Exhibition of Oscar winning costumes from ‘The Duchess’ film

Chiswick House and Gardens

A hidden oasis in the heart of west London.

Set amid the hustle and bustle of west London lies Chiswick House and Gardens, a beautiful and inspiring oasis of tranquility that is uniquely important.

The magnificent neo-Palladian villa is considered a design masterpiece, and the gardens are widely credited as the birthplace of the English landscape movement, creating a revolution in garden design that swept the world.

Over the centuries celebrated figures have come to Chiswick House and Gardens seeking pleasure and inspiration.

The villa was completed by Lord Burlington in 1729 and it was at Chiswick that he entertained notable visitors, such as Handel, Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. This tradition was upheld by the beautiful and controversial Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire who called Chiswick House 'my earthly paradise'. In more recent times, the Beatles used the gardens as the backdrop for 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain'. Today, the property and grounds are enjoyed by 1 million people each year.

Over the next two years, the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust is undertaking one of the country's biggest and most ambitious garden restoration projects, investing £12.1 million to restore the gardens to their full 18th century glory.