Local Heritage Gems You Need to Visit This Month

In Kingston, highlights include the opening of 17th Century Grade II listed Cleave’s Almshouses, walking tours of Kingston and Surbiton (read more – a local tour guide reveals his top spots) and guided tours of Dorich House. Plus you can  take a tour of the Grade II listed Guildhall’s main rooms and the former magistrate’s court. There’s also the Kingston Korea Festival in New Malden on 10 September.

In Teddington, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) will be opening Bushy House and gardens to the public on Sunday 18 September.

Surrey highlights include a churchyard walking tour of Banstead’s Grade II* medieval church, an open day at Semaphore Tower in Cobham, which transmitted signals from London to Portsmouth Docks, a tour of Dorking Brewery and a creative picnic on Box Hill.   

In south west London, check out 575 Wandsworth Road and the incredible interiors created by Khadambi Asalache, a Kenyan-born poet, novelist, philosopher of mathematics and British civil servant. He bought the house in 1981 while working at the Treasury, and prompted by the need to disguise a damp patch in the basement, spent 20 years transforming his home into a work of art – embellishing almost every wall, ceiling and door in the house with fretwork patterns and motifs, which he hand-carved from reclaimed pine doors and floorboards found in skips. There will be special tours for Heritage Open Days.

Book a tour of Brixton Windmill, which was built in 1816 – see wind-powered machinery and a modular mill which is still used for grinding flour today. Head to to The Chocolate Museum, SW9, for a workshop. Or see behind the scenes at Streatham Pumping Station.

Heritage Open Days - 9 to 18 September. Specific event dates and booking info can be found here. 

READ MORE: The best local museums