MEMBERS of the public are being given the rare chance to tour historic buildings as part of an architectural festival.

On September 17, people will be eligible for free tours around four buildings at the University of Greenwich's Maritime campus.

Queen Anne Court, Queen Mary Court, King William Court and Dreadnought Library are not normally open to the public, but are set to open their doors as part of the Open House London event.

The buildings were designed by Sir Christopher Wren and constructed between 1694 and 1814.

In its time the site has homed over 2,000 retired seamen and in 1873 it became the Royal Naval College, training more than 27,000 officers during the Second World War.

In 1999 the University of Greenwich moved on to the site following a £20m restoration project.

For more information, visit openhouse.org.uk