Royal Wings

The Cinema Museum

Kennington · 1.2 miles

Building name is The Lambeth Workhouse. Constructed in 1873. The building was eventually turned into a hospital. The workhouse's former master's house and chapel are now occupied by the Cinema Museum which is a grade II listed building.

College Garden

Millbank · 1.9 miles

A private garden attached to Westminster Abbey provides a quiet green enclave within the capital. The site, listed as College Garden on OpenStreetMap and classified as a park near Millbank, welcomes visitors Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 16:00, with no admission charge. Entrance is separate from the abbey, allowing a brief visit without attending the main church. The garden traces its origins to the infirmary of the medieval monastery that occupied Thorney Island a thousand years ago, and it is claimed to be the oldest continuously cultivated garden in England. Although its original purpose of feeding monks has ceased, the layout retains a tranquil atmosphere. In 2010 a new herb garden was installed to echo the historic herbarium once tended by the monks. The north boundary abuts the great hall of Westminster School, originally the monks’ dormitory, while the east and south sides are defined by a medieval wall and a watergate that formerly opened onto the River Thames, now about 50 metres away beyond the House of Lords. Visitors can also explore the adjacent Little Cloister Garden, which contains a fountain within the cloisters, and St Catherine’s Garden situated among the ruins of the old monastic infirmary. Just outside the watergate, College Green frequently appears in televised political interviews, adding a contemporary cultural reference to the historic setting.

Little Dean's Yard

Millbank · 1.9 miles

A private, gated courtyard lies at the centre of Westminster School, positioned on the historic Thorney Island that now straddles the grounds of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster. The yard is situated near Millbank and forms part of the former monastic precincts, linking the school’s interior with the surrounding ecclesiastical complex. To its east lies College Garden, recognised as England’s oldest cultivated garden and once the infirmary garden of the medieval monastery. The entrance to the school is marked by a stone arch attributed to Lord Burlington, replacing the monks’ former reredorter. A historic stone path traces the original route before the remainder of the area was paved, and a low stone tunnel runs beneath a row of monastic buildings to connect with Dean’s Yard. On the northern side stands Ashburnham House, a structure credited to Inigo Jones or his pupil John Webb, erected on the site of the medieval Prior’s House; its bricks still bear the imprints of schoolchildren’s coins left while waiting for the tuck-shop. A broad archway opens through the Dark Cloister toward the Abbey and the school gym. The southern side contains three Georgian houses that serve as Rigaud’s and Grant’s residences and the home of the Master of the Queen’s Scholars. Access is restricted to school members and authorised visitors, with no public admission facilities noted.

Michael Faraday Memorial substation

Pullens Estate · 1.9 miles

A stainless-steel box sits on Elephant Square at the northern side of the Elephant and Castle gyratory, commemorating the Victorian scientist Michael Faraday. Designed by modern-movement architect Rodney Gordon in 1959 and erected in 1961, the structure occupies the centre of what was formerly a roundabout. Inside the metal casing lies a London Underground electrical substation that powers the Northern and Bakerloo lines, a fitting tribute to a pioneer of electricity. The original concept called for glass panels so that the transformer work could be seen, but concerns about vandalism led to the current metal cladding. The monument carries an inscription set into the surrounding concrete paving, identifying it as the Faraday Memorial. Since being granted Grade II listed status in 1996, it has been fitted with a series of lighting schemes: a school-girl-designed installation from a 1996 Blue Peter competition, and a “disco” theme introduced by Southwark Council in May 2012 that illuminates the box each evening after dark. Although early-2000s regeneration plans considered relocating the monument 400 metres to Walworth Road, the scheme was abandoned and the memorial remains in its original position, now more readily reachable after the roundabout was “peninsulised”. Visitors can view the monument at any time without charge; it is openly visible from the surrounding streets and pedestrian routes. Access is straightforward via the Northern and Bakerloo Underground lines, whose tunnels the substation serves, and the site is operated by London Underground as part of the public transport infrastructure.

Palace of Westminster

Westminster · 1.9 miles

Meeting place of the United Kingdom’s Parliament, the building in Westminster, London, is commonly referred to as the Houses of Parliament. It houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords and includes the Elizabeth Tower, which contains the bell known as Big Ben, a landmark recognised across the United Kingdom. The structure is a Grade I listed building and forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can access the site without steps, as the landmark provides step-free wheelchair access. Originally erected in the eleventh century as a royal palace, the site served as the principal residence of English monarchs until a fire in 1512 destroyed the royal apartments. A second, larger fire in 1834 devastated most of the complex, sparing only Westminster Hall, the Jewel Tower and parts of St Stephen’s Chapel. The subsequent reconstruction was led by architect Charles Barry, who employed Augustus Pugin for Gothic Revival detailing; construction began in 1840 and continued for three decades. The rebuilt palace incorporates ornate decoration, extensive chambers for both parliamentary houses and the monarch, and covers a floor area of more than 1.2 million ft². Damage from bombings during the Second World War required further repairs, and ongoing conservation work continues to address the building’s needs.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster · 1.9 miles

A focal point for English coronations and royal interments since the 11th century, Westminster Abbey occupies a prominent position in the City of Westminster, London. Formally the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, the Anglican house of worship has hosted the crowning of forty monarchs and the marriage of at least sixteen royal couples. The site originally held a Benedictine community by the mid-10th century, and a substantial building was commissioned by King Edward the Confessor in the 1040s. The present structure was begun in 1245 under Henry III, while the monastery was dissolved in 1559 and the church became a royal peculiar by the decree of Elizabeth I. Together with the Palace of Westminster and St Margaret’s, the abbey was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The fabric of the building reflects a range of periods: the core Gothic design draws on 13th-century French and English precedents, yet earlier Romanesque elements and later Baroque and modern additions survive. The Henry VII Chapel at the east end exemplifies Perpendicular Gothic, once praised by antiquarian John Leland as a “wonder of the world”. More than 3,300 individuals lie within its walls, including monarchs, prime ministers, poets laureate and the Unknown Warrior. Visitors can access the interior via step-free routes, and current opening times are published on the official listing. As a protected historic feature and World Heritage Site, the abbey offers guided tours and on-site facilities for those attending services or exploring its heritage.