Open House London at Gunnersbury Park and Museum

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A rare opportunity to visit Princess Amelia's bathhouse

Gunnersbury Park Museum

Gunnersbury Park and Museum will once again be part of the world’s largest architecture festival as Open House London returns to the capital. On Sunday 22 September there will be special tours of the park and museum plus visitors will also have the opportunity to look inside some of Gunnersbury’s garden buildings that are not normally open to the public – all free of charge.

Gunnersbury’s history stretches back over a thousand years, but the two mansions currently on the site date from the early 19th century. The largest of these – now home to Gunnersbury Park Museum – was greatly extended and updated by the wealthy Rothschild family who acquired the estate in 1835. The Rothschild’s architect, Sydney Smirke, was responsible for encasing the whole building in a fashionable stucco exterior, which gives the mansion its handsome neo-classical appearance enjoyed by visitors today. Now Grade II* listed, free tours of the museum focussing on the history and architecture of the building and its interior will be available throughout the day on Sunday 22 September.

The Gunnersbury Estate has a total of 21 Historic England listed structures, many of which form striking features within Gunnersbury’s historic parkland and gardens. Free tours of the park will offer an insight into the landscape’s design as well as highlight formal garden features such as the Horseshoe Pond, Italian Garden and Walled Garden which are all benefiting from a recent restoration project run thanks to funding from the Parks for People Heritage Lottery Fund programme.

Prior to the Rothschild’s arrival at Gunnersbury, perhaps the estate’s most famous owner was Princess Amelia, favourite daughter of George II. She purchased Gunnersbury Park in 1761 and reportedly spent over £20,000 (around £2.5 million today) transforming the estate into her summer residence. Princess Amelia enjoyed entertaining, both in the house and in the grounds. Two of her garden buildings survive and visitors will have the rare opportunity to see inside on Sunday 22 September.

The Temple which overlooks the Round Pond is thought to have been designed for her by Sir William Chambers and was probably used for taking refreshments. The brick building is classical in style, with a white wooden pedimented south front with four Doric columns and a frieze with bucrania attached. The Round Pond itself was also created around this time; first appearing on maps in 1777.

The second building to be opened especially for Open House London is Princess Amelia’s Bathhouse. This small building, to the eastern end of the terrace was commissioned by the princess as a bathing house and inside some of the décor from her time at Gunnersbury remains including a grotto decorated with shells, glass, flint and mineral fragments with a deep bathing pool. The gothicised exterior with its pinnacles and mouldings is a later addition, possibly by the Rothschilds.

Gunnersbury Park Museum will be open 10am – 4.30pm and the Temple and Princess Amelia’s
Bathhouse will be open 10am – 4pm on Sunday 22 September. Free tours of the museum and park will leave at regular intervals throughout the day with places allocated on a first come, first served basis. For details of all the free tours available visit www.visitgunnersbury.org