Vanbrugh Castle, London

Sadly, you can’t visit Vanbrugh Castle on Maze Hill overlooking Greenwich Park, unless you have a couple of million pounds to spend, but there is nothing to stop you taking photos of this truly amazing building that looks as if it has just been transported from the French Revolution.

The castle was designed in 1718 by Sir John Vanbrugh who was the surveyor of the building of the Royal National Hospital after Sir Christopher Wren died. Sir John built the castle for himself, on over two acres of gardens and woodland, overlooking the park he loved. For an even better view, he installed a roof garden on top of the castle.

If the castle, with its towers, crenulations, gatehouses, ramparts and arched windows reminds you a little of the French Bastille, it isn’t surprising as Sir John based his designs on the prison, where he spent a short time after being arrested in France and accused of being a spy.

After his death, the castle remained empty until it was used as a school for the sons of RAF servicemen killed in the two World Wars. The school closed down in 1975 and the castle was transformed into maisonettes, two of which have been on the market for some time, with an asking price of £2 million.

As well as being an architect, Sir John was a playwright and was known for writing funny, rather rude (for his time) plays, in which he defended the rights of married women.

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