Fulham Palace.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Fulham Palace

Notting Hill & West London


Within glorious stumbling distance of the Thames, this summer home of the bishops of London from 704 to 1975 is a lovely blend of architectural styles immersed in beautiful gardens. Until 1924, when it was filled with rubble, the longest moat in England enclosed the palace. The oldest surviving chunk is the little red-brick Tudor gateway, while the main building dates from the mid-17th century and was remodelled in the 19th century.

The lovely courtyard draws watercolourists on sunny days, and the genteel, recently refurbished Drawing Room Café at the rear, looking out onto the gorgeous lawn, is a superlative spot for some carrot cake and a coffee. It also has a pretty walled garden (10.15am to 4.15pm summer, to 3.45pm winter) and, detached from the main house, a chapel designed by William Butterfield in 1866.

Set in the rooms around the Tudor courtyard, the new museum at the palace is free. The collection explores the palace's history and the lives of some of the notable Bishops of London who resided here. Children can pick up a free family trail here to help them explore.

Guided History tours (£6, children free, 1½ hours, four to five tours per month) usually take in the Great Hall, the Victorian chapel, Bishop Sherlock’s Room and Bishop Howley’s dining room. There are also garden walks (£6, 1¼ hours); check the website for dates and times. The lawn is also a venue for Luna Cinema, the popular summer outdoor-cinema club that shows films at famous spots around town and the UK; outdoor theatre and summer jazz evenings are also staged.

The surrounding land, once totalling almost 15 hectares but now reduced to just over five, forms Bishop’s Park, a beautiful park with a lovely promenade along the river and the usual assortment of playgrounds, fountains and cafe.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Notting Hill & West London attractions

1. Putney & Barnes

0.48 MILES

Called Putelei in the Domesday Book of 1086, Putney is most famous as the starting point of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Barnes is less well…

2. Barnes Old Cemetery

0.81 MILES

When it comes to atmospheric graveyards in the capital, Highgate in north London tends to dominate the headlines. But venture to Barnes Common in…

3. London Wetland Centre

0.87 MILES

One of Europe’s largest inland wetland projects, this 42-hectare centre run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust was transformed from four Victorian…

4. Stamford Bridge

1.31 MILES

Chelsea (aka the Blues) is one of London's wealthiest football clubs, and Stamford Bridge is hallowed turf for fans after a souvenir kit or a tour of the…

5. Brompton Cemetery

1.43 MILES

The UK's sole cemetery owned by the Crown, this atmospheric 19th-century, 16-hectare boneyard's most famous denizen may be suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst,…

6. William Morris Society

1.64 MILES

Tucked away in the coach house and basement of Kelmscott House (William Morris' former home), this small riverside museum stages temporary exhibitions on…

7. Fuller’s Griffin Brewery

1.89 MILES

If you’re a beer fiend, hop (excuse the pun) on a tour to see it being brewed up and join in a good-old tasting session (over-18s only). Informative one…

8. Leighton House

2.03 MILES

Sitting on a quiet street just west of Holland Park and designed in 1866 by George Aitchison, Leighton House was home to the eponymous Frederic, Lord…