News & Events

Chiswick House Gardens 2011 DOG SHOW a great success.

Sponsored by Chiswick estate agents Edward d’Arc for the third year running, the 2011 show took place on Sunday September 25th on the cricket pitch area within the Gardens.

This year’s event proved as popular as ever, with over 1500 visitors enjoying the many classes as well as the wide range of stalls and other entertainments. This annual event is for the whole community.

It provided the perfect opportunity for young families considering getting a dog to meet canines of all shapes and sizes, in a fun and safe environment.

All dogs were welcome to take part, as well as visitors without dogs.

• Fun classes included Fancy Dress and Best Trick
• Agility and Heelwork to Music demonstrations
• Local businesses and charity stalls
• Supported by local veterinary practices
• Wide range of refreshments
• Have-a-Go Agility course
• Licensed bar

The CHG Dog Show was organised in conjunction with Chiswick House Friends, with all proceeds are donated to improve dog-related facilities within the gardens. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer helper, or are interested in taking a stal next year, please e-mail thechowgroup@yahoo.co.uk.

Visit www.chowgroup.co.uk for further details

SUMMER OPERA IN THE GARDENS - Two Nights

Candlelit Opera Gala - Wednesday 22nd June 2011 - 7.30pm
La Bohème - Thursday 23rd June 2011 - 7.30pm

Another sell-out performance was a great success this year.

This year was the seventh opera event promoted by the Friends in the gardens of Chiswick House. Both productions took place in the evening and included a 45 minutes interval for picnicers to continue to enjoy the atmosphere.

The staging of the two nights was on the magnificent lawns at the rear of Chiswick House. The fully restored gardens and the attraction of Chiswick House itself provide a splendid ambience to enhance the performances. The audience were encouraged to bring rugs, folding chairs and to picnic on the lawns.

The event’s main sponsor was again local brewer Fuller, Smith & Turner who will provided a bar pavilion in the grounds for purchases of wine, champagne and beer each evening. A food village offered hot drinks, pastries, a selection of salads and cold meats and ice cream and picnic hampers.

The Summer Opera is one of the Friends’ key fundraising events, proceeds of which are used to support Chiswick House and its gardens: “By adding an extra night and by providing a more varied programme this year, we hoped to attract many more people to this wonderful local event. The Gala night offered a chance to enjoy some of the most popular opera arias and La Bohème is a well known favourite.

CHISWICK HOUSE LECTURE – Chiswick at the time of the Devonshire Dukes – A fascinating Glimpse.

Chiswick House Lecture: ‘Chiswick at the time of the Devonshire Dukes' took place at 6.30pm on15th June 2011. Senior Historian at English Heritage, Richard Hewlings presented a splendid illustrated account of this fascinating period when the 5th Duke of Devonshire added great wings to the House and the 6th Duke demolished the mansion next door and created the Italian Garden.

Acclaimed historian Richard Hewlings lectures in Europe and America and is an expert of the history of Chiswick House. He is a Trustee of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust and Editor of the English Heritage Review. This lecture was a fascinating glimpse into the Devonshire period at Chiswick House and guests also viewed some of the furnishings from this period which were purchased by English Heritage at the Chatsworth Attic Sale of 2010 following conservation.

Guests enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine and a chance to speak with Richard Hewlings individually. This talk was part of a joint programme of lectures and concerts presented jointly by Chiswick House Friends and The Chiswick House and Gardens Trust.

JANICULUM AT KNOLE

A unique opportunity to hear a concert in the Great Hall at Knole with music from the celebrated Knole Collection: Venetian Gondoliers’ Songs dedicated to ‘Il Conte de Middlesex’, Handel, J.C. Bach, Giardini whose portrait by Gainsborough is still at Knole, and others. .

The concert is in memory of Hermione Sandwith whose generosity has made it possible. A founder-member of CHF and founder of the CHF Advisory Panel, Hermione was the National Trust's first Adviser on the Conservation of Paintings and Sculpture. She was particularly attached to Knole. The concert will be introduced by Martin Drury, former Director General of the National Trust.

Janiculum’s programmes, which the National Trust called ‘Bringing history alive through music’ are said to be ‘an insight into the music that appealed to contemporary audiences'.

Tuesday 27th September at 7.00 p.m.
7.00 - Drinks reception in the Orangery
7.30 - Guests to the Great Hall where Martin Drury will speak
7.40 - Concert begins
8.10 - Short 15 min interval
8.25 - Second half begins
9.00 - Concert finishes

Tickets £25 to include a glass on wine at the pre-concert reception.
Box Office 0844 249 1895

Venue: Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0RP

An Invitation to Chiswick House Friends

The Marble Hill Society Presentation
at Marble Hill House Thursday 8th September 2011
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Marble Hill Society, we are having a recruitment drive. As part of this, the Society are having a presentation evening on Thursday 8th September 2011 at Marble Hill House from 6 pm to 8 pm. where drinks and light refreshments will be offered.

All Chiswick House Friends are very cordially invited to this event.

 

NEW CHISWICK HOUSE BOOK BY LOCAL HISTORIAN

A new book by local historian Gillian Clegg tells the story of the Chiswick House estate from the 17th- century Jacobean mansion through to the present day. Chiswick House and Gardens A History' records the building of the villa by the 3rd Earl of Burlington and the gardens which became the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement due to the influence of Burlington's protégé William Kent.

The book traces the estate's history and its famous occupants, including Georgiana, charismatic Duchess of Devonshire, the future King Edward VII, and the clever elephant and spitting llama from the 6th Duke's renowned menagerie.

During the 20th century the estate entered a gradual decline that included a period as a mental home before being sold by the Duke of Devonshire to the local council for public use as a park. This is the first book to bring the history of Chiswick House right up-to-date, including its recent £12-million regeneration.

Gillian Clegg is one of the volunteer archivists for the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust and has lived in Chiswick for 35 years. She is the author of several books about the area, including Chiswick Past and The Chiswick Book: Past and Present.

Chiswick House and Gardens A History is published by McHugh Publications, ISBN 978-0-9569164-0-2  Price £14.99 and is available form Waterstones in Chiswick.

HISTORIC GARDEN LECTURE

Chiswick House 6.30pm 12th October 2011

Restoration Drama at Chiswick – eminent garden historian, Dr David Jacques, provides a fascinating insight into the succession of garden restoration plans at Chiswick House, culminating in the spectacular renovation works of 2008-2010. A consultant, lecturer and author on historic landscapes, parks and gardens David Jacques was the first Inspector of Historic Parks and Gardens at English Heritage from 1987 to 1993. Among his written works are ‘Georgian Gardens: the Reign of Nature’ and ‘The Gardens of William and Mary’. He is a Trustee of the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust and continues to provide advice and guidance on the historic garden landscape at Chiswick.

This promises to be an enlightening illustrated talk with and we expect tickets to be swiftly taken up. Tickets can be obtained by completing the application form downloadable here or on-line from TicketWeb at £20 each plus agent’s fee. Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine. This talk is part of a joint programme of lectures and concerts presented jointly by Chiswick House Friends and The Chiswick House and Gardens Trust.

SERAFINA STEER – HARP RECITAL

7.00 p.m. Wednesday 14th September 2011 at Chiswick House

Another entrancing evening of Harp Music from Serafina Steer. Once again Serafina has trawled the archives for us, and will bring to life some of the music that was current in the salons at the time of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Music that probably rang out from Chiswick House at summer evening soirees.

For a number of years Serafina Steer has been Principal Harp at Dartington International Summer School. Serafina divides her time between harp playing and songwriting and already has two CDs to her credit.

Join us for this very popular recital by completing the application form for tickets – £20 per head – and enjoy a complementary drink during the interval. Tickets are also available via Ticketweb (plus an agent’s fee) from 12th August onwards.

CHISWICK HOUSE FRIENDS
SUMMER DRINKS PARTY

7.00 p.m. Monday 19th September 2011 at Chiswick House

Join us on 19th September for drinks and canapés, to meet fellow members, and to enjoy the ambience of Chiswick House and its beautifully restored vistas. We also welcome any of your friends who might be interested in joining CHF so that they can get to know us.

Those who have joined us previously for the Summer Party know that it is a relaxing and delightful way of enjoying a few hours in this lovely environment.

Tickets at £10 each, which are limited, are available by completing the application form and sending it to the address on the form. We very much look forward to seeing you on the 19th September.

Mayor of Hounslow Visits Camellia Festival

Photo by Wardscott.com

The Mayor of Hounslow, Cllr Colin Ellar, (with Sarah Finch-Crisp and George Nissen in the picture above ) visited the Chiswick House Camellia Festival to admire the fabulous blooms which attracted visitors from all over the world.

While visiting the festival the Mayor snipped a ribbon to celebrate the restoration and return of an intriguing 19th Century statue of ‘Ishmael in the Wilderness’ to the Conservatory. Accompanying him was George Nissen, Chairman of the Friends of Chiswick House, which have generously funded the repair of the marble statue.

The statue was given to the Borough of Brentford and Chiswick in the 1950s by Dr Morgan-Evans a local GP who practised in Chiswick for many years, and the council chose to place it in Chiswick’s historic Conservatory. Sadly, probably during the time when the Conservatory fell into decay, the statue was badly broken and ended up in pieces and overlooked in an obscure part of the gardens.

'Little was known of its provenance', says Chiswick House and Gardens Trust Director Sarah Finch-Crisp, 'until a conversation with the ladies of the Chiswick Women’s Institute in 2010 who were a mine of information and able to throw some light on its history. Chiswick House and Gardens Trust are immensely grateful to the Friends of Chiswick House for enabling the statue to be expertly repaired and returned to the restored Conservatory in time for our first Camellia Festival'.

The Camellia Festival finished on 20th March 2011.