Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Twickenham Park; Ailsa Park; St Margaret's House |
|---|---|
| Site location | St George's Road/The Avenue/Ailsa Road, St Margaret's |
| Postcode | TW1 |
| What3Words | ///glue.energy.pinks |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | By appointment only |
| Opening Times | private - but Trustees may be approached for permission to visit |
| Special Conditions | no photographs |
| Public Transport | Rail: St Margarets. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2015 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Twickenham Park was created from wasteland over 700 years ago and was once owned by Francis Bacon. He sold it in 1608 to the Countess of Bedford who built a new house and laid out a formal garden, possibly designed by Salomon de Caus. Glover's map of 1653 shows the formal grounds and lake, originally dug for drainage in c.1420 and which remains today in the grounds of St Margaret's Estate. In the C18th Twickenham Park was owned by a wealthy merchant, Thomas Vernon, who employed Batty Langley in the first quarter of the C18th to design the gardens. Vernon is credited with introducing the weeping willow to this country. A number of London planes planted by Langley remain near the lake. The formal layout had become more naturalised in style by the end of the C18th and after 1805 the division of the estate began with land sold off and a number of smaller houses built.
A substantial area in the north remained intact when St Margaret's House was built and its gardens were laid out between 1820-48 by Lord and Lady Ailsa, hence the earlier name for the area of Ailsa Park. In 1851/2 the Ailsa Park lands were largely purchased by the Conservative Land Society (George Morgan) and the St Margaret's Estate was laid out in the grounds of St Margaret House as a garden suburb, with a covenant that limited density. The original design of the estate had building plots for family houses costing between £50 to £475, laid out around three pleasure gardens that preserved part of the old grounds lying between The Avenue and the river. A Trust was set up in 1854 to look after the pleasure grounds and continues to do so today. The St Margaret's Estate Residents Association was founded in December 1970 with the aim of encouraging the preservation and improvement of the Estate 'in keeping with its pleasantly residential character of single family dwellings' (http://smera.moonfruit.com), but maintenance of the communal gardens remained with the Trustees of the St Margaret's Residential Grounds.
The most picturesque and largest of the three gardens is the garden lying between St George's Road and Ailsa Road, which features the informal lake, two iron bridges with segmental arches, a mound at the south end that was clearly visible on the OS Map of 1894, and mature trees including a huge plane tree. The garden to The Avenue, St Peter's Road and St George's Road has tennis courts and games areas and the eastern garden is a grassed promenade with a number of large trees.
A substantial area in the north remained intact when St Margaret's House was built and its gardens were laid out between 1820-48 by Lord and Lady Ailsa, hence the earlier name for the area of Ailsa Park. In 1851/2 the Ailsa Park lands were largely purchased by the Conservative Land Society (George Morgan) and the St Margaret's Estate was laid out in the grounds of St Margaret House as a garden suburb, with a covenant that limited density. The original design of the estate had building plots for family houses costing between £50 to £475, laid out around three pleasure gardens that preserved part of the old grounds lying between The Avenue and the river. A Trust was set up in 1854 to look after the pleasure grounds and continues to do so today. The St Margaret's Estate Residents Association was founded in December 1970 with the aim of encouraging the preservation and improvement of the Estate 'in keeping with its pleasantly residential character of single family dwellings' (http://smera.moonfruit.com), but maintenance of the communal gardens remained with the Trustees of the St Margaret's Residential Grounds.
The most picturesque and largest of the three gardens is the garden lying between St George's Road and Ailsa Road, which features the informal lake, two iron bridges with segmental arches, a mound at the south end that was clearly visible on the OS Map of 1894, and mature trees including a huge plane tree. The garden to The Avenue, St Peter's Road and St George's Road has tennis courts and games areas and the eastern garden is a grassed promenade with a number of large trees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ167747 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Trustees of the St Margaret’s Residential Grounds |
| Dates | C17th; C18th; 1851-54 |
| Designers | C17th Salomon de Caus; early C18th Batty Langley; C19th Conservative Land Society |
| Listed Structures | LBII: C19th iron bridges within largest of pleasure gardens |
| 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 Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - part (Ranelagh Drive Gdns.) |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes - part (Ranelagh Drive Gdns.) |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area (part) |
| Other LA Designation | Open Land of Townscape Importance |
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
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.
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.
Maids of Honour Row, facing onto Richmond Green, was built in 1717-21 on part of the site of Richmond Palace as a speculative development. Two houses were rented for the Maids of Honour to the Princess of Wales. Walled gardens front and back were probably part of the original design, and all houses have retained their garden walls and handsome iron railings and gates at the front. The gardens are now all arranged individually. No very early designs are recorded although there is one design for No.4 in the 1860s.