Hidden Gems

Trinity Buoy Wharf is located on the North bank of the River Thames. Primarily used in the 1800’s for manufacturing buoys and docking lightships, it is now becoming a thriving place for the arts and cultural enterprise. Trinity Buoy Wharf also houses London’s only lighthouse, designed in 1863 for Michael Faraday, and inventive studio space made from shipping containers. It is sometimes referred to as Container City. The site is exceptional and has amazing views of the Thames and London from the lighthouse. It is open to the public all year round. Stop for a meal American style at Fat Boys Diner, London’s only 1940s American diner, which was the scene of the first date between Helen and James in the 1998 hit movie 'Sliding Doors'. www.trinitybuoywharf.com For more information please call 020 7515 7153.

Trinity Buoy Wharf, Orchard Place, London E14 0JW

Nearest station: East India DLR. Then a 12 minute walk to the end of Orchard Place.

Danson House was the most significant building at risk in London in 1995, has now been restored for the nation and open to the public. A rare and distinguished survivor of a once common building type around the outer edges of London - a rich City merchant's suburban villa or weekend retreat - Danson was built between 1762 and 1767 by John Boyd, a director of the The East India Company and owner of a sugae plantation on St. Kitts. www.dansonhouse.com

Danson House, Danson Park, Bexleyheath, DA6 8HL

Nearest station: BexleyHeath BR. Then a 10 minute level walk.

Bus services to Danson Park main entrance or Crook Log corner from BexleyHeath.

Hall Place in Bexley, south of the river, is a fine Grade I listed Tudor mansion, built c1537 for Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Chamneys. The house boasts a magnificent panelled Great Hall, minstrels' gallery, vaulted long gallery and drawing room with a fine 17th century plaster ceiling. there are numerous exhibitions throughout the year, including opportunities to buy artists' work. The house stands at the centre of award winning gardens and its former walled gardens is a plant nursery and sub-tropical plant house where bananas ripen mid-winter. www.hallplaceandgardens.com

Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley DA5 1PQ

Nearest station: Bexley BR
Bus services include 229, 492, B15 & 132 to the foot of Gravel Hill.

Image © Keith Turnbull

Just south of Greenwich hides Eltham Palace , a fascinating combination of a luxurious Art Deco home and an important medieval royal palace. From 1305 to 1526 Eltham Palace was the favourite country residence of first medieval then Tudor Kings including Henry VIII. Only the Great Hall, completed in the reign of Edward IV in 1482, survives.

In 1933 the palace was bought by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, who restored the Great Hall and built their adjoining Art Deco home. Filled with opulently gilded interiors, the latest mod cons and cutting-edge design features, Eltham Palace once again became a hub for society entertaining.

Eltham Palace, Court Yard, London, SE9 5QE

Nearest station: Eltham BR. Then Bus 161 towards Chislehurst War Memorial or Bus 126 towards Beckenham Junction and alight at Eltham Church. Walk to Eltham Palace.

From Greenwich: take Bus 286 towards Sidcup / Queen Mary's Hospital outside the National Maritime Museum to Eltham Church. Journey time approx. 45 minutes.

Another gem is The Horniman Museum and Gardens with free admission and a wonderful eclectic collection put together by an individual with a taste for the unusual. There are five permanent exhibitions – African Worlds, Natural History, the Aquarium, the Centenary Gallery and the Music Gallery with interactive displays. Beyond are the gardens, the perfect setting for a picturesque stroll or picnic.

Horniman Museum and Gardens, 100 London Rd, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ

Nearest station: Forest Hill BR. Then a 12 minute walk to museum or Bus 185, 312 or 176 from Stop D outisde BR station.

The Crossness Pumping Station is a rather unusual attraction reflecting the particular industrial heritage of east London. The Beam Engine House is a Grade 1 Listed building in a Victorian Romanesque style, which features some spectacular ornamental ironwork. It still contains the four original pumping engines.

The Old Works, Crossness S.T.W. Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ

Nearest station: Abbey Wood. Then Bus 229 towards Thamesmead Town Centre or Bus 244 towards Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Alight at Newacres Library and walk to Belvedere Road.

Lewisham Walks: You can now explore the village of Deptford with the Deptford Secrets Map, as well as the newgiving information on exhibitions, shows, walks and local heritage attractions.