New Education Centre Planned at Chiswick House
Underused historical buildings set to be upgraded
Buildings at rear of Conservatory will be redeveloped. Picture: Chiswick House & Gardens Trust
February 12, 2023
Chiswick House is moving ahead with plans for the development of a new education centre and cultural hub in the gardens.
It is planning to transform unused and underused historical buildings adjacent to Dukes Avenue into spaces that will be used for community engagement.
There are significant ‘back of house’ spaces located behind the Conservatory and near to the Kitchen Garden. These spaces are not currently in public use and present opportunities to house the proposed new facilities.
The project forms part of the next phase of the Trust’s ten-year strategy and was initiated in 2021 after funding was secured from the Architectural Heritage Fund – Culture Recovery Fund, funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to put together a plan to develop the site.
This allowed work to be commissioned for three projects which seek to introduce new areas to improve access for the local community and school groups plus a brand-new cultural hub for designers and makers in the ‘back-of-house’ spaces.
The Trust says it has more demand from community groups than it can support and the current facilities for learning and community activity are not fit-for-purpose.
There will be a new education and learning centre with improved workspaces for staff and volunteers, a community space with facilities based on users’ feedback and a creative campus of maker spaces in the former stable buildings, sheds and the current estate offices.
It wants to open access to self-led groups, without the need for staff presence, out of office hours.
Money from the Culture Recovery Fund allowed the Trust to run a pilot project with underrepresented and underserved community groups across the Borough. This allowed it to develop a community participation programme in June 2021 thanks to a three-year grant from The Linbury Trust.
The Trust says that in one year it engaged over 50 community groups and schools, ran 16 community participation projects and reached and engaged over 2,000 people.
Map showing areas where development would take place. Picture: Chiswick House & Gardens Trust
Representatives of key stakeholder and local community groups, including the local authority and English Heritage were consulted, to gather perspectives on potential improvements to the facilities.
Further details of the plans are set to be revealed at an event next month when details of the project will be put on display and the architects will be present to answer questions.
It is understood that, once the final designs have been decided upon, further fundraising may be required to complete the improvements.
The Gardens at Chiswick House & Gardens are open to the public all year round from 7am to dusk. Closed to the public during the winter months, the Kitchen Garden is currently used year-round by multiple local community groups to reconnect with nature and to learn new skills. The Kitchen Garden re-opens on 16 March 2023 for visits Thursday-Sunday, 11am-4pm, until 29 October 2023. Ticket prices start at £2.25 for a child and £4.50 for an adult. Admission is free for Chiswick House & Garden Members.
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