Sunsets and Suitcases

If you head down to the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, there’s a unique opportunity to see London’s largest painted ceiling up close. A major conservation project is currently underway and visitors are able to climb up 60 feet in the air on guided tours to see the work in […]

After our visit to the Wimpole Estate we stayed overnight at an Airbnb so we could explore more of the area. The next day we rode over to Elton Hall, near Peterborough, to visit on one of their rare opening days. Elton Hall has been home to the Proby family since 1660. Sir Peter Proby, […]

My National Trust membership hasn’t been getting much of a workout lately. To rectify this we took advantage of the warm weather over the August Bank Holiday weekend and popped in to visit the Wimpole Estate. Located in Royston, Cambridgeshire, the Wimpole Estate contains a large country house (Wimpole Hall), a working farm and about […]

After five years in London I’ve done most of the obvious tourist hotspots. I’m always on the lookout for quirky and interesting things to do in this city so I was intrigued when I first heard about Crossness Pumping Station. The Crossness Pumping Station was built by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in 1865. At the time, […]

After my visit to Strawberry Hill House I took a short bus ride over to Syon Park. I’ve been there a couple of times before, staying overnight at the Hilton hotel on the grounds, but this was my first time stepping foot inside Syon House. If I’d know how beautiful the house was inside, I […]

After five years living in London, I finally paid a visit to Strawberry Hill House. I’ve know about this place for quite a while but had been waiting until I got my Historic Houses Association membership before visiting, as this gives you free admission to the house. Strawberry Hill House was created in the 18th […]

You can’t go too far in Kent without bumping into a castle or stately home. One of my favourite castles in Kent is Hever Castle, and if you’re planning a day trip there from London you can easily add a visit to Chiddingstone Castle to your itinerary – they’re only 10 minutes apart. And if […]

During July I noticed photos from the lavender fields at Castle Farm showing up in my Instagram feed. I looked up their location and found it was only a 40 minute drive from home, so I decided to pop down for my first ever visit to a lavender farm. Castle Farm is the biggest lavender […]

In June the Freemason’s Hall in Covent Garden opened it’s doors to the public to mark the 300th anniversary of the world’s first masonic grand lodge opening. I had missed the opportunity to visit this Art Deco building during last year’s Open House London weekend so I was glad to have another chance to have […]

On an uncharacteristically warm day in June I made my way to Oxted in Surrey to visit Titsey Place. This country house dates back to 16th century when it was bought by Sir John Gresham, a Lord Mayor of London and prominent merchant. The house and estate passed through several generations of the Gresham family. […]