Historic Buildings & Monuments

Dr Johnson's House is a charming 300-year-old townhouse, nestled amongst a maze of courts and alleys in the historic City of London.  Samuel Johnson, the writer and wit, lived and worked here in the middle of the eighteenth century, compiling his great Dictionary of the English Language in the Garret.

Today, the House is open to the public with a collection relating to Johnson, a research library, restored interiors and a wealth of original features. Often described by visitors as a hidden gem, 17 Gough Square is a tranquil spot in the midst of the bustling City.

In the heart of London is Benjamin Franklin House, the world's only remaining Franklin home. For nearly sixteen years between 1757 and 1775, Dr Benjamin Franklin – scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, Founding Father of the United States and more – lived behind its doors. Built circa 1730, today the house is a dynamic museum and educational facility. The museum opened to the public on 17 January 2006.

The delightful Row Houses at Row 111 and the Old Merchant’s House are rare remnants of Great Yarmouth’s original distinctive ‘Rows’ which were a network of narrow alleyways linking Yarmouth’s three main thoroughfares. Many ‘Row houses’ were damaged by World War II bombing or demolished during post-war clearances, but two surviving properties show what these characteristic dwellings looked like at various stages in their history.

The best known of many Dartmoor prehistoric settlements, Grimspound dates from the late Bronze Age. The remains of 24 houses enclosed within a stone wall, and further houses outside the enclosure, lie in a fold in the hills about 450 metres (1,500 feet) above sea level, between Hookney and Hameldown tors.