Council leader praises partnership after English landscape birthplace reopens in Hounslow
Councillor Jagdish Sharma, Leader of London Borough of Hounslow, has praised the partnership between the council and the Heritage Lottery Fund after a huge redevelopment project was completed on one of London’s most beautiful outdoor areas.
Chiswick House Gardens, described as ‘the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement’ and the inspiration for New York’s world-famous Central Park, was recently been unveiled to the public after a £12.1m restoration project restored the site after four years of fundraising and two years of development.
Originally built by the third Earl of Burlington in 1729 to showcase his art collection and entertain his guests, the house continues to display many works of art and provides one of London’s most exclusive areas for social gatherings.
The project included the planting of over 1,600 trees couple with the opening up of historic views from the Classic Bridge. Also fully restored was the 19th century conservatory housing a rare and internationally important collection of camellias and the Walled Gardens, which will be open to the public on special days through the year.
The project was funded in the most part by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which made a major grant award of £7.9million towards the project.
The borough has announced after the success of the project that it will be actively seeking out similar funding streams to redevelop other public areas.
Councillor Jagdish Sharma Leader of London Borough of Hounslow said:
“Chiswick House Gardens is truly one of Hounslow’s gems. When we were first approached by English Heritage to discuss options for the restoration of the site, it was something we were delighted to take forward.
“Although it took many years of negotiations, discussion and planning, the formation of the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust has been key to delivering the highest standards of restoration and ongoing management of the Gardens. The partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund was invaluable to restoring this world-famous area to its former glory.
“I think all visitors will all agree with me that the results of their hard work are outstanding. While the Trust will manage the entire site, these beautiful gardens will remain a public park, and somewhere that visitors, whether they are from the local community, from across London, across the country or from even further afield, can discover the rich history and beauty of this unique west London estate.”
July 21, 2010