Open House Festival

Chiswick House and Gardens

historical house, garden, monument, public realm/landscape, walk/tour

William Kent, Lord Burlington, 1729

Chiswick House and Gardens , Burlington Ln, W4 2RP

Chiswick House and Gardens is one of the most glorious examples of 18th-century British architecture and landscaping with over 300 years of discovery, inspiration and delight.

Getting there

Tube

Turnham Green, Chiswick Park

Train

Chiswick

Bus

190, 272, E3

Additional travel info

Bike racks are at park entrances and close to the House and Café. Chiswick House and Gardens is sign-posted on brown tourist boards on the A4 from the west of Hogarth Roundabout (junction with A316). The car park is just off the westbound A4 and marked by a brown tourist board entrance sign. The car park has spaces for 60 cars including 3 disabled spaces.

Access

Facilities

Accessibility notes

https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/plan-your-visit/access/

About

Visit

Chiswick House and the Kitchen Garden are open Thursday to Sunday, 11am-4pm.

Our Gardens are open daily, all year round from 7am to dusk.

Entry to the grade-I listed 18th century villa: the ticket includes a free explorer map and an audio-guide (adult and children's guides available).

Spotlight Talks

Join out Visitor Experience Assistants at 2pm to learn about items from the collection!

Black Chiswick through History and The Art of Design Community Art Project

This year Chiswick House and Gardens are showing two community-led projects inspired by 300 years of built and natural design.
Black Chiswick through History is an ongoing community research project which aims to look more deeply at our collections.

The young people from Chiswick School, Hogarth Youth and Community Centre and Hounslow Action for Youth produced a series of thoughtful responses to the collection, inspired by their research and their own diverse experiences and background.

The Art of Design community art show, in collaboration with artist-producers Art Jar, showcases artworks and curated events with local community groups and artists, highlighting the global exchange of ideas that have shaped the architectural design of the house and the gardens.

History

The third Earl of Burlington (1694-1753) designed the elegant Classical villa seen today, drawing inspiration from his 'grand tours' of Italy. It was originally located in a modest estate purchased by his grandfather, next to an existing Jacobean house.

The villa was more a showcase for the arts rather than a home, and it provided a spectacular venue for entertaining. During his travels Burlington met the architect William Kent and invited him to collaborate on the design of the villa. William Kent also designed the gardens and started the influential 'English Landscape Movement'.

By the 1770s Chiswick had passed to the fifth Duke of Devonshire who initiated a series of major changes to both house and garden, demolishing the earlier Jacobean house and adding new wings to the villa. These were subsequently removed in the 1950s.

As the home of successive members of Lord Burlington's family, including Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, Chiswick House has welcomed scores of significant guests over the years, including the musician Handel, the politician Charles James Fox, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

In the 1950s Chiswick House was passed to the Ministry of Works, via Middlesex Council, and a much needed restoration campaign was undertaken. The villa has been cared for by English Heritage since 1984, who, with the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, set up in 2005, embarked on a major restoration programme which breathed new life into the House and wider Gardens.

Online presence

chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk

www.instagram.com/chiswick_house

Nearby

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