Osterley Park, Greater London, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest:  

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

Reputed to be the site of a Norman fort or watch tower, the manor of Osterley passed through many hands until, in 1562, it came into the possession of Sir Thomas Gresham and the present structure of the park began to evolve. Gresham replaced the old farmhouse with a large manor house which is said to have stood in the middle of a pleasant park, well wooded and containing several fishponds and a heronry (National Trust 1980). Gresham died in 1579, two years after the completion of the house.

Over the next 200 years Osterley again changed hands frequently and in 1711 the estate was sold to Sir Francis Child. When his grandson (also named Francis) inherited the property in 1752, he began to remodel the house, Sir Francis engaging Robert Adam (1728-1792) as architect in 1761 to redesign both the fabric and the interior of the house. Sir Francis died in 1763, but Robert Adam continued his work under the patronage of Sir Francis' brother, Robert Child. The park and gardens surrounding the house were extensively altered during the time of the rebuilding, the formal gardens (Rocque, 1746) being replaced by an informal park (Enclosure map, 1818). The design of the park has been attributed to Mrs Robert Child and her steward, Mr Bunce (National Trust 1980). In 1804 Robert Child's granddaughter, Lady Sarah Sophia Fane, who had inherited the estate, married the fifth Earl of Jersey and thus Osterley came into the possession of the Jersey family.

Extensive tree planting was undertaken throughout the 19th century, including fenced groups or islands of trees in the park and boundary plantings. The early part of the 20th century saw an increase in flower beds and shrubberies around the house along with further new trees in the park. During the Second World War a field to the east of the South Avenue was made into allotments and the park was given over to beef cattle and hay. The period between 1940 and 1980 saw the gradual disappearance of the park fences and the elm trees (some planted before 1740), victims of Dutch elm disease.

In 1949 the ninth Earl, Lord Jersey, gave the house and 57 hectares of the estate to the National Trust, and a further 77 hectares were acquired by the Trust in 1990. The National Trust retains (2000) ownership of these 134 hectares. The remainder of the park is in private ownership.