Open City Friend's Tour of Pitzhanger Manor, Sunday 30th July 11am

Friends are invited to a tour around Pitzhanger Manor on Sunday 30th July at 11am

This tour coincides with the Pitzhanger Manor exhibition: Antony Caro: The Inspiration of Architecture

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Pitzhanger Manor Museum is a Regency Villa designed by Sir John Soane (1753-1837) one of England's greatest architects, as his country house in Ealing. In his own home, Soane was free to employ many of his highly individual ideas in the design and decoration of the house. For many years the building was used as a public library. When the library moved in 1984, a programme of restoration work was undertaken and since 1987 the house has been opened to visitors. The main rooms available for the public to view currently are the Library, the Breakfast Room, the Small Drawing Room and, in the George Dance Wing, the Eating Room and Drawing Room dating from the 1760s.

The restoration of the Principal Bedchamber has been undertaken with the assistance of a grant from the Heritage of London and Leche Trusts. Extensive research work had to be undertaken with the support and guidance of the Curator of the Soane Museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields Margaret Richardson and curators in the Furniture Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum Frances Collard and Wendy Hefford and by the architect responsible for all the restoration work, John Wibberley.

The opening of the restored Bedchamber provides visitors with an enhanced experience of the domestic life of a small country house and create another point of interest in the house. The building stands in Walpole Park which was formerly the ornamental gardens and parkland to the house, designed for Soane by John Haverfield in 1800.

Further restoration work is planned in the house and to the ornamental arch at the entrance of the grounds, also designed by Soane. Visitors will also have an opportunity to view other restoration work undertaken recently and proposed work.

Future development of the site includes the conversion of the existing annexe to the Manor into an art gallery. This annexe was built between 1937 and 1940 on the site of the original servants' quarters and provides an ideal space for a gallery, with a glazed dome and a system of top lighting utilising concepts originally employed by Soane in his design for the Fonthill and Dulwich Galleries. It has become a venue for high quality exhibitions of the work of contemporary artists and craftspeople.

The museum is also used as a venue for small scale performances of music, poetry and drama and a regular lecture programme on such subject areas as literature, the decorative arts, architecture, music, the Regency period and historic gardens.

Meet: Meet at the reception desk in the gallery space.
Address: Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, Ealing Grn, London W5 5EQ

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This event is for Open City Friends Only