Fulham Palace

Lonely Planet review

Summer home of the bishops of London from 704 to 1973, Fulham Palace is an interesting mix of architectural styles set in beautiful gardens and, until 1924, enclosed by the longest moat in England. The oldest part to survive is the little redbrick Tudor gateway, but the main building you see today dates from the mid-17th century and was remodelled in the 19th century.

There's a pretty walled garden and, detached from the main house, a Tudor Revival chapel designed by Butterfield in 1866.

You can learn about the history of the palace and its inhabitants in the palace museum. Guided tours (tel: 7736 3233; tickets around £5 ; 14:00 2nd & 4th Sun, 3rd Tue), which depart a couple of times a month on Sunday, usually take in the Great Hall, the Victorian chapel, Bishop Sherlock's Room and the museum and last about 1 hour. The palace has been undergoing extensive refurbishments in recent years so there may be some changes in the tour.

The surrounding land, once totalling almost 15ha but now reduced to just over five, forms Bishop's Park, and consists of a shady promenade along the river, a bowling green, tennis courts, a rose garden, a café and even a paddling pond with fountain for cooling off in on a hot day.