Housed in the disused church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, this peaceful, green-fingered museum takes a close look at the 17th-century, father-and-son Tradescant team, widely travelled gardeners to Charles I and Charles II. Its trump card, though, is charming knot garden, a replica of a 17th-century formal garden, with topiary hedges clipped into an intricate, twirling design. The museum reopened after major renovations in May 2017.

Captain William Bligh (of mutinous Bounty fame) is buried here in the churchyard – he lived and died nearby at 100 Lambeth Rd. The excellent cafe serves vegetarian food.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Lambeth Palace

0.03 MILES

A gorgeous red- and fired-brick Tudor gatehouse, dating from 1495 and located beside the church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, leads to Lambeth Palace, the…

2. Newport Street Gallery

0.15 MILES

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3. Beaconsfield Gallery

0.2 MILES

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4. Jewel Tower

0.39 MILES

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5. Florence Nightingale Museum

0.39 MILES

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6. College Garden

0.39 MILES

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7. Houses of Parliament

0.4 MILES

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8. Tate Britain

0.41 MILES

On the site of the former Millbank Penitentiary, the older and more venerable of the two Tate siblings opened in 1892 and celebrates British art from 1500…