the persistant damp in the basement dining room. He fixed pine floorboards to the damp wall but didn't stop there. Over 20 years he embellished virtually every surface in the house with elaborate fretwork patterns and motifs, which he hand-carved from reclaimed pine doors and floorboards found in skips. A true inspiration to any aspiring DIY decorator. Lambeth, London, SW8 3JD nationaltrust.org.uk

By Virginia Clark

By Fiona McKenzie Johnston

By Arabella Bowes

Carlyle’s House

If you want to know what a Victorian middle-class home looked like, this a good example. This Georgian terrace was the home of the historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle and thanks to concerted efforts, the interiors are now very close to how they would have been during the time he lived there - despite the damage inflicted it by a subsequent resident who kept scores of dogs and cats. Now restored to its former glory, it provides a fascinating snapshot of Victorian life. 24 Cheyne Row, Chelsea, London, SW3 5HL nationaltrust.org.uk

Sutton House

Stumbling across a Tudor manor house in the middle of Hackney is definitely a bit of a surprise. Built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadleir, the exterior of the house camouflages itself rather effectively: at first glance you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for Georgian or even Victorian, with a couple of Arts and Crafts additions. But this is the real deal, as the interiors reveal. Although it's been altered over the centuries, it still retains a strong Tudor feel, with its rich, oak-panelled rooms and exquisite carved stone chimneypieces. 2 and 4 Homerton High Street, Hackney, London, E9 6JQ nationaltrust.org.uk

Chiswick House

This west-London villa is home to one of the best eighteenth-century interiors ever created. William Kent was best known as an architect, but he turned his hand to every aspect of design, from furniture to decorative details. When the 3rd Earl of Burlington asked him to decorate the interiors of his new house at Chiswick, the results were spectaclar. Was Kent the first professional interior designer? Very probably. Chiswick, London, W4 2QN chgt.org.uk

Dennis Severs’ House

Dennis Severs, a Californian who made his home in Spitalfields, transformed this town house where he lived into an extraordinary still life: something between a museum piece and a film set. He imagined it as the home of a family of Huguenot weavers and chronicled their history across the series of rooms, each decorated in different styles from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Little touches such as half-eaten food and burning candles add to the lived-in effect. 18 Folgate Street, London dennissevershouse.co.uk

Ranger’s House

This Georgian villa in Greenwich Park is worth visiting for its glittering art collection: it was amassed, rather excitingly, by a Victorian diamond magnate. The elegantly proportioned rooms are enlivened by the substantial collection, which includes early religious paintings, Dutch old masters and portraits by English artists including Joshua Reynolds, George Romney and John Hoppner. Dazzling. Blackheath, London SE10 english-heritage.org.uk

Kenwood House

Kenwood's art collection is legendary: paintings by old masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Dyck sit alongside works by English painters Gainsborough, Constable and Turner. Its interiors are pretty eye-catching too - and following its recent renovations its now even better. Pieces of furniture designed by the house's architect Robert Adam have been restored to their original settings, while the sky blues, pale pinks and greens are both exuberant and historically accurate. Hampstead, London NW3 english-heritage.org.uk

Although Syon House is technically in Middlesex, its Greater London location -close to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew - means that you can experience one of England's great country houses without having to venture outside the M25. With interiors by the neoclassical architect Robert Adam, it's visually stunning. Walking through the opulent rooms, you may experience a sense of deja vu: that's because they've featured in a flurry of historic films from Gosford Park to The Madness of King George . Brentford, Middlesex TW8 syonpark.co.uk

Keats’ House

Get some Romantic inspiration with a trip to Keats House. This nineteenth-century house was only home to the famous poet for 17 months, but you can sit in the garden where he composed 'Ode to a Nightingale' and see the bedroom where he was diagnosed with the consumption that was to prove fatal. Sounds morbid? Then just enjoy the interiors, faithfully restored to as they were in the nineteenth century and adorned with all sorts of Keats mementoes. Keats Grove, Hampstead, London. NW3 2RR cityoflondon.gov.uk

Eastbury Manor House

This Grade I-listed building is the perfect place to steep yourself in some Tudor history - it comes complete with some Elizabethan-costumed guides. It's worth it from an interiors perspective - there are some interesting seventeenth-century wall paintings and furniture, and you can climb up a Tudor turret to get a better look at the soaring red-brick chimneys. Eastbury Square, Barking, Essex, IG11 9SN nationaltrust.org.uk

Turner’s House | Historic Houses | Places To Visit In London

Turner’s House, Twickenham

Not only was JMW Turner one of Britain's best-known landscape painters, but it's a little known fact that he also turned his hand to architecture, designing this house in Twickenham as a country retreat for himself and his father. Out of all the houses on this list, Sandycombe Lodge is the only one not yet open to the public. It was placed on the English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register in 2013, and is currently undergoing a restoration programme. Keep an eye on the website for updates: this is a hidden gem in the making. Sandycombe Lodge, 40 Sandycombe Road, Twickenham TW1 2LR

Hogarth’s House

The eighteenth-century artist William Hogarth was famed for his satirical depictions of city life. The house where he spent many years of his life is a far cry from the poor, crime-ridden streets of 'Gin Alley', and the interiors reveal the life of a rather well-off Georgian. As you'd expect, there's a wonderful collection of his prints - many of them framed in the narrow, black-and-gold frames that are now called Hogarth frames, in his honour. Hogarth Lane, Great West Road, London. W4 2QN hounslow.info

This lavishly decorated and beautifully ornate seventeenth-century house sits on the banks of the Thames near Richmond. Inside it is a collection of museum-quality paintings, furniture and textiles - most of which were acquired specifically for the house 400 years ago and have been there ever since. Now, they've even restored the interiors below-stairs - fans of traditional, country-style kitchens will enjoy this. And just to add to the general excitement - it's allegedly one of the most haunted houses in Britain. Pictured are the gardens of Ham House as shot for our October 2013 new collections fabric story. See the rest of the shoot here . Richmond, TW10 nationaltrust.org.uk

By House & Garden

By Charlotte McCaughan-Hawes

By Christabel Chubb

By Annabelle Spranklen

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