Description
There has been a house here since 1181, the last a Georgian manor called Sutton Court, which had an attractive orangery. This house became a boys' school in 1845, but was demolished at the end of the C19th before the present mansion blocks were built on the c.5 acres site. A communal garden, together with planted areas around the buildings, were provided for the use of the residents, and date from 1905. The Edwardian garden retains its original structure, and has remnants of a children's garden and croquet lawn. In addition to the formal garden, the many mature trees give it a woodland feel, and there is now a wildflower meadow.
Practical Information
| Site location | off Sutton Court Road, Chiswick |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W4 3EE |
| What3Words | ///budget.exchanges.stow |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, keyholders only |
| Public Transport | Rail: Chiswick. Bus: E3 |
| Research Updated | 1 August 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
There has been a house at Sutton Court since 1181; previous residents included Sir Thomas More, Chaloner Chute and Viscount Fauconberg. The last house on the site was a Georgian manor called Sutton Court, which had an attractive orangery. The house, which had become a boys' school in 1845, was demolished at the end of the C19th before the present red-brick and terracotta mansion blocks were built on the c.5 acres site. A communal garden area, together with planted areas around the buildings, were provided for the use of the residents of the blocks, and date from 1905. Originally the communal garden was laid out with a tennis court and croquet lawn, now replaced with ornamental garden areas.
The garden retains its original structure in large part, including the remnants of the croquet lawn and children's garden, and there are many mature trees. Part of the communal garden has a woodland feel, and with the recently-planted wildflower meadow and spring bulbs provides a contrast with more formal planting. A distinctive feature is the use of hedges to surround the buildings as well as the garden. An active residents gardening club maintains all the landscaped areas including those around the buildings, which have grass, shrubs and flower beds. The history of the garden is also in the process of being researched. In May 2008 a new fountain was created thanks to a bequest from the late Clive Graham. This takes the form of a stone replica triple-tier Eton College fountain and is sited as the focal point of the formal garden.
The garden retains its original structure in large part, including the remnants of the croquet lawn and children's garden, and there are many mature trees. Part of the communal garden has a woodland feel, and with the recently-planted wildflower meadow and spring bulbs provides a contrast with more formal planting. A distinctive feature is the use of hedges to surround the buildings as well as the garden. An active residents gardening club maintains all the landscaped areas including those around the buildings, which have grass, shrubs and flower beds. The history of the garden is also in the process of being researched. In May 2008 a new fountain was created thanks to a bequest from the late Clive Graham. This takes the form of a stone replica triple-tier Eton College fountain and is sited as the focal point of the formal garden.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ203778 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.809 |
| Site Ownership | Sutton Court Limited |
| Site Management | Garden group - chair Martin Wheeler, martin@sutton-court.co.uk |
| Dates | 1905 |
| 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 | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | To be checked |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Chiswick House and its grounds were created by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, one of the earliest promoters of Palladianism in England. His classical villa was built in the late 1720s next to Old Chiswick House, the Jacobean house he had inherited as part of the estate in Chiswick purchased by his grandfather in 1682. Burlington transformed the earlier layout of pleasure and productive gardens in various phases, working with William Kent to create formal gardens that evoked the ideals of ancient Rome. In 1753 the estate passed by marriage to the Dukes of Devonshire, and in 1788 the fifth Duke demolished Old Chiswick House and enlarged the villa. Both the fifth and sixth Dukes remodelled Burlington’s gardens. From the 1860s onwards the Devonshires let the house and in 1929 the reduced estate was sold to Middlesex County Council. In 1948, ownership of the house passed to the Ministry of Works, which embarked on a restoration campaign aimed at returning the villa to its original size and design and the gardens to their original layout. The house and the gardens are now under the stewardship of an independent trust, Chiswick House and Gardens Trust who work with LB Hounslow and English Heritage Trust to preserve this important heritage site.
Chiswick House and its grounds were created by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, one of the earliest promoters of Palladianism in England. His classical villa was built in the late 1720s next to Old Chiswick House, the Jacobean house he had inherited as part of the estate in Chiswick purchased by his grandfather in 1682. Burlington transformed the earlier layout of pleasure and productive gardens in various phases, working with William Kent to create formal gardens that evoked the ideals of ancient Rome. In 1753 the estate passed by marriage to the Dukes of Devonshire, and in 1788 the fifth Duke demolished Old Chiswick House and enlarged the villa. Both the fifth and sixth Dukes remodelled Burlington’s gardens. From the 1860s onwards the Devonshires let the house and in 1929 the reduced estate was sold to Middlesex County Council. In 1948, ownership of the house passed to the Ministry of Works, which embarked on a restoration campaign aimed at returning the villa to its original size and design and the gardens to their original layout. The house and the gardens are now under the stewardship of an independent trust, Chiswick House and Gardens Trust who work with LB Hounslow and English Heritage Trust to preserve this important heritage site.
Turnham Green is former common land, now a triangular open space bisected by roadway, with Christ Church in the east part, built in 1841-3 to serve the expanding Victorian suburbs. Turnham Green is of particular interest as the place where the Earl of Essex collected his forces from the London area in the Civil War and drew them up in great numbers here, although there was little active fighting and Essex later took possession of Brentford. In 1873 a pond is shown on the west side of the Green but this was filled in by 1948. Near Christ Church and along the north boundary are flower beds with a war memorial to the east, but otherwise the Green is simply laid out with grass, paths and a few mature trees.
Chiswick New Cemetery was laid out on former water meadows and is between the busy Great Chertsey Road and the railway line. The cemetery was opened in 1933; a further 6 acres were added to the west in 1989 on land formerly used for allotments. The rather imposing brick and Portland stone chapel was built in 1930s 'Great West Road style' (Meller) at a cost of £5,000; it is unconsecrated to enable interdenominational services. The entrance on the corner of Staveley Road and Great Chertsey Road has ornamental gates and a small brick shelter. There are a large number of Russians and Poles buried here, a community that has lived in this area for many years.