Great place to be outside in the sunshine and have a walk around the well kept gardens. My mum and…read moreI went in the blazing heat a few weeks ago. Parking was easy (and free!) and we had a drink and a slice of cake in the cafe and then a walk around the gardens. The cafe is reasonably priced and had a large selection of cakes and snacks. We grabbed a seat outside overlooking the lake and gardens which was lovely. There is a historical house that you can pay to visit, but we gave that a miss this time due to the beautiful weather and stuck to the gardens. My favorite thing we saw were the Queen's Beasts, the topiary. They were immaculately maintained and I got some great photos. There is plenty to explore and lots of space if you wish to sit and bring your picnic. We decided to visit the Butterfly Jungle experience. It costs £4 for adults, which isn't very much, but the 'experience' is very small and although there were lots of butterflies, it's wasn't really even worth the £4, you could walk around the space in under a minute and if there are other people in there you get stuck and have to wait for them to move on or you miss seeing those butterflies! It was enjoyable to see them, but I wouldn't bother visiting that area again when I return. Equally the owl experience looked very short and sweet, you could see the Owls through the doorway before the pay point, and there were 4 owls in perches. You'd be done after a few minutes. I look forward to returning to visit the house and for a walk around the gardens and a slice of cake!

I have been to Hall Place numerous times with the family, there is a HUGH car park (free), there…read morewas no admission price into Hall's Place, instead donations were invited. The grounds are vast and truly beautiful especially in the spring & summer periods and perfect for families to take children with a picnic and just enjoy the outdoors. The House itself was interesting and well maintained, parts can be hired for functions. The house is rather unique, with some bits tudor, some bits much more recent, some interesting art and artifacts, and the history of the building was well explained. Hall Place is not just a pretty historic house. It is also an art gallery, a fantastic garden, and the borough museum that captures the Bexley's history from the Romans to the end of the twentieth century. The Jacobean house and its connections to all sorts of British and world events from the Doomsday Book, through to the reformation, Levent Trade,slavery, abolition, the East India Company, the great estates and the Irish road to independence. The formal gardens around the house were lovely. There is a little river with a bridge which is lovely and very scenic!. There is also a plant nursery as well!. The cafe around the grounds was perfect for a light snack. If you do want a meal there is a nice steak house next door (WHICH IS FIRST CLASS). A programme of events are available regularly throughout the year, (i.e Open Air Cinema, Farm Animals etc), Well worth a visit. Extremely, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Thatcher would be proud…read more Looking around Hever, many would be left with the impression that the owners are enormous fans of Anne Boleyn. The unfortunate wife of Henry VIII is, after all, the main focus of the exhibition and makes an appearance on much of the marketing material. But look a bit closer, and the more astute visitor may notice a different, more 'true blue', streak permeating the house. Yes, Labour voters clutch your pearls, but the proprietors appear to be worshippers of none other than Margaret Thatcher. (More so than Ms Boleyn, I would wager.) In the castle, visitors are treated to a near life-size oil painting of the union basher. And for those lucky enough to stay in the guest house for the price of £300 per night, they will find a letter written by the Iron Lady to thank the castle for her stay that has been framed and hung in one of the hallways. Among the owners personal possessions, I note Ms Boleyn has not received a similar dose of affection. Of interest is also the fact that this castle, its stunning gardens and water maze, owe their amazing condition to our friends across the Atlantic. Most stately homes in Britain are now virtually on their knees, with years of decline and underinvestment in the country reflected in their faded carpets, moth-eaten curtains and peeling paintwork. Hever, however, has avoided this fate for the good reason that it was bought by... gasp... an AMERICAN. Horrifying as it may sound, Mr Astor - who owes his astounding wealth to the rise of New York City - purchased the castle and injected nothing short of a fortune into it in order to create the attraction that we see today. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit so often absent in Britain, he then had the vision to order the construction of a second moat, a lake, a walled Italian garden complete with artefacts from Pompeii, a 'wall waterfall' and to direct the gardeners to shape some bushes like a chess set. I don't think he was involved in the water maze, so loved locally, but its presence reflects Hever's enduring ambitious spirit. Perhaps it was this spirit that so inspired Margaret Thatcher to write of Hever: 'I have seen several castles and large country houses but none as perfect as Hever.'

If you are visiting London, Hever Castle is a must do. Only a 90 minute drive from London hotels,…read morethe trip is well worth the wait upon arrival. From its sprawling vistas to the castle itself this place is a real treat. There is a large lake on site that offers rowing, an area that allows you to try your hand at archery and even a place to see falconry. There are jousting exhibitions and plenty of food from the cafe or restaurant on site. The REAL gem is the castle. Home for Queen Anne Boleyn from 5 years old to 12 one can only imagine the wonder this place brought her. The castle provides an audio tour in several languages so there is no issue there. (The staff are marvelously kind and helpful in the castle and in the dining areas and gift shop.) It's small but chock full of informative history about Anne Boleyn as well as those who lived in the castle after her death. If you are looking for a respite from the concrete jungle and noisy planet that is London, Hever provides you with lots of peace and quiet Tour the rose garden or just sit and enjoy the views and shade from the trees. It's an idyllic setting and a trip that will make your visit to the UK complete.

While visiting England for a few weeks I found out about Crossness by accident. I was googling some…read morehistory sites, and up popped some photos of a beautiful Victorian cast iron fantasyland, a monument to 19th century civil engineering and the the sewers that transformed London from a stinky disease-ridden hellhole to a large and thriving metropolis. I was delighted to score a ticket for one of their guided tours, which are held once a week and seem to sell out fast. The trek from Central London in the morning by tube/train was very easy, and I got a cab for the short distance from the Abbey Wood station. This was well worth the trip. The building dates from the 1860s and was nearly lost to the wrecking ball in the 1950s, but has been lovingly restored by many volunteers who continue to work on maintenance, preservation, and expansion. You enter from a separate gate outside the Thames Water facility, and walk up a ramp to a little volunteer-run small-gauge train shuttle. The pumping station looks somewhat nondescript from the outside (especially as some of its original features were removed/scrapped over the years), but once you walk in, you will discover there's no hyperbole to the website's claim that Crossness is a 'cathedral of engineering' - our current-day public works are so half-a** in comparison. Glorious, lavishly ornate painted ironwork and complex machinery, all to handle poo! We started with a slide presentation and talk, about the Thames, backyard privies/cisterns and cholera outbreaks, the Great Stink of 1858 & the building of the sewers. Then we were split up into groups and guided around the property on a leisurely and thorough tour. Much of the facility has been lovingly restored, as funds permit, and the meticulous attention to detail with matching Victorian paint colors, etc., is commendable. The steam engine wasn't operational when I went, but I can imagine how loud it must be when it's going! The outbuilding that once served as a school for the workers, now contains a number of antique mechanical devices that have been expertly restored, and another is the shop where you can see people working away at metal lathes, etc. There is also an impressive array of antique toilets. This was well worth the side trip out of town and I would definitely go back; it would be a great family trip, or school visit. Anyone who doesn't stop to think about how our cities and civilizations deal with human waste, is missing out. Read "The Big Necessity" by Rose George, and "The Ghost Map" by Stephen Johnson, and visit Crossness Pumping Station. Why Bazalgette doesn't have an enormous statue in London I will never understand.

You wouldn't really put 'sewage' and 'beauty' in the same sentence, would you? Well, you might…read moreafter a trip to Crossness in Abbey Wood. The interior of this Romanesque style Grade 1 listed building looks more like an ornate church than a pumping station, but not without reason, as this served as Victorian London's much-needed sewerage system. The Prince of Wales opened this building in 1865 and claimed to feel the whole floor rumble when he turned on the giant engines (a rumble you can still feel today if you go on a steamer day). These engines are the originals and possibly remain the largest rotative beam engines in the world. Adult entry is £4/£5 on streaming day, children under 16 go free. Crossness has just received a large grant from the National Heritage Fund, so check the website for opening times as they will be by appointment only in 2009.

Friendly Place To Have Fun With Kids Near Barking…read more If you are in and around East London, Try going to the Eastbury Manor house once. The place is a historical building with a Victorian style. There are also a number of activities going on for kids all around the year, so check out if there is any activity is going on if you plan to pop in. We visited last week and they had Christmas celebrations with Father Christmas. Our little kids got cute gift bags too.

Informative, brimming with history, tour guides very knowledgeable, activities always happening…read more For a historical house built in the 1500's its amazing its still here with all the hustle and bustle going on around the house. *****Fantastic place to have a snack on the cafe.***** amazing chef!!!

Magnificent palace located in a far out London suburb. This palace was for a time, the home for the…read moreCourtaulds family who built a magnificent house attached to a mediaevel hall. The hall was all what remained of a Royal palace. But its foundations have been partly excavated and exposed for public viewing in the magnificent gardens. If you love art deco interiors, then you will love this place which still remans fresh and contemporary with its numerous en suite bathrooms and fitted bedrooms. And a simply beautiful lobby with a unique domed ceiling. Do buy a bag of carp food and have fun feeding the greedy fishes!

My fiancé and I visited from the US and we're looking to visit some unique attractions in England…read more This is one of them. A beautiful Art Deco house! The staff was very friendly. They have beautiful gardens to stroll in as well. If you can appreciate vintage/antique Art Deco architecture you'll enjoy walking around this palace. They also have a tea room at the end of the walk which we enjoyed a pot of tea and a slice of maple walnut coffee cake. Very good.

This is where rock legend David Bowie lived in 1973-1974…read more Rock Star madness? It was at the time of the coal miners strike, and he wanted to know what it would be like living in a coal mine, so he painted all the interior of the house totally black (walls, ceilings, t.v. furniture etc.) Can be viewed from outside onlyno idea if it is still black inside. The houses cost just under a million in this street, Captain Scott, Antarctic explorer, lived at No. 56 which carries a blue plaque. Lady Wilde, mother of Oscar Wilde, lived at No 87. Blue plaque. Dame Sybil Thorndike, the actress, and her husband Lewis Casson, lived at No. 74 George Best, footballer, lived at No. 87

It wasn't so Much about the house itself but about the man…read moreand the ideas and songs that may have come out of room. For regular people it was just about walking by a house for me it was more than that.

I took my husband here for a secret birthday adventure day out to the not so secret nuclear bunker…read more This place is like a quintessential English day out. It's fabulous. The bunker itself is hidden away on a huge stretch of land that also serves as an airsoft site, so we were able to take the dog and give her a good run before leaving her in the car. (The tour around takes about an hour and it wasn't even a vaguely warm day.. Before anyone worries...) You enter the bunker through the front; it was designed as a bungalow so not to arouse suspicions. It's a pretty ugly bungalow though.. ;) It's declared that you *have* to take one of the audio wands through and that you can't commit to the tour without one. I'm not entirely sure the reasoning behind that and the audio tour is.. Well, it's in depth. Perhaps a little too in depth and I found I was just standing in corners trying desperately to hear what was being said over the other people in the room. I gave up after 9/24.. You pay at the end of the tour aswell. £7.50 cash in the honesty box by the till at the canteen. The place is filled with what would have been high tech gear for the era and some fascinating communication devices as well as air filtration pump rooms, dorms, sick bay and some terrifying models of Margaret Thatcher. There is some defiantly British signage going on, honesty boxes and the canteen at the end selling rainbow rubbers and marbles, Mars bars, soup and tea and cakes. It's like it all the old trips I used to do as a kid over the holidays. Apparently guide/scout troops can even do sleep overs there. Pretty jealous of that to be honest. You are only allowed to take pictures on the inside if you buy a permit from the canteen first, before entering the bunker. They're £5. Bleurgh. Obviously the people who run this place as super passionate about it and it's very well kept and informative and totally worth while. It's only £7.50 (cash only) to enter and I will definitely be going back again!

I was in my friends car one night driving around quite randomly as we often do, and we were hoping…read moreto find something exciting, something unusual, something almost conspiratorial. Because that's what guys do - we drive around like we're in our own spy movie, or like we're police officers. We find life pretty boring and we want to find that something a bit...... special. A bit rare. So imagine our surprise when driving through middle of nowhereville when we saw.... you guessed it....... a sign for a SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER!. This is what all guys dream of!. What could be better than finding a nuclear bunker!. We rushed over there, desperate to see it. It didn't occur to us that at 3am it might be closed. So we went back another time. This place is amazing. Right there, in the middle of a load of fields in Essex lies a disused nuclear bunker. This was built just after the war; in case of a Nuclear Attack. It was a place the government could go and continue their work, I imagine, while the rest of us got radioactive poisoning. Anyways, the place was decommissioned a few years ago and now it is open to the public. You have to go!. It's great. There are a load of levels, going deeper and deeper underground... and they used to do all sorts of stuff down here; and they have these little beds, and these hundreds of computers. It's just an endlessly fascinating place which is now privately owned. It is almost too strange to be true. Whoever you are, whatever your interests... check this place out, absolutely crazy. And the guy who now privately owns it is usually in the snack bar (which you reach at the end) and is happy to discuss the place whilst selling you a Pot Noodle and a Kit Kat.

If I was giving a review for what a pain it is to get to Down House on public transport, this would…read morebe a 1 star (there are two buses you can take - one is every 90 minutes, the other every 60...). But once you drag yourself there, Down House is simply lovely. I actually only quickly flew through the ground floor of the house, but even on my quick visit I could see it was full of interesting things and I will definitely be back to explore more properly. However, this visit was for a garden tour, which I wholeheartedly recommend. We were in a private group - about 15 of us, and the tour was £75 on top of the normal entrance fee (£12.30 if you want to gift aid it). They do offer the garden tour for everyone on Wednesdays and Sundays in July and August for a small fee on top (£4). Our tour was lead by the gardener, Christina, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic lady from Prague. She knew the garden inside out, but also had plenty of Darwin spiel. It was interesting to learn how much of the garden is planted to Darwin's specifications. The kitchen garden is spectacular, and they try to plant strains popular from the 1800s, even if there's often something 'better' developed now. They use the vegetables in the café, and also sell some (I was eyeing up, but too slow, courgettes with the flower attached - 3 for £1!) The garden also still does some of Darwin's experiments. It's all in a lovely setting and the nearby village of Downe is quaint with a couple of pubs and a church. All in all, a fine day out that you can get to on London transport, but feel like you're in the middle of the countryside (and well, you are!)

Visit this amazing and remarable house where Charles Darwin the Victorian scientist revolutionised…read morethe world with his groundbreaking theory regading evolution.I was touched by his spirit when I visited this place to see the room where the origins of the species was written.There are extensive interactive exhibitions on Darwin's life and theories and will captivate all age groups.

Very well-preserved Roman villa. It's recently had its claqpped-out old interpretation centre/roof…read moreredone and looks a lot better. Notable for its early Christian mosaics. Loses points for introducing parking fees when there's little other option to get there.

This is a beautiful Villa really nice I spent a few days here on business about 4 months ago. had a…read morefantastic time. great villa great service. if you are ever in Dubai I would highly recommend a place called the sapphire villa it is beautiful - out this world www.sapphirevilladubai.com