Five off-limit attractions in the UK offering free secret tours – including 10 Downing Street
I'M DOWN Five off-limit attractions in the UK offering free secret tours – including 10 Downing Street
THERE is nothing more exciting than getting to explore a place where visitors are usually not allowed.
Think: Downing Street, the BBC Broadcasting House and the BT Tower.
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As part of the Open House Festival, the public can explore a number of places they usually can't access for free
Credit: Getty
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And as part of London's Open House Festival, there are over 700 properties, buildings and places where the public will be welcomed to visit between September 13 and 21.
Five of these are offering extremely exclusive limited tours, with a public ballet now open until August 18.
According to the Open House Festival website, many of the destinations will be a "be once in a lifetime visit".
Here are the five places you can enter the ballot for, as well as what dates you will be able to visit.
10 Downing Street
The home of British Prime Ministers since 1735 will open its doors to the public for two sessions on September 13.
Guests will get to see behind the famous black door, where some of the most important decisions in UK politics are made.
Currently, 10 Downing Street is undergoing some upgrades to its facilities to ensure the historic building is preserved.
BBC Broadcasting House
We all know the BBC and see content from it daily, but for the Open House Festival people can go to the first ever purpose-built broadcast centre in the UK.
It was built back in 1932 and features an art-deco design, including a clock tower.
More recently the building was refurbished and extended to create a new broadcasting house.
Inside multi-million pound upgrade for popular Scots tourist attraction
The building is now home to the largest live newsroom in Europe, right at the centre of the complex.
Again, to go to this spot you will need to enter the ballot, with 12, one-hour sessions on September 20.
BT Tower
When in the depths of London's streets, you can often catch glimpses of the BT Tower.
The tower's famous revolving floor sits 158 metres above the streets of the capital.
Two high speed lights will transport visitors to the revolving floor in just 30 seconds.
Bizarrely, the Tower was classified as an 'official secret' until 1993 despite it being evident in the city's skyline.
To see this building, you will also need to enter a ballot for one of 16 tours, each lasting 45 minutes across September 20 and 21.
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You could head up the BT Tower which is soon set to be turned into a hotel
Credit: Getty
Canada House
Canada House is to the Canadian Embassy and was originally designed as two buildings.
Just over 10 years ago, the building underwent a large scale revitalisation linking it to the former Sun Life Assurance of Canada building.
Inside today, the building houses around 300 pieces of Canadian Art.
One tour will run on September 13.
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Or head to Canada House which is home to the Canadian Embassy
Credit: Alamy
London Museum
Currently under construction, the public can enter a ballot to go on a tour of the Poultry Market, at the new London Museum.
The London Museum is set to open in 2026, bringing new life into the historic Smithfield market buildings.
And with this tour, lucky visitors will get a sneak peak ahead of its opening.
Six tours will be open to the public on September 20.
The museum's permanent galleries are set to open in 2026 and the 1960s Poultry Market will open in 2028.
The Poultry Market will eventually house the museum's collection stores and temporary exhibition and learning spaces.
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And you could get the first glimpse of the new London Museum
Credit: londonmuseum/Secchi Smith
New locations for 2025
There are also a number of new destinations part of the festival this year including Studio AVC's offices - which are located in a 1929 shop which used to be Liberty's printing workshop and part of William Morris' Arts and Crafts legacy.
Or you could head to The King's Foundation, in Hackney, which is set in a refurbished factory warehouse.
And there is the London Film School as well, in a former banana warehouse.
For architecture buffs, you can head inside the RIBA House of the Year from 2024.
A new £100million indoor resort is also set to open in the UK with a 'next generation waterpark' and thermal spas.
Plus, a much-loved UK theme park reveals new rainy day guarantee – with free return after bad weather.
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When Westcott was 16, he asked his mother to change his birth date in the family Bible to prove he was old enough to join the U.S. Army. He became a paratrooper and was honorably discharged as a corporal After becoming a successful car salesman, he joined Sopp Chevrolet as the dealership's general manager. In 1983, Westcott bought the NBC television affiliate in Tyler, Texas. His firm, Westcott Communications, became a pioneer in producing training programs in 18 fields such as automobile dealership management, certified public accountants, and law enforcement personnel. The company went public in 1989, and Westcott sold it in 1996. He said that, throughout his lengthy life, he has treated others with respect and dignity. Source: Horatio Algar Association of Distinguished Americans - Westcott was an award recipient in 2003 The documents also said that the property title, "was vested in the name of an entity supposedly owned by Perry called DDoveB LLC, a California limited liability company, formed on April 9, 2024. "The name of the LLC closely resembles the name Perry's daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, the child of Perry and her long-time actor boyfriend, Mr. Orlando Bloom. Advertisement "Westcott's counsel has repeatedly asked Perry's counsel who owns the LLC that owns the house? "This court has always been told that Gudvi is Perry's manager and agent, and at her deposition before Phase 1 Perry testified the house was to be owned by her and she was buying it to live in, and not to rent." QUESTIONS OVER REPAIRS Westcott's legal team claimed in the July court document that under the terms of the house sale contract, it stated the home was being sold "in its present physical condition" and that the singer "had the right to perform inspections" prior to escrow being closed. They alleged that "Perry's lawyers did not even produce a written schedule showing each alleged item of repair and the cost Perry is seeking for each allegedly defective condition." Advertisement His lawyers also claimed in the documents that "newspapers reported that Perry had just rented the house to the actor Chris Pratt, whose wife is the daughter of Maria Shriver, whom the court will recall from the Phase 1 testimony was bidding against Perry to buy the property in 2020." This revelation prompted Westcott's team to "immediately contact Perry's counsel" and ask for further details about her current rental agreement with Pratt, per the document. His lawyers also requested an "expert" to visit the property to "visualize any repairs." 8 A judge ruled in favor of Katy Perry in 2023 Credit: Getty Advertisement 8 Carl Westcott is 85 years old and is bedridden with Huntington's disease, a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time Credit: Supplied by the Westcott Family The document added, "Given that many of her prior 'estimates' totaling $2.29 million pertained to habitability items, it defies logic and common sense that she was able to rent the house to a famous actor. "Perry's counsel flatly refused in a series of approximately half a dozen meet and confer emails to even disclose if repairs had been done." FAMILY HOME The Daily Mail reported in June that the singer had rented out the property to Pratt. Advertisement A source told the paper, "The arrangement suits Chris, but it's a bit of a surprise given how Katy fought tooth and nail to get her hands on the house. "She previously suggested it was the ideal place for her and Orlando to raise a family. "After all that time, energy, and money, it seems unthinkable that they are not going to live in it." The U.S. Sun has contacted representatives for Pratt, Perry and Bloom for comment on the latest developments in the bitter case. Advertisement STRUGGLE Westcott had intended to live in his home for the remainder of his life, according to his angry family. His son, Chart, ranted on X last November, 'My family has been in a struggle against… Katy Perry and now Orlando Bloom to defend the honor of my father, Carl Westcott, who is dying from Huntington's Disease. 'He is a US Army Veteran and winner of the Horatio Alger US award (an honor he shares with Clarence Thomas, Buzz Aldrin, and Donald Trump's father Fred Trump). 'Celebrity privilege, much like political lawfare, must end. We cannot afford any two tier justice in America.' Advertisement The Horatio Alger Award is given to exceptional leaders who 'personify the American Dream' and have triumphed over adversity to achieve greatness. The latest revelations come as photos showed Justin Trudeau and Perry enjoying a night out in Canada after the singer split with Bloom earlier this year. 8 Carl Westcott pictured at his former home before he became bedridden Credit: Facebook/Kameron Westcott 8 When Westcott was 16, he asked his mother to change his birth date in the family Bible to prove he was old enough to join the U.S. Army Credit: Supplied by the Westcott Family
