Chiswick Landmarks Join Open House Festival

An opportunity to get rare access to local architectural gems


New Fauconberg Cottage is viewable if booked in advanced . Picture: Hounslow Council

September 5, 2025

The Open House Festival returns from Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 September, offering residents and visitors the chance to step inside buildings not normally open to the public.

The two-week celebration highlights both historic and contemporary design, while also including guided walks through Brentford, Isleworth and Chiswick.

The highlights in Chiswick include a mixture of early Georgian heritage, Victorian civic architecture, pioneering suburban design and striking contemporary homes.

  • New Fauconberg Cottage in Grove Park opens on Saturday 13 September. Tucked away in Grove Park, this modern house is distinguished by its sculptural timber cladding. Guided tours are available but require advance booking via the festival website.
  • Hogarth’s House hosts drop-in events from 16 to 20 September. Visitors can view one of the largest public collections of William Hogarth’s prints, alongside a walled garden and a curved-glass extension inspired by Hogarth’s “Line of Beauty”. Each afternoon at 3.30pm, a short talk explores themes of senses and feelings in Hogarth’s world.
  • Chiswick Town Hall , first built in 1876 as a vestry, will open its doors for guided visits. With Victorian and Edwardian interiors decorated with tiling and stained glass, it is regarded as one of London’s most striking civic halls. Exact timings are still to be confirmed.
  • Bedford Park , often described as the world’s first garden suburb, marks its 150th anniversary with a programme of events on Saturday 20 September. St Michael and All Angels Church will host an exhibition and talks on the area’s radical past, while curator Nick Bueno de Mesquita will give talks at 11.30am and 1.15pm. A guided walking tour of the estate follows from 2pm to 4.30pm.
  • The Victorian Society headquarters at 1 Priory Gardens will be open on Saturday 13 September, from 11am to 5pm, giving visitors a chance to explore a Picturesque-style house designed by E.J. May, with light refreshments available.

For those planning a full day in the area, the festival suggests combining a visit to New Fauconberg Cottage with Hogarth’s House, before continuing to Chiswick Town Hall and Bedford Park. A hidden-river walk along Stamford Brook is also included in the local programme.

Across the borough of Hounslow, 31 events at 18 venues form part of the Council’s Summer of Culture programme, with all activities free of charge.

In addition to Chiswick’s venues, sites in Brentford and Isleworth will be open, some for the first time. The borough’s guided walking tours are designed to link together architecture, heritage and community life.

Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, said, “Hounslow is home to an extraordinary mix of historic landmarks, innovative architecture and community spaces. Our Open House Festival gives residents and visitors the chance to see behind the scenes, meet the people who care for these places, and discover more about the borough we call home.”

The Open House Festival is organised by the architecture education charity Open City. Bookings for ticketed events open from midday on Wednesday 20 August, and visitors must create a free account on the festival website to reserve places.

The full borough programme, including venues with restricted entry, is listed on programme.openhouse.org.uk.

 

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