Osterley Park and House

On the western edge of the city, straddling Hounslow and Ealing, you'll find a National Trust property that's a gorgeous memorial to London's past. Osterley Park and House is a beautiful 18th-century mansion set in more than 350 acres of parkland, with fine Georgian interiors and rolling lawns to explore.

Osterley House, with its string of state rooms, was built by wealthy Tudor merchant Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the Royal Exchange, and later remodelled by the architect Robert Adam to become a triumphant exercise in 18th-century Neo-Classical style. Its interiors are airy, stately, and carefully symmetrical, decked with white marble statues that hark back to the days of Ancient Greece. 

In the grounds, restored to their original Georgian glory, there are two temples and a lake as well as tea rooms and a shop. Digital tours using audio-visual handsets allow visitors to explore the house with audio commentary and images from Osterley's past.