Friday, 30th June, 2023
Our first destination today was Chiswick House and Gardens.
It is in a very nice part of London with lots of trees and wide
streets. We had breakfast at Côte. This looked like it was going to
be expensive (table cloths, linen napkins) but a full English
breakfast was only £11.95 so it wasn't too bad financially and it
was delicious! It's a chain so if we find another one, we will go
there!
The current Chiswick House was completed in 1729 in a Neo-Palladian style.
The estate covers 65 acres and includes a number of follies,
glasshouses and formal gardens. The last permanent resident was
William Cavendish who died in 1811. Until 1892, it was let to a
variety of tenants including the future King Edward Vll. It then
became the Chiswick Asylum for wealthy male and female patients. In
1929, it was sold to the local council and it is now managed by
English Heritage. We were allowed to take photos in some (but not
all) of the rooms.
The gardens are extensive and we enjoyed wandering around them
particularly the Kitchen Garden. Unfortunately, the glasshouse and
the gardens immediately in front of it were being used for a wedding
so we didn't get to see them.
The Lake at Chiswick House
A Eurasian Coot with its chick
Looking up into the dome of the Octagon Hall
A ceiling
A detail of the fireplace
Another ceiling
Another ceiling
This gateway was designed by Inigo Jones.
The Elephant in the Garden
The Glasshouse
The Gates to the Kitchen Garden
This sounds like an interesting way to add new plants to one's
garden.
Borage
Nearby is Hogarth's House. The
English artist, William Hogarth, used
it as his country retreat from 1749 until his death in 1764. It is a
small, three-storey house which has been restored and is open to the
public with free entry. Two of the three storeys were open. The
mulberry tree in the garden is believed to have been planted in the
1670s and is the last survivor of an orchard. It still bears fruit!
A copy of William Hogarth's self portrait
Hogarth's Sisters
The Enraged Musician, 1741
The scene may be near St Martin's-in-the-Fields. The musician
at an open window is covering his ears against the typical
noises of the street. A ballad-seller chants, her baby cries,
a milkmaid and other street-traders cry their wares, a small
boy plays a drum and another urinates under the startled gaze
of a small girl with a rattle, an itinerant oboist plays, a
knife-grinder sharpens a cleaver, and cats screech on a roof.
The Mulberry Bush in Hogarth's Garden
We returned to our accommodation for a quick dinner before heading
off to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, for a performance of Disney's
"Frozen". This theatre had much better seating than we have
experienced of late and the show included high quality singing and
acting, and excellent special effects. Very entertaining!
This view of the theatre reminded me very
much of the Melbourne Town Hall.
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, is certainly a magnificent
building!