The Magnificent Seven

Seven large houses stand in a row along the western edge of the Savannah, almost all built between 1902 and 1910 during a cocoa boom, on land that had been a government stock farm, and each in a different and unrestrained style: Stollmeyer's Castle in Scottish baronial with turrets, Whitehall in Venetian Moorish, in white limestone brought from Barbados, Mille Fleurs as a French provincial house, Hayes Court in French colonial with Demerara windows, Roomor with elaborate ironwork, Archbishop's House, and Queen's Royal College in German Renaissance with a chiming clock tower. All are listed by the National Trust. Several have been restored and others are in poor condition.

What you'll find

• Stollmeyer's Castle - a turreted Scottish baronial house at the northern end of the row.
• Whitehall - the Venetian Moorish house used as the prime minister's office.
• Queen's Royal College - the German Renaissance school building at the southern end.
• Mille Fleurs - the French colonial house with fretwork verandas.

When to go

January to May is driest. Morning light suits the eastern-facing facades. Interiors are rarely open and tours need arranging.

Good to know

Most of the houses cannot be entered and the visit is looking from the pavement. Several are in visible disrepair. There is no interpretation on the street.

Nearby

Queen's Park Savannah is in front, and the Botanic Gardens are north.

Key facts