Fan Museum

Occupying adjoining townhouses in Greenwich, a few doors down from the last home of Cecil Day-Lewis, this compact, highly specialised museum was founded 15 years ago by fan enthusiast HÈlËne Alexander and her husband Dicky. The ground floor houses the permanent collection of fans, which ranges from numerous variations of the traditional folding fan ñ made with materials including mother of pearl, peacock feathers, woven straw, bamboo and cotton ñ to a somewhat unexpected extractor fan and a battery-operated pocket fan. The most distinguished highlights are fan leaves decorated by Gauguin (depicting a landscape in Martinique) and Sickert (featuring a music hall scene from an existing painting of his). A circuit of the elegant orangery and Japanese-style garden completes the visit and if you go on a Tuesday or Saturday you can take afternoon tea overlooking the tranquil greenery, pond and fan-shaped parterre.