Description
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Walpole House was built in the late C17th incorporating earlier fabric and was connected with Dr Turner's Academy. The present L-shaped garden that extends north from the house with a broad section to the west probably dates from the late C19th/early C20th, laid out by Sir Herbert and Lady Tree, confirmed in the later C20th by Mrs Robert Benson and her grandson Jeremy Benson. A terrace from the house leads to rectangular lawn with steps up to the main garden area which has a paved north-south axial path running through the lawn. A path leads westwards into the western section, and in the south is a 1930s paved formal pool. The garden is enclosed on its three sides, with mature trees and shrubs of great variety, including acer, eucalyptus, medlar, poplar, tulip tree.
Walpole House was built in the late C17th incorporating earlier fabric and was connected with Dr Turner's Academy. The present L-shaped garden that extends north from the house with a broad section to the west probably dates from the late C19th/early C20th, laid out by Sir Herbert and Lady Tree, confirmed in the later C20th by Mrs Robert Benson and her grandson Jeremy Benson. A terrace from the house leads to rectangular lawn with steps up to the main garden area which has a paved north-south axial path running through the lawn. A path leads westwards into the western section, and in the south is a 1930s paved formal pool. The garden is enclosed on its three sides, with mature trees and shrubs of great variety, including acer, eucalyptus, medlar, poplar, tulip tree.
Practical Information
| Site location | Chiswick Mall |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W4 |
| What3Words | ///bunny.visual.decent |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened National Gardens Scheme, otherwise private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Stamford Brook (District) |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list. The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, may have lived here, 1707-09 and Daniel O'Connell lodged here for a few years when a law student. Novelist William Thackeray was educated at a school here, and Miss Pinkerton's Academy in 'Vanity Fair' may be based on Walpole House.
Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, may have lived here, 1707-09 and Daniel O'Connell lodged here for a few years when a law student. Novelist William Thackeray was educated at a school here, and Miss Pinkerton's Academy in 'Vanity Fair' may be based on Walpole House.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ218780 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.5 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | C17th - C20th |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Walpole House. LBII*: Gates and Screen to Walpole House. LBII: Rear Garden Wall |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | Yes |
| NHLE grade | Grade II |
| 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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Old Chiswick |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Historic Parks and Gardens |
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
Strawberry House overlooks Chiswick Mall, which became a riverside village for the wealthy. The house was built in the early C18th and the original garden plan may date from that time, although the present layout of pools and paths is largely of the early C20th, with later planting of the 1960s.
Strawberry House overlooks Chiswick Mall, which became a riverside village for the wealthy. The house was built in the early C18th and the original garden plan may date from that time, although the present layout of pools and paths is largely of the early C20th, with later planting of the 1960s.
The origins of the Thames Path date from the 1750s onwards as the riverside towpath established by the Thames Commissioners when the Thames was an important trade route to London. In the C20th leisure use replaced trade and much of the old towpath is now the Thames Path, a national trail that opened in 1996 following the river from its source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier. It represents important open space in the boroughs through which it passes, and in Hammersmith & Fulham it runs from the end of Chiswick Mall (Hounslow) in the west to Chelsea Creek (Kensington and Chelsea) in the east.
No. 7 Hammersmith Terrace was the former home of Sir Emery Walker, an important figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement and friend of William Morris. He lived here from 1903 until his death in 1933, following which his daughter continued to live here. In 1999 the house and its contents was bequeathed to the Emery Walker Trust. The house has a complete Arts and Crafts interior, and the small cottage-style rear garden retains much of the style of Dorothy Walker's planting.
