Osterley Park and House

Osterley House

Looking for a place to go yesterday with a friend I came across Osterley Park. My friend had been there years ago, but I'd never been. So we met in London and headed out on the Picaddilly tube line to Osterley, near Isleworth. From there it is well sign-posted, so even I couldn't get lost!

The house is owned by the National Trust, so if you are member that's free entry. I have my Art Fund card, which also gave me free entry. Best thing I ever did was to have an annual subscription to the Art Fun as it gives such good discounts and many free entries, and not just to galleries.

Osterley House was built in the 1570's by Sir Thomas Gresham but two hundred years later it was owned by the Child's family who asked Robert Adam to redesign the house, including adding a corridor for storage and to enable the servants to moved through the house without entering the state rooms. The rooms are sumptuous, and though very different, they reminded me of the extravagance of the rooms in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Adam loved large mirrors and these reflect the wondrous ceilings and walls. In one room the ceiling and carpet match in design. I was quite blown away by these rooms, the detail and the many marigolds engraved into everything - doors, furniture etc.

The Child's family were big in the Banking business (where the marigold theme comes from) and also the East India Company. You can book a tour of the upper rooms and the kitchen, but we were too late for that yesterday, however the first floor was beautiful and was enough for the time we had available. There is garden with a garden room and Temple of Pan (due for restoration), a wonderful cafe, shop and second hand book shop. The rest of the grounds are extensive with lakes. I'd like to go back one day and walk the perimeter.