Apsley House

Apsley House
1 London, Hyde Park Corner, W1
0171 499 5676
Hyde Park Corner
The Duke of Wellington's former residence, recently renovated, with a collection of very fine paintings and furniture, including works by Goya.
Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00, last entry 16.30; £4.50/£3 concs/£free under-18s.

The Blue Velvet Room and Library, Chiswick House

Chiswick House
Burlington Lane, W4
0181 995 0508
Turnham Green
A superb example of classical architecture, designed by the Earl of Burlington in 1725. The Italianate garden is spectacular.
Daily 10.00-18.00; £3 adult/£2.30 concs/£1.50 children.

Dickens' House
48 Doughty Street, WC1
0171 405 2127
Russell Square or Chancery Lane
Charles Dickens' home from 1837-1839 and where he wrote Oliver Twist. Furniture and memorabilia.
Mon-Fri 09.45-17.00 (last entry 16.30), Sat 10.00-17.00 (last entry 16.30); £3.50 adult/£2.50 concs/£1.50 children/£7 family.

Ham House
Ham Street, Richmond, Surrey
0181 940 1950
Richmond & No 371 bus
Built around 1610, this outstanding Stuart house features an original collection of fine 17th-century furniture and a magnificent garden. Shop and café.
Mon-Wed, Sat & Sun 13.00-17.00; grounds open 10.30-18.00; £5/£2.50 children.

Hatfield House

Hatfield House
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
01707 262823
Hatfield
This Jacobean house was built between 1607-1611 by Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to James I, and has remained the home of the family. The house contains fine furnishings, rare tapestries and armour, and some very fine paintings including famous portraits of Elizabeth I. The West Gardens are spectacular, in particular the knot garden.
Tues-Thurs 12.00-16.00 with guided tours every half-hour, Sat & Sun 13.00-17.00, no tours; £6/£3 concs.

Dr Johnson's House
17 Gough Square, EC4
0171 353 3745
Chancery Lane or Blackfriars
This is where Dr Samuel Johnson compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary, published in 1755. The house has period furniture and a fascinating collection of books, letters and prints.
Mon-Sat 11.00-17.30, closed Bank Hols; £3/£2 concs/£1 children.

The neo-classical Kenwood House

Kenwood House
Hampstead Lane, NW3
0181 348 1286
Golders Green or
Archway & No 210 bus
This elegant mansion overlooking Hampstead Heath was rebuilt in classical style for the Earl of Mansfield by Robert Adam in 1767. Kenwood houses a small but important collection of works by Old Masters, which includes works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner and Gainsborough. A Sunday stroll across the Heath and through this house is one of the pleasures of living in London, as are the evening concerts in summer.
Daily 10.00-18.00, Wed & Fri 10.30-18.00; free.

The Arab Hall at Leighton House

Leighton House Museum & Gallery
12 Holland Park Road, W14.
0171 602 3316
High Street Kensington
An aesthetic wonder and private palace devoted to art, reflecting the eclectic taste of its Victorian owner. Don't miss the Arab Hall with its Isnik tiles and Middle Eastern ceramics.
Mon-Sat 11.00-17.30, closed Bank Hols;£free.

Marble Hill House
Richmond Road, Twickenham, Middlesex
0181 892 5115
Richmond
A magnificent Palladian Thames-side villa with 66 acres of parkland. The house was built in 1724 for Henrietta Howard, mistress of King George II.
Daily 10.00-18.00; £3/£2.30 concs/£1.50 children.

Sir John Soane's Museum
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2
0171 405 2107
Holborn
The perfectly preserved residence of the fascinating and enigmatic Sir John Soane, an early 19th-century architect. Alongside many classical antiquities are paintings by Canaletto and Turner and Hogarth's Rake's Progress.
Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00; free.

Spencer House
27 St James's Place, SW1
0171 499 8620
Green Park
One of London's grandest houses, built between 1756-66 for the first Earl Spencer (ancestor of the late Diana, Princess of Wales). Eight impressive State Rooms show some of the earliest uses of neo-classical style in England, and the house boasts a superb collection of paintings and furniture.
Guided tours only, no children under 10. Closed in Aug. Sun 10.30-17.30 (last tour 16.45); £6/£5 children.

Wallace Collection
(Hertford House)
Manchester Square, W1
0171 935 0687
Bond Street
An amazing range of fine and decorative arts are displayed in the sumptuous interior of a late 18th-century town house, including furniture, porcelain, Old Masters, arms and armour.
Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 14.00-17.00; free.