Eltham Palace

Where can you walk out of the soaring splendour of a Tudor hall and straight into a magnificent triangular-shaped Art Deco drawing room next door? All set in beautiful moated grounds, and within sight of the Shard and Gherkin on the nearby London skyline?

Skipped off for a few hours this afternoon with a friend to this hidden gem in south-east London: Eltham Palace in SE9. Once home to the Courtauld family, it is well worth a visit, and don't miss the pet lemur cage built into the wall of an upstairs corridor.

Because it was such a beautiful afternoon, we lingered in the gardens and feasted on the colour in the herbaceous borders. The cream tea was calorie-free, of course ...