Description
Gordon House, originally called Seaton House, was built in 1720, added to by Robert Adam in 1758. The grounds are said to have been Venetian in style with ornamental gardens, fountains and classical garden features. In 1856 it became a school for the daughters of naval officers and later a Royal Naval School. Within the grounds is a huge plane tree and an orangery and mound survived from earlier landscaping. By 1949 it was a teacher training college, which in 1976 became part of West London Institute of Higher Education when Borough Road and Maria Grey teacher training colleges and Chiswick Polytechnic merged, with campuses in Isleworth and Twickenham. In 1995 West London Institute was incorporated into Brunel Universiy. In 2005 the campus at Gordon House closed, the remaining staff and students moving to Uxbridge.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Seaton House; West London Institute of Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Site location | St Margaret's Road/Kilmorey Road/Railshead Road |
| Postcode | TW1 1PX |
| What3Words | ///claims.older.editor |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | to check |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hounslow Central (Piccadilly) then bus. Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond then bus. Rail: St Margaret's. Bus: H37 |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
To check current status of site.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ166750 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | to check |
| Dates | C18th |
| Listed Structures | LBII* Gordon House. Stable Block |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | St Margaret's |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Thames Policy Area abuts |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The land was once part of the extensive Twickenham Park estate, where a major house is known to have been built in 1560-61 and had fine formal gardens in the C17th and C18th. A lake remains in the grounds of St Margaret's Estate, together with remnants of planting from the C18th landscaping. Twickenham Park was broken up in the early C19th but a substantial area in the north remained intact when St Margaret's House was built, with gardens laid out between 1820-48 by Lord and Lady Ailsa. In 1851/2 the Ailsa Park lands were largely purchased by the Conservative Land Society and the St Margaret's Estate was laid out in the grounds of St Margaret House as a garden suburb. The estate was laid out around three pleasure gardens that preserved part of the old grounds lying between The Avenue and the river, and these three private gardens are little changed today.
Nazareth House Convent was formerly Isleworth House, which had been rebuilt in 1832 by Edward Blore for George III's chaplain, Sir William Cooper. The C18th owner of the estate had diverted Richmond Road so that it did not separate the house from the river. The garden led down to the river and the estate had its own burial ground. Purchased by the Sisters of Nazareth in 1892, it became their Convent and later an old people's home, but has been empty since 2002.
The main front of the Trumpeters' House with its grand portico faces the river across a lawn and gardens planted with numerous mature trees. The lawn was the former site of the Privy Lodgings of Richmond Palace. In the garden and close to the river is an C18th castellated summer house / gazebo, of one storey high but set on a high plinth in order to provide a good view over the river. Nearby is a knot garden and a modern aviary for doves. It gets its name from two medieval figures of trumpeters that once stood outside the entrance of Old Palace Yard.