Up close and personal at the Painted Hall, Greenwich

The Painted Hall contains some spectacular paintings by James Thornhill which date back to the early 1700s

They include a painting entitled 'Triumph of Peace and Liberty over Tyranny' on the ceiling of the Lower Hall, which has at its centre the figures of King William and Queen Mary surrounded by various mythological and allegorical figures.

Incredibly these are currently accessible in a way that you should not miss, as they are in the process of being renovated. As a result, the scaffolding is up and you can take an hour long tour for £11 that allows you to view them up close and personal. And this won't happen again for many many years, so now is your chance.

You can see graffiti left by previous restoration efforts back in the 1800s

Just amazing