Sites to Visit
Here are some sites across Greater London that you can visit. These are taken from The Schedule of Monuments that covers the most important known archaeological monuments in England.
This selection has been made and described by David Gordon, following an assessment he undertook of accessible Scheduled Monuments in London for his MA in the Archaeology of London at UCL Institute of Archaeology.
Barking Abbey
Address: The Broadway, Barking. IG11 8AS. OS Grid Reference TQ440837
Access: Very close to Barking Town Centre. Public Transport and parking nearby.
Open: Abbey ruins open all hours. Detailed interpretation boards in St Margaret's Church are accessible via the St Margaret's Centre café during opening hours – weekdays 10.00-2.00. Wheelchair access. More details are provided by Barking and Dagenham Heritage and History
Barking Abbey was founded (according to Bede) in 666 by St Erkenwald for his sister St Ethelburga, subsequently becoming a royal foundation. William the Conqueror spent his first New Year after the Conquest at the Abbey. The foundations were excavated in the early 20th century and laid out as a park. Recent excavations located workshops dating to the late Saxon period. The only complete remaining building is the 15th century Curfew Tower or Fire Bell Gate.
Faesten Dic, Joyden's Wood, Bexley
Address: Joyden's Wood. OS Grid Reference TQ502709
Access: The closest access is via Ferndell Avenue (limited parking). Bus B15 from Bexleyheath passes close by.
Open: At all reasonable times. Information boards and waymarked trail.
Of the many Scheduled ancient earthworks in the London area, Faesten Dic, Bexley is the easiest to follow on the ground. The site is maintained by the Woodland Trust and there is a waymarked trail along the dyke, which is thought to have been constructed between the fifth and sixth centuries AD during which time the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records tribal warfare in the Bexley area. The dyke is also mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon boundary survey of AD 814.
Hall Place, Bexley
Address: Bourne Rd, Bexley. DA5 1PQ. OS Grid Reference TQ501743
Access: By car – close to the Black Prince interchange on the A2. Large car park. Buses 132, 229, 492, 938, B15 from Bexley and Bexleyheath pass close by. Bexley Station 1.5 km.
Open: April to October every day, 10.00-5.00; November to March Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00-4.15 (Check Hall Place, Bexley website for more information and details of special events). Admission free.
Country house built in 1540 for Sir John Champney, a former Lord Mayor of London, and extended in the 17th century. Rooms including the panelled Great Hall with Minstrels’ Gallery are open to the public throughout the year. The house is set in 62 hectares of award winning gardens on the banks of the River Cray, with rose gardens, topiary lawn and working nursery. Hall Place houses the Bexley Museum Collection, some of which is on display throughout the house, and presents a varied programme of exhibitions throughout the year. There is a shop stocking gifts, cards and handmade crafts, and there is a café in the car park. Group guided tours can be pre-booked year round.
Howbury Moated Site, Erith, Bexley
Note that there is no public access to the site itself, but it can be viewed from the nearby byway
Address: Howbury Farm, Moat Lane, Slade Green. DA8. OS Grid Reference TQ527767
Access: By car – there is some space to park at the end of Moat Lane. A short walk northeast up the public Byway gives a good view of the site. Information boards are provided. By train: 0.5 km walk from Slade Green station along Moat Lane (narrow lane with no footpath). Buses 469 from Belvedere and 89 from Bexleyheath also serve the railway station.
Open: Although the site itself is private, it can be viewed from the nearby Byway at any time.
Howbury lies in the Dartford and Crayford Marshes. The manor belonged to the Bishop of Bayeux, a half-brother to William the Conqueror, at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. By the 12th
century a moated manor house stood on the location of the ruins we see
today. In the 15th century, the manor was held by an official in the courts of
Henry V and Henry VI. The house was rebuilt a number of times but the site
was abandoned in the 1930s. The adjacent 17th century Howbury Tithe Barn is a listed building.
Lesnes Abbey, Bexley
Address: Abbey Road, Belvedere, Kent. OS Grid Reference TQ478788
Access: By car: The Abbey Park is situated on the B213. Parking available on the road. By train: Abbey Wood station is close by.
Open: Abbey ruins laid out as a public park and open at all reasonable hours. The Information Centre and toilets have restricted opening hours.
Lesnes Abbey, Bexley was an Augustinian house dedicated to St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr, founded in 1178 by Richard de Luci. The site is well laid out with numerous information boards. Archaeological finds are on display at Plumstead Museum, 232 Plumstead High Street, and also at Erith Museum, in Erith Library, Walnut Tree Road, Erith. A number of tombs, other stonework and tiles are on display at St. John's Church, Erith. The Victoria and Albert Museum contains the effigy of a member of the de Luci family found in the chapter house, along with the missal of Lesnes Abbey, a richly illuminated manuscript from the early thirteenth century.
Crofton Roman Villa, Bromley
Address: Crofton Road, Orpington, BR6 8AF. OS Grid Reference TQ 454658
Access: The Villa is next door to Orpington Station, and is also accessible by bus routes 61, 208 and 353. There is adjacent car parking (via York Rise and Crofton Halls) and the site has wheelchair access.
Open: April-October. Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays, Bank Holidays. For times see web site or telephone 020 8460 1442. Small admission charge. Special guided tours for groups may be booked in advance.
Crofton Roman Villa is the only villa open to the public in Greater London. It was inhabited from about AD 140 to 400 and was the centre of a large farming estate. The remains of 10 rooms are displayed inside a public viewing building. Remains include tessellated floors and the under-floor heating system (hypocaust). The site is very child-friendly, with extensive activities for children, but also has a bookstall with guide book and books on local archaeology. There are extensive displays relating to the excavation and the history of the villa, together with the opportunity to handle real finds and replica artefacts.
Ruxley Old Church, Bromley
Address: Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Maidstone Rd, Sidcup, DA14 5BQ. OS Grid Reference TQ 485703
Access: Large car park. Bus 233 from Eltham via Sidcup station stops at the gate. Disabled parking and wheelchair access.
Open: during shopping hours.
Ruxley Old Church, excavated in the 1970s, dates from the 13th century. Deconsecrated in 1557 it was used as a barn until recent times. The remains of an earlier church lie beneath the current structure, and there may have been a Saxon church on the site. Only the exterior is currently visible, but there are plans to remove some of the surrounding storage buildings and to open up a view of the interior. The nearby Ruxley Manor House is mainly of 17th century date. The Garden Centre has a farm shop, toilets and a café.
Roman Amphitheatre, City of London
Address: Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London, Guildhall Yard (off Gresham Street), London EC2V 5AE. OS Grid Reference TQ 324813
Access: Public transport is recommended. Numerous bus routes and tube stations serve the area. See Gallery website for further details, and also for details of disabled parking arrangements.
Open: Monday to Saturday, 10.00-5.00, Sunday 12.00-4.00. Admission charge, but free admission on Fridays and after 3.30pm. Free admission if you live or work in the City.
The remains of part of London's Roman Amphitheatre, including an eastern entrance and flanking chambers, are imaginatively displayed in the basement of the Art Gallery, and the extent of the site is indicated in the surface of Guildhall Yard. The 15th century Guildhall may also be visited nearby.
City Wall, City of London
Address: Various sites in the City of London
Access: Public transport is recommended. Numerous bus routes and tube stations serve the area. There is some disabled access to most sections, although complete access may be curtailed by steps in some cases.
Open: Opening times vary. Many sections of the Wall, such as those illustrated here, are open at all times. Some are open only upon request, and some are not accessible to the public.
The remains of London's City Wall – originally Roman with Medieval additions, are fragmentary but surprisingly well-preserved in some places. It is worth seeking out the surviving sections. As the City of London undergoes constant development, any guide soon becomes out of date: new sections of the Wall are revealed from time to time and signage is removed and replaced. Nevertheless a good guide to the visible remains can be found on the London Footprints website. The most complete section is adjacent to the Museum of London, and can be viewed on the ground or from a window in the Roman Gallery at the Museum. Impressive sections may also be seen on either side of the road adjacent to the Tower of London, and in the new development at Coopers Row immediately to the north.
WWII Fighter Pens, Kenley, Croydon
Address: Kenley Aerodrome, Croydon. Access at OS Grid Reference TQ 325576
Access: Roadside parking and disabled access via ramp. Access on foot from Whyteleaf station – 1-2 km via Bridleway.
Open: at all times.
Eleven of the original twelve E-shaped Fighter Pens are Scheduled at the site. Most are overgrown, but one has been restored as part of the RAF monument and is easily accessible from the road.
Hanwell Locks And Windmill Bridge
Address: Off A4127 Windmill Lane, Ealing. OS Grid Reference TQ 142796-149797
Access: Some parking in industrial estate across road. Public Footpath along canal from Boston Manor Underground station. Buses from Ealing Broadway and Southall stations pass close to the site.
Open: at all times.
Hanwell Locks are a flight of six working locks restored and in good condition. Brunel's ingenious Windmill Bridge carries the road over the canal and the canal over the railway line at the west end of the flight. The wall of the hospital to the north of the canal is also of interest and forms part of the Scheduled Monument. Site features are well signposted and explained. As the canal is well-used by pleasure craft there is a chance to see the locks in operation.
Camlet Moat, Enfield
Address: Situated in Trent Country Park, Cockfosters. OS Grid Reference TQ288982
Access: By car – use the Hadley Road Entrance at the northern edge of the park. From the car park follow the track west, keeping close to the road. The moat is in a fenced area visible to the north of the track. There is no close public transport, but the moat may be reached by a walk of approximately two and a half kilometres through the Country Park from Cockfosters Underground Station. Tracks are muddy and wheelchair access, even from the car park, would be difficult.
Open: During daylight hours.
Camlet Moat lies in what was the Royal Hunting Forest of Enfield Chase, and was probably the location of the Forester's Lodge. Many early medieval moated sites have been recognised in the London area. Camlet Moat is a particularly well-preserved and accessible example of the type. Timbers from the bridge over the moat have been dated to approximately 1357. The reasons for the construction of moated sites such as this are unclear, but status and prestige seem the most likely reasons. Defence, drainage and sanitation are also possible motives, or the moat may have been purely ornamental. The moat at Camlet has attracted more than usual interest for a number of reasons. Sir Walter Scott mentions it in The Fortunes of Nigel. The name Camlet is said to derive from "Camelot", with implied Arthurian associations, and the moat is also said by some to be haunted by the ghost of the twelfth century knight Geoffrey de Mandeville. Elsewhere in Trent Park the visitor can view the grounds laid out in part by Repton. The House, now part of Middlesex University, is listed Grade 2. Although Camlet Moat is not signposted within the Country Park, the site itself can be identified by the wooden perimeter fence, with information boards at the corners nearest the track.
Eltham Palace, Greenwich
Address: Court Yard, London SE9 5QE. OS Grid Reference TQ 424740
Access: Large car park, with disabled parking facilities closer to site. 1 km from Eltham and Mottingham Stations (buses 126, 161 connect).
Open: four days per week. Check website for dates and times or telephone 020 8294 2548.
Eltham Palace is a fascinating combination of a luxurious Art Deco home and an important medieval royal palace. Initially a moated manor house bought by Edward II in 1305, additions such as the impressive hammerbeam-roofed Great Hall in the 1470s created one of England's largest palaces for a succession of royals. Henry VIII grew up here. After the Civil War the palace fell into decline for over 200 years and the Great Hall was even used as a barn. 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.The site has extensive visitor facilities, including multi-language audio-tour, shop and café.
Fulham Palace, Fulham
Address: Bishop's Avenue, London SW6 6EA. OS Grid Reference TQ 242762
Access: Street parking (charges apply) in Bishop's Avenue, with disabled parking facilities on site. Putney Bridge Underground Station 8 mins walk on Thames Path. Buses 74, 220, 430 at Fulham Palace Road; other buses at Putney Bridge.
Open: Museum open Sat-Tues, but hours are limited as staffing is by volunteers – see website. Café-bar open daily 9.00-5.00. Grounds open daily dawn-dusk. Admission free.
The country home of the Bishops of London from at least the 12th century, Fulham Palace now contains a museum interpreting the site's history, a café-bar within a graceful drawing room overlooking the extensive botanic gardens, and a gallery space. The course of the moat can be traced at the perimeter of the site, with the aid of information boards.
Headstone Manor, Harrow
Address: Headstone Manor, Pinner View, Harrow HA2 6PX. OS Grid Reference TQ 141897
Access: Large car park with disabled access. 1 km from Headstone Lane station.
Open: Museum open Mon, Weds, Thursday, Fri, 12.00-5.00. Weekends 10.30-5.00. Tours of the moated Manor House are available on summer weekends.
Built in circa 1310, the moated manor house known as Headstone Manor is the earliest surviving timber framed building in Middlesex. Described as 'one of the most interesting domestic complexes in the whole country', the fabric contains examples of high quality work dating from the 14th, 17th and 18th centuries. Headstone Manor is a Grade I listed building and is surrounded by the only surviving filled moat in Middlesex, contemporary in date to the oldest part of the building. The manor house has recently undergone extensive restoration, and until full opening to the public becomes possible guided tours are run on summer weekends. Harrow Museum, situated in the Tithe Barn nearby, has a good collection of ceramic and glass, as well as shop, café and toilets. The Small Barn contains a permanent exhibition chronicling the history of the site.
Upminster Tithe Barn, Havering
Address: Hall Lane, Upminster, Essex. OS Grid Reference TQ 565877
Access: Large car park with disabled access. Bus 248 from Upminster station (1 km).
Open: April – October on a limited number of days. For details see website. Free entry. Access to exterior at all times.
The impressive Upminster Tithe Barn is a 15th-century thatched barn, that contains the Hornchurch and District Historical Society's collection of agricultural implements and domestic items. Shop and light refreshments are available on open days.
Chiswick House, Hounslow
Address: Burlington Lane, London W4 2RP. OS Grid Reference TQ 210775
Access: Onstreet parking (accessed from westbound A4). 1 km from Turnham Green Underground station (buses 190,E3 connect). 0.75 km from Chiswick station (bus E3 connects). Disabled parking is available but wheelchair access to house is very limited.
Open: April to October, Weds-Sun, 10.00-5.00. Closes 2.00 on Sat.
The third Earl of Burlington drew inspiration from his "grand tours" to design this fine neo-Palladian villa. Chiswick House is complemented by its classical landscape gardens, considered to be among the most important in Britain.
Kempton Park Pumping Station, Hounslow
Address: Kempton Park Water Works, off Snakey Lane, Hanworth. TW13 6XH. OS Grid Reference TQ110708
Access: By car from A316. Ample parking on site. Buses 290 and H25 (connects with Picadilly Line at Hatton Cross). Full details on KSET website.
Open: Tuesday and Thursday, except December. 11.00-4.00. For details of "In Steam" weekends see KSET website.
The water treatment works at Kempton Park supply North London with drinking water, taken from the Thames.First built in 1897 by the New River Company, the company was acquired in 1902 by the Metropolitan Water Board, which completed the new engine house in 1928. At 62 feet high, the two Worthington Simpson Triple steam engines which you see today were the largest built in the U.K. Each triple was of 1008 horsepower and pumped 19 million gallons per day against a 200 foot head. They ran 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
The engines are maintained by the Kempton Great Engines Trust.
Brunel's Pumping Engine House, Rotherhithe, Southwark
.jpg)
Address: The Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF. OS Grid Reference TQ 352798
Access: Bus 381 from Waterloo and London Bridge. Nearest Underground station is Canada Water (Rotherhithe station on the East London Line is closed for refurbishment). An easy 1.5 km walk along the Thames from Tower Bridge. Limited parking. Disabled access to some areas difficult.
Open: every day, 10.00-5.00. See website for special events.The Engine House was built by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel in 1842 to house the boilers for the famous Thames Tunnel - the world's first major underwater tunnel.
The museum exhibition tells the story of this epic feat of Victorian engineering. Until recently the museum ran guided tours of the tunnel and construction shafts, but the East London Line is currently closed until 2010 for refurbishment. Tours are set to resume in the future. The Engine House is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and both Engine House and Tunnel are Listed Buildings. The museum has a shop and a recently opened café.
Manor House Of Edward III, Rotherhithe, Southwark
Address: Bermondsey Wall East, Rotherhithe, London SE16. OS Grid Reference TQ 347797
Access: Bus 47, 188, 381 from Waterloo or London Bridge. Nearest Underground station is Bermondsey (Rotherhithe station on the East London Line is closed for refurbishment). An easy 1.25 km walk along the Thames from Tower Bridge. Limited parking. Disabled access.
Open: at all times.
An important vestige of Rotherhithe's Heritage, this medieval royal manorhouse was excavated in 1985 and shown to have comprised two courtyards surounded by a moat. Much of the excavation has been reburied but there is still something to see, with an English Heritage board to provide information. Don't miss Dr Salter's Daydream – a statue by Diane Corvin of Dr Salter's daughter and her cat. Dr Salter, the first Independent Labour MP for Bermondsey lived and worked in this very deprived area. His only daughter died of scarlet fever, aged 8.
Winchester Palace, Southwark
Address: Corner of Clink St and Storey St, London SE1. OS Grid Reference TQ 326804
Access: An easy walk along the Thames from London Bridge buses and stations. Monument is viewed from street level. Disabled access.
Open: at all times.
Part of the great hall of Winchester Palace, built in the early 13th century as the London house of the Bishops of Winchester, including the striking rose window which adorns the west gable. Most of the palace was destroyed by fire in 1814. Useful English Heritage information board. Recent excavations have revealed an impressive early Roman stone building, and it has been argued that the administrative base of the Imperial procurator was sited here, although nothing is visible at the site today.
Although the site itself does not have visitor facilities there are many cafés and other attractions along the waterfront towards the "Shakespear's Globe" theatre. There are toilets in the theatre foyer.
Carew Manor Dovecote, Beddington Park, Sutton
Address: Church Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 7NH. OS Grid Reference TQ 296653
Access: Bus 410 from Croydon and Wallington stations, 407 from Sutton and Croydon. Parking in Church Road. Access path suitable for wheelchairs.
Open: Exterior at all times. Interior by pre-booked guided tour on certain Sundays only, part of the Carew Manor tour.
The Carew Manor Dovecote was part of the estate of nearby Grade 1 listed Carew Manor. The location is now a public park. The existing dovecote almost certainly dates from the early 18th century. It originally contained about 1360 nesting boxes built into the inner face of the wall, giving it a complex honeycomb-like structure. The birds came and went through the wooden turret at the apex of the roof. The large rotating ladder or potence was used by the keepers who raided the nesting boxes to provide the Carews with eggs and meat. The dovecote is exceptionally large, as most buildings of this type contain under 1000 nesting boxes, and it may have been erected as a commercial operation rather than simply to supply the house with fresh meat.>
St Mary Spital Charnel House, Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets
Address: Bishops Square, London E1. OS Grid Reference TQ 334819
Access: Abundant local transport. Car parking (charge) in Spital Square. Rail and Underground close by at Liverpool Street. Disabled access.
Open: at all times.
The remains of a building from about 1320, which was used for storing the bones of the dead. You can see a large vaulted chamber behind the ruined walls illustrated here. This was part of the St Mary Spital complex which included an Augustinian priory, an infirmary, a church and a cemetery. The priory was closed in 1539, the bones removed and a house built above the site. It is thought that parts of the masonry may date back to the 12th century. The Charnel house was rediscovered in 1999 and has been enclosed in glass and can be seen from above and from one side. Information about the site is etched onto the glass side wall, which is accessed by a flight Of Steps. Note Also A Collection Of Small Artefacts From The Site, Displayed In Panels In The Pavement Of The Square. Numerous Cafés And Other Facilities Are Open In The Area During Office Hours.
The Jewel Tower, Westminster
Address: Abingdon Street, London SW1P 3JX. OS Grid Reference TQ 301793. Opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Access: Public transport is recommended. Numerous bus routes serve the area. The nearest Underground station is Westminster.
Open: daily, 10.00-5.00 in summer, 10.00-4.00 in winter. Admission charge.
The Jewel Tower, or ‘King’s Privy Wardrobe’, was built c. 1365 to house Edward III’s treasures. One of only two buildings of the original Palace of Westminster to survive the fire of 1834, the tower features a 14th-century ribbed vault. It displays ‘Parliament Past and Present’, a fascinating exhibition about the history of Parliament. The second floor now includes new illustrated panels, telling the story of this small but important building.The remains of a moat and medieval quay are still visible outside.
Email this to a friend