Sutton House

The oldest house in east London, red-brick Sutton House is owned by the National Trust and was built in 1535 for Henry VIII’s first secretary of state, Sir Ralph Sadleir. It has been sensitively restored, retaining the authentic original decor: you’ll be able to see a Tudor kitchen, Jacobean and Georgian interiors, an Edwardian chapel, medieval foundations in the cellar and 1980s graffiti up under the roof. Be sure to check out its 16th century garderobe, which is one of London’s oldest loos. And head to the Breaker’s Yard, a former scrapyard that now features a crisply contemporary urban garden featuring a few playful nods to the area’s industrial past.