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a jacobean mansion hardly anyone knows

Charlton House

FreeHidden gem
Charlton · Charlton
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One of the finest Jacobean mansions in London, free to walk the grounds, with what may be England's oldest mulberry tree.

Getting there. On Charlton Road, a short walk from Charlton station in south-east London.
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Charlton · Charlton
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The lowdown

Charlton House is one of the best-preserved Jacobean mansions in the country, a grand red-brick house of 1612 built for a tutor to the young Prince Henry. It survives almost intact in suburban south-east London, where hardly any tourists ever find it, and now serves as a community building so the grounds are free to wander.

In the gardens stands a gnarled mulberry tree, planted around 1608 and said to be one of the oldest in England, part of King James I's grand and largely failed scheme to start an English silk industry. Between the handsome architecture, the old tree and the quiet park, it is a free and genuinely surprising day out far off the usual trail.

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The insider tip

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Seek out the ancient mulberry tree in the grounds, propped up with supports, reckoned to be one of the oldest in the country. The house works as a community venue, so you can often step into the historic rooms when events are not on.
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