london diary

August 2018

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my london diary

Gunnersbury Park & Brentford

Gunnersbury, London. Fri 24 Aug 2018


 

 Lionel Road in Brentford is a building site, closed to traffic, but pedestrians can still walk through

 

 

 

 One of the roads which fetures in Ballards's novels - the elevated section of the M4 above the Great West Rd

 

 This little castle was once the gate tot Gunnerbury Park. Now there is a simple gate in the fence around the corner

 

 The Potomac Lake - a former clay pit
     
 A gothic folly converted from a tile kiln


The temple is the only 18th century building remaining in situ

 At the side of the of the garden front is an archway and steps

 the park was developed by Princess Amelia when she lived here in the 18th century

 

 The garden front

 

 and the 'Small Mansion' nextdoor

 It is a building at risk

 

 

 

 

 but still at least partly in use

 

 The larger house is now Gunnersbury House Musuem

 Events are sometimes held in this long series of rooms facing the garden

 

 with ornate fireplaces

 and a painted ceiling

 

 A large range of kitches was used for preparing the grand banquets used here

 

 And the two French chefs shared this office

 The main stairs

 and the landing, with large prints made from the Autochroms taken around the grounds by Leopold de Rothschild

 They show the place as it was over a hundred years ago - with flamingos

 

 

 

 

the garden slopes away from the house

more pictures
 


 

All pictures on these pages are copyright © Peter Marshall 2018 and may not be reproduced without permission.
Unauthorised copying of images registered at the US Copyright Office may result in punitive damages.

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