Rare Access Available to Chiswick's Finest Buildings


Open House weekend is a celebration of London's architecture and design


The interior of Chiswick House

The annual Open House London weekend is taking place next weekend (22 & 23 September) providing an opportunity for free access to many of Chiswick’s best buildings including some that are not normally open to the public.

Hogarth's House, Gunnersbury Park & Museum and Chiswick House will all be offering free tours and Fuller's Griffin Brewery and St Mary's Convent will opening their doors. There will also be tours around the architecture of Bedford Park.

At Hogarth’s House there will be guided tours for up to ten people every 90 minutes between 1pm and 4pm on both days and at Chiswick House there is a tour between at 11am for a maximum of 20 people and only 120 people will be allowed in the house at any one time between 10am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The Fuller's Griffin Brewery will be conducting tours every hour from 11am-2pm on the Sunday only with a maximum of 15 per tour for over 16s only. You need to pre-book to join these tours.

The work of Norman Shaw, EW Godwin, EJ May and Maurice B Adams in Bedford Park can be seen in a tour on Sunday. Meet at 2.30pm at Victorian Society (garden), 1 Priory Gardens, W4 1TT.

There will also be ‘A Ruskinian Walk Through Shared Heritage’ taking in Chiswick Business Park and the South Acton estate at 12pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Meet at Building 3 Chiswick Business Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, W4 5YA. From RIBA award-winning Chiswick Business Park, a Ruskin/Morris themed walk through South Acton Estate, birthplace of artist Patrick Caulfield; Woodlands Park Ice House; home of William Willett, builder and Daylight Saving Time originator.

Gunnersbury Park & Museum will be open on the Saturday with Writer in Residence Nandita Ghose sharing original writing inspired by Gunnersbury at 1pm and 4pm. No booking required but space is allocated on a first come, first served basis. At 2.30pm there will be a children's activity Life Below Stairs with a capacity for 30. Meet a Victorian maid and help her with her chores - beating the carpets, scrubbing the floors and using the pestle and mortars. (NB: Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.)

This building is open free of charge at other times of the year.

See our events calendar for further details.

September 15, 2018