Hounslow Heritage Guides' Season Begins in Gunnersbury Park
Special bank holiday walk to mark the centenary
A previous Hounslow Heritage Guides walk.
May 20, 2026
The Hounslow Heritage Guides have announced their full programme of guided walks for 2026, offering residents and visitors the chance to explore the borough’s history, landscapes and hidden stories at a gentle Sunday pace. Now in their thirty-second year, the volunteer-led group continues to uncover the layers of Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth through a mix of long-running favourites and one-off special tours.
This year’s season begins on the Spring Bank Holiday, Monday 25 May, with a special launch walk celebrating the centenary of Gunnersbury Park’s public ownership. The tour traces the estate’s long history, from its Anglo-Saxon origins to its transformation under the Rothschild family, and sets the tone for a summer of storytelling across the borough. Meet 2.30 p.m. outside Gunnersbury Park Museum to find out the past history of one of London’s largest parks and see recent improvements. The walk costs £5, pay the guide on the day.
From June to October, walks take place on Sundays at 2.30pm, with routes ranging from riverside rambles to explorations of industrial heritage, lost mansions, artists’ haunts and the borough’s more macabre tales. The programme includes several once-only tours for 2026, including Brentford Past and Present, Hounslow Heath, Chiswick Village, Isleworth Graveyard to Cemetery and Chiswick Ghosts and Bodies.
The Guides emphasise accessibility and community involvement. All walks are taken at a gentle pace, last around ninety minutes and cost £5, with children free. Most routes are circular, except those marked as linear. No booking is required; participants simply pay the guide on the day.
The group also supports the annual Open City London Festival in September, offering free tours in Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth as part of the borough’s contribution to the capital-wide celebration of architecture and heritage.
For those who want to delve deeper, the Guides offer private walks and illustrated talks by arrangement. Further details are available at www.hounslow-heritage.org.uk.
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