Chiswick House, Hounslow, England

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

An early 18th-century villa and garden, largely the design of the 3rd Earl of Burlington who from 1723 incorporated ideas and designs by William Kent. Developments were made from the late 18th century onwards, first by the 5th Duke of Devonshire who employed Samuel Lapidge and later by the 6th Duke who employed Lewis Kennedy. Since 1929 the grounds have been used as a public park.

NOTE

This entry is a summary. Because of the complexity of this site, the standard Register entry format would convey neither an adequate description nor a satisfactory account of the development of the landscape. The user is advised to consult the references given below for more detailed accounts. Many Listed Buildings exist within the site, not all of which have been here referred to. Descriptions of these are to be found in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest produced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Chiswick House is situated to the west of London, about 1 kilometre south of Chiswick High Road. The north bank of the River Thames lies 500 metres to the east, Chiswick Bridge 1 kilometre to the south-west, and Gunnersbury Park about 2 kilometres to the north-west. The site occupies about 26 hectares, and is bounded to the north by the Great West Road (A4 trunk road). The back gardens of houses in Sutherland Road and Paxton Road form the north-east boundary, while Great Chertsey Road and Burlington Lane provide the boundary round from the east to the south. The back gardens of houses in Staveley Road and Park Road form the boundary to the south-west and north-west respectively. The site is generally level with a slight fall to the south and south-west.

 REFERENCES

Note: There is a wealth of published material about this site. The key references are cited below.

Chiswick House and Grounds Historical Survey: Pt I Development of The Grounds (Travers Morgan Planning 1983)

Chiswick House and Gardens, guidebook, (English Heritage 1989)

Maps

J Rocque, Plan of the garden at Chiswick, 1736 (reproduced in guidebook 1989)

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1864

2nd edition published 1897

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1864

2nd edition published 1897

3rd edition published 1916

Illustrations

[all reproduced in guidebook 1989]

L Knyff and J Kip, 1707

Andreas Rysbrack, 1728

Jacques Rigaud, 1733

Description written: March 2000

Edited: June 2001