The Chiswick House & Gardens is a beautiful little garden in west London that many people don't know about. I have been here during the fall when it is completely quiet, and during their magical lantern festival at night when it is packed with crowds. The grounds are well kept, and the lanterns are most amazing. The lanterns along the little lake are especially stunning thanks to the water reflection, but it's also extremely cold thanks to the water. There are three "rest stops": the cafe upon entrance, the marshmallow roasting station in the middle of the tour (but no warming huts which is desperately needed as it's humid and bone chilling in London), and a small fair ground at the end of the tour with hot food, hot drink, and a ferries wheels. The only problem is that it is so freezing cold, and their inadequate toilets especially for women created a huge problem: long queues, chilling cold temperature inside the loos, and generally uncomfortable dirty conditions. It is to be expected with any festivals but still the organizers could have done a better job at regular cleaning and providing directions. read more

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We just headed here this weekend for the Magical Lantern Festival. Hence my rating and review is of the festival. However, we did see some gorgeous marble statues and the gardens (what we could see of them in the dark) and Historic House, looked like this place definitely merits another visit. The Magical Lanterns are stunning. After the London Lumiere festival, I was a bit skeptical of what would be on offer. But I was blown away by the displays. Budget 2 hours for the walk itself, especially if you are visiting on a night with crowds. We picked up hot coffees and churros at the entry. Feasted on hot chocolate and hot toddy from Beltane and Pop and roasted marshmallows on the firepit at the midway stop. And there was a good selection of meals at the exit point with a covered marquee to enjoy it in. We however decided that we wanted a proper sit down restaurant that was well warmed for dinner and hence walked across to Chiswick high street for a meal. Do note, that these are all pop ups and food trucks - I assume they are only here during the festival. They do have a permanent coffee shop on the premises that was open. But the number of wailing children on this occasion, kept us away. read more

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I've lived in London on and off for 15 years now and I've never been to this area of London. I was given a walking book for New Year by a friend and one of the places it suggested was Chiswick House, so we went. It is beautiful. The grounds are magical and seemed to be never ending. I'm almost positive they end but for a place in London the amount of space is huge. There is a river, a hut made of small trees, a walled garden, a conservatory and a children play area to name just a few things in the grounds. In the summer you can sit on the banks of the River and let the day pass or you can take a relax walk around the grounds. Rainy days you can go inside the house. Well worth the visit. read more

Chiswick House & Gardens - What animals do you think made this den? - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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i stumbled into this garden whilst trying to take a short cut to my friend's house. the majestic obelisk greets you as you enter via burlington lane gate. imposing yet welcoming. heading down the tree lined avenue towards the river. the cool breeze and air was really refreshing. the quiet sound of nature however gets disrupted every few minutes by the roaring sound of aircraft engines overflying. the cricket ground on site, is a great place for getting a tan, letting the dogs and kids loose or just chilling out. the river that runs through the gardens is full of wildlife, swans, ducks and even a crane. then you come face to face with the elegant stone classic bridge which transports you back to 1774. lots of work in progress evident all over the garden grounds. fences, barricades and construction materials detracts from the peaceful tranquility. this is part of 12.1m restoration project that will lasts till march 2010. hopefully, by then, this garden can earn it's fourth or fifth star. read more

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I've never been into Chiswick house. I've just looked at from the outside and hung out in the gardens around it. There are old trees that form an alley way and lots of landscaping. There is a very old feel to the park around Chiswick house. It used to be a mansion that someone owned and now it is just a regal tourist attraction. This is something you need to see! read more

Chiswick House & Gardens - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

Beautifully presented former stately home, now a Grade I building being maintained by English Heritage. Unfortunately, photography inside is not allowed (but I managed to "steal" a few shots so you will get a better impression). Chiswick House is a Palladian villa in Burlington Lane, Chiswick, in the London Borough of Hounslow in England. Arguably the finest remaining example of Neo-Palladian architecture in London, the house was designed by Lord Burlington, and completed in 1729. The house and gardens, which occupy 26.33 hectares (65.1 acres), mainly created by architect and landscape designer William Kent, is one of the earliest examples of the English landscape garden. [Wikipedia]. The landscape garden is actually a huge park which you can stroll around in at no charge. It is rather spectacular, especially since the park includes a large Victorian-age greenhouse. Chiswick House has two floors, but only on the upper floor you can see examples of furniture, decorations and some paintings. The ground floor is almost completely empty, but there are boards which will inform you about the former use of the rooms, and when you enter through the small shop you will first be directed towards a small room with a modest multimedia presentation. Expect to spend about 1 hour on the inside of Chiswick House. Photography is allowed only in the garden, which is a pity since there's a charge for visiting the rooms of Chiswick House. I fully expect to be allowed to take photos when I pay an entry fee - so I carried on regardless until a warden, ever so politely, told me to stop. Close to Chiswick House you will find the famous, independent brewery of Fuller, Smith & Turner (or, Fullers - they make the popular London Pride) - a historic, 1845 building that you can also visit (guided tours upon appointment only!). The Chiswick-Fullers combo visit can greatly improve your trip to this London borough. read more

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I love Chiswick House and Grounds. It really is a beauty to behold. There aren't many places you can walk around statues, and ornate bridge, and such a beautiful man made lake with waterfall, surrounded by teeming wildlife! I often go and sit there in the summer, reading a book by the orangery, as featured in the film, Vanity Fair. I visited the house this year for the first time, mainly to get out of the pouring rain. If you enjoy delving into history, then you will love it, but alas the house is virtually empty as it's original belongings are sited at other stately homes. You can hire it as a wedding location which I thing would be amazing, and if you ever visit I can tell you a few facts The house used to be a lunatic asylum The grounds are haunted by a menacing black shadowy figure The grounds used to be home to many exotic animals in the early 18th century, the lawn outside the house used to have elephants, giraffes and bears If you stay late enough at night, it's a great place to watch bats feeding on insects read more

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I've just been to Chiswick house to see the lantern festival in their gardens. It was incredible! They made sculptures lit up like lanterns. I couldn't believe how many lanterns there were it must have been a mammoth effort to set it all up! Wonderful colours with inventive scenes! Really beautiful! The only thing is it would be awful to visit in the rain. It is all outdoors with no shelter. It is also a fair walk from the tube. But definitely worth going to see!! read more

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Was actually in the Gardens for the Lantern Festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All the installations came from China and will go back to China. It was an amazing and magical evening, well worth the trip to West London. But the House looks amazing and warrants a return trip. The Gardens look stunning with the Lanterns so another trip may have to be in order to see the Gardens without Lanterns! read more

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I've lived in Chiswick for a year-and-a-half and I'd never heard of Chiswick House until a fellow dog walker recommended it to me after I complained to her about all the rubbish my dog was getting into at our neighborhood park. I decided Christmas Day was the day we would take our furry son to Chiswick House. Not being the best on-lead dog, I was wondering if I could withstand his pulling on the lead for 1.6 miles or if I'd abort the mission prior to ever reaching Chiswick House. I prevailed with both arms still attached to their sockets. Note: The grounds/gardens are open every day of the year beginning at 7am and closing at sundown. There are specific areas on the grounds where dogs: a) are allowed off lead b) must be on a short lead c) are not allowed at all A map of these areas exists in the right-hand pane of the Visit page of http://www.chgt.org.uk though the signage on the grounds was pretty clear. If you stick to the rule that forested areas are for off-lead walking and manicured gardens are for on-lead walking, you'll be fine. From Chiswick High Road, we walked down Dukes Avenue, though the subway under the A4, and following the Chiswick House signage (to the right). We landed at the entrance for the Chiswick House car park. From there, we entered through the car park entrance to the grounds. We were lucky in that this area is for off-lead walking. Bonus: Dog poo bags are provided at all entrances to Chiswick House (grounds). We meandered through the forested area, watching the furry one chase squirrels and sniff around to his heart's content. A little later, we located the cafe (closed on Christmas Day) and used the toilets (quite nice for public use) and found the dog bowls of water for the furry one to hydrate. We then continued walking around the grounds and eventually making our way back to the car park. A great place to walk dogs and escape the busy life of the city, even for only an hour. read more

Chiswick house is one of the nicest's park's,its kid and dog friendly for a start,there is a lake that run's through it with plenty of ducks to feed with the kids and lots of squirals for the dogs to chase. Famous for the house that you can now go in,but more locally famous for the monkey tree's to climb in and fall out of. It was recently re landscaped back to the orignal design i belive and looks fab. Perfect for a stroll round and to fish of there is a nice cafe right in the middle which does amazing food...posh not fry up...and ice cream's in the summer. Great day out for all. read more

Ravenscourt Park used to be my favorite in London, but since it became overrun with 12 year old gangsters I am switching allegiance to Chiswick House. The great charm about it is that it's its slightly a shabby: an incredible orangery that's falling apart, a hedge maze with holes in it, a reflection pool full of algy. And yet this is what makes it. I understand they have just received a massive grant to do it up. I can only hope it turns into a classic English public works project and is an utter failure. Keep chiswick house special! Particuarly reccommended for jogging round. read more

Chiswick House & Gardens - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

I've lived in Ealing for nearly 6 years and for some reason only went to Chiswick House today. That's a shame, since it's really nice. There's a lot of history here, with Lord Burlington's foray into Italian architecture and art. The House - about £4.50 to enter, or free for English Heritage members - is small but interesting, and full of great artworks upstairs. The land around the house has sphinx statues and busts and gravel and lawns. The gardens are equally nice. They're quite large, although much of them were closed today (and will be until 2010) due to a £12m investment in the landscape. Still, the paths through the trees, the river (part of the Serpentine) and the quaint bridges are worth a look anytime. The fact that they're free to visit is great. A green and historic hidden gem of west London. read more

Admittedly, this review could be biased by the fact that I visited Chiswick House and Gardens on the first nice day of 2010. Pretty much anywhere in London was sparkling with the beautiful weather and peoples' good moods. Still, the gardens here are really nicely maintained, having recently been re-done. It was busy, but not heaving, and there was plenty of open space for a picnic by the lake and easy enough to find a quiet bench in the shade. The cafe here was pretty decent too for a quick sandwich at a reasonable price. I'd definitely come back on another perfect sunny day! read more

This is a nice haven of a park to run in or just relax in one of the many secluded areas. Easy to lose yourself in (metaphorically, not geographically - it's not that big), it remains fairly quiet even on the sunniest of days. With a pond full of waterfowl to watch and feed, as well as a cricket pitch for games on the weekend, this reminds me of the private gardens of the more affluent suburbs of West London, but as it is open to the public, all the better. Chiswick House is worth a gander too. read more

Chiswick House and grounds is one of London's hidden gems. Although it's becoming better known, this park is still only really visited by locals in the know. I've been visiting it since I was very young and it hasn't changed one bit since then (and that's quite a few years!). The House is very grand and although I haven't been inside it looks like it could be spectacular. The grounds, however, are what keep me going back time and time again. The great expanses of woods keep the place interesting and it is even possible to get lost there. read more

Great place to walk the dog or go for a spot of tea on a sunday afternoon. beautiful in the summer. quite easy to find an isolated spot and just escape the hustle and bustle of London living. Moments from the thames with a tube and british rail station walking distance away. read more

This used to be a lovely area until it was ruined by corporate hospitality which resulted in heaps of rubbish and thrown away food - oh, and the unsightly metal barriers. read more