There are almost 30 venues in Croydon next month, many offering tours of normally off-limit buildings, as part of the annual London Open House Festival. And it is all free!
Roman remains: the tour of Leadenhall Market delves into its foundations
It is one of the better years for getting a sneak view behind the scenes of some of Croydon’s oldest, most famous or eccentric buildings, as part of the biggest architectural celebration of its kind in the world.
Elsewhere in London, a select view will get a guided tour of No10 Downing Street, and there’s rare opportunities to see inside the Old Admiralty Building, the Royal Naval College at Westminster, the Roman remains beneath Leadenhall Market or a Hobbit-like underground house by Putney Heath.
Across the city, last year’s London Open House saw 375,000 visitors to 830 open days and events across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London.
This year’s event runs from September 12 to 20, with booking opening next week for the higher-demand venues.
This year’s festival coincides with an exhibition at the Museum of Croydon: Shaping Croydon: Architecture and Ambition opens on Saturday September 12. It traces the evolution of Croydon’s skyline and the planning ideas that have shaped the town centre over the decades. Featuring contemporary photography and archive material, the exhibition offers a deeper look at the architectural innovation that defines the borough.
Historic: one of the pubs in the Open House Croydon pub crawl
Artist Vic Lee has been commissioned to create an 60-foot mural celebrating the 750th anniversary of Surrey Street Market. Granted by Royal Charter in 1276, Surrey Street is one of the oldest continuous markets in London.
This year’s London Open House even includes a Croydon Open (Public) House tour – a three-and-a-half-hour pub crawl led by historian Charo Havermans, taking in four historic pubs in the town centre, including the Dog and Bull, the Royal Standard and the Green Dragon.
“Based on original research, this is a unique opportunity to learn about Croydon’s pub history with a pint in hand.”
And the listing adds: “Drinks are not included in the booking. You may of course purchase drinks in the pubs, but there is no pressure to.”
Step into another world: the Whitgift Almshouses in the town centre
Other featured Croydon sites offering tours and workshops include the Whitgift Almshouses, the Fairfield Halls, Croydon Minster, Stanley Halls in South Norwood and the Norman Fisher Observatory at Kenley, “each offering a unique lens into Croydon’s architectural identity and heritage”, according to the council.
But there are no tours this year of Fisher’s Folly, the council offices (or at least the floors which haven’t had to be rented out by the cash-strapped authority), where there is a bit of a problem about allowing public access to a public-owned building.
The Whitgift Centre also does not feature on the list of guided tours. That’s possibly because there’s nothing left to see inside the husk of the old shopping mall.
Nor is there anything listed for Old Palace, the former girls’ grammar and later independent school which used buildings from the reign of Elizabeth I which previously served as the home for a succession of Archbishops of Canterbury.
To get to visit 10 Downing Street, you need to register in a ballot, which is open now. The official residence of the Prime Minister is the only building in a ballot for Open House 2026. The guided tour is on Sunday September 13.
Inside Croydon has been unable to confirm, but it is thought that Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, has put her name forward for the ballot, as it is her best chance of ever getting to see around the inside of No10.
Many other notable, landmark open days or tours are ticketed to manage capacity. For these, it’s first come, first served.
Bookings open at noon next Wednesday, August 19.
Lord Rogers’ modernist Lloyd’s of London building in the City is 40 years old in 2026, and is usually off-limits to anyone who is not working on the trading floor. Tours of the Grade I-listed building are taking place at various times on September 19. The wearing of bright red braces is not required.
Leadenhall Market’s guided walks on September 19 and 20 include a visit to the Roman ruins beneath, the remains of a forum and basilica which aren’t usually open to the public.
Naval history: the Royal Naval College at Greenwich will be displaying its historic links
The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station is open for tours on September 19 and 20.
Built in 1890, it was the last hydraulic power station in London to be decommissioned, in 1977, and has been closed for the past decade. An ambitious restoration plan is set to get under way which will see it transformed into a centre for experimental arts.
In Greenwich, the Royal Naval College is opening up spaces usually off-limits to the public. Highlights will include entry to Admiral’s House, from 11am to 5pm on September 13, where the Morning Room displays a collection of items relating to Lord Nelson.
Guided tours: all events at the London Open House Festival are free of charge
Walking tours on September 12 and 13 will offer a rare chance to see inside the Jacobean undercroft of the Queen Anne building, the last remaining intact room from Greenwich Palace — the birthplace of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
Or there is Green Lodge — a low-energy subterranean home on the edge of Putney Heath — on September 12 and 13 and 18, 19 and 20. This is a version of Hobbit living, slotted into an awkward site, much of the house is below ground but a series of clever light wells and roof lights means every room benefits from natural light.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Passport to Chocolate: chocolate-making workshops at Cocoa Jones
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from August 6
Classes at 12pm and 3pm
Book online by clicking here
Price: £15pp
Where: Cocoa Jones Chocolate, 2 The Parade, Old Lodge, Purley CR8 4DG.
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I registered on the website with difficulty, especially with the stupid Catcha screen. Good luck to everyone else trying to do that
Managed to do it in just a couple of minutes.
Though the bounding animals Captcha was a novelty.