CATEGORY · A HUDDLEPIN LIST

Castles, Historic Houses & Heritage in London

Somerset House is about as central as it gets, a courtyard of fountains kids can run through, right by the river. Fulham Palace is free to roam, with a 500-year-old oak and a natural play area alongside the historic rooms. Out at Chiswick, the gardens at Chiswick House are also free, though the house itself only opens Thursday to Sunday. Further out, Syon House in Brentford has gilded rooms and a glass-domed conservatory, but you need to book ahead. For free days, Fulham Palace, Chiswick House and Forty Hall Estate in Enfield all let you in without paying, and Forty Hall has free parking if you're driving. Hatfield House and Knebworth House, a longer trip out to Stevenage, both offer free parking too, and Knebworth's dinosaur trail and adventure playground suit older kids best (it's for ages 3 and up). For something different, Severndroog Castle has 86 spiral steps to climb for a view over London, with baby change and high chairs at the tearoom after.

14 places 2 upcoming events 5 free to visit

What's on: castles, historic houses & heritage

Historic country house with ivy-covered facade and manicured gardens featuring gravel pathways and autumn-flowering borders.

SAT 24 OCT, 10:00 · +1 MORE DATE

Worm Weekend at Down House

Down House

SAT 31 OCT, 10:00

Creative Cathedral: Light of the World

St. Paul's Cathedral

Free

Places for castles, historic houses & heritage

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Ornate palace gallery room with red damask walls, gilt-framed paintings, crystal chandelier, pink upholstered furniture and patterned carpet.

Apsley House

London

The Duke of Wellington's old townhouse on Hyde Park Corner, open Wednesday to Sunday with a monthly guided tour worth timing your visit around.

Bike parkingGroup bookings

A performer in 18th-century costume with a blue feathered headdress reads from a letter in an ornate period room.

Free

Chiswick House and Gardens

London

Free gardens to roam, a historic kitchen garden to explore, and a house you can only get into Thursday to Sunday.

Bike parkingBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+4 more

Down House

Downe

Wander round the house where Charles Darwin worked for forty years, then set kids loose on a World Builder trail.

CaféGroup bookingsIndoor seatingPicnics allowed

Georgian mansion reflected in a still pond, surrounded by autumn foliage and manicured grounds.

Free

Forty Hall Estate

Enfield

A Jacobean manor with free grounds to roam, a farm to visit and paid trails that turn the walk into a hunt for bones and bugs.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingCafé+6 more

Pink cosmos flowers bloom in a garden bed in front of a brick building with arched entrance and windows.

Free

Fulham Palace

London

Free grounds with a 500-year-old oak, a natural play area and free trails through the historic rooms.

Birthday partiesCaféGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

Sunlit interior room with tall sash windows overlooking gardens, table lamp, framed photographs, and window light casting shadows on grey wall.

from £8.50

Hatfield House, Park and Gardens

Hatfield

Woodland walks, Renaissance gardens and a Tudor house to wander round, with free parking and a café to fall back on.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+10 more

Aerial view of a medieval stone castle surrounded by a moat, with Tudor buildings and manicured grounds, set within a landscape of woodland and fields.

from £14.05

Hever Castle & Gardens

Edenbridge

A moated Tudor castle with yew mazes, a lake to walk round and rowing boats to hire in the grounds.

CaféDog friendlyFree parkingGift shop+5 more

Free

Kingswood House (Bovril Castle)

London

Free arts sessions for under-fives, garden volunteering and a teen lounge, all in a grand old house with a car park that fills up fast.

Bike parking

Medieval half-timbered manor house with stone base surrounded by a moat, set within wooded grounds under clear blue sky.

from £4.25

National Trust - Ightham Mote

Sevenoaks

A moated medieval manor with 500 acres of Kent Downs to roam, plus a natural play area with balance beams and stepping stones.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+10 more

Red brick Georgian mansion with domed towers, columned portico and manicured lawn under blue sky with white clouds.

from £5

National Trust - Osterley Park and House

Isleworth

Tudor walled garden, parkland dens and bike rides, plus an 18th-century mansion house you can wander on the days it's open.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+9 more

Historic brick tower with crenellated battlements surrounded by trees and visitors gathered at its base on a sunny day.

from £3.50

Severndroog Castle and Tearoom

London

A woodland climb up to an octagonal tower, with 86 spiral steps to a viewing platform that shows off London on a clear day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBreastfeeding friendlyCafé+5 more

Table setting with three plates of drizzled savoury pancakes, white wine glasses, and cutlery at a restaurant.

Somerset House

London

A grand courtyard with dancing fountains to run through, plus riverside terraces and galleries if you fancy some art after.

Baby changeCaféDog friendlyRestaurant+3 more

Wedding ceremony in a grand neoclassical hall with cream and gold walls, white columns, and classical sculptures, bride and groom at altar whilst guests watch.

from £3.50

Syon House

Brentford

A grand house full of gilded rooms plus a glass-domed conservatory and gardens to wander round afterwards.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBlue badge parkingBooking required+5 more

Large red-brick Georgian manor house with mansard roof set behind open parkland and fence.

Free

West Horsley Place

Leatherhead

400 acres of footpaths, bridleways and a sensory garden to wander, with the manor house itself saved for ticketed open days.

Bike parkingBooking requiredCaféDog friendly+5 more

Good to know: castles, historic houses & heritage in London

Are any of them free?

Yes, Chiswick House and Gardens, Forty Hall Estate, Fulham Palace, Kingswood House (Bovril Castle) and 1 more are free to visit.

What does a paid visit cost?

Paid entry starts from £3.50 at Severndroog Castle and Tearoom. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.

Whereabouts are they?

You'll find castles, historic houses & heritage in London, Downe, Enfield, Hatfield, Edenbridge and 4 more. Every place we list is in or around London, and each listing has the full address and directions.