The tulip staircase

...in the Queens House, Greenwich. Went with a friend to see this wonderful old house today, it is packed full of old paintings with superb views out down to the Thames river. The most wonderful thing though is this beautiful 'tulip staircase', these were the first centrally unsupported stairs in England, copying a Venetian design which gives the great view up (and down, see extra). The wrought iron work was thought to show tulip flowers but now the thought is it was most probably fleur-de-lis which represented the French royal house.
This house is free to visit