Chiswick House & Gardens is a vital and beautiful green haven that holds a special place in the lives of the local community. Admired around the world for the spectacular Grade I listed gardens, nurtured alongside the beautiful 18th-century Palladian villa, at its heart is the Kitchen Garden, an enchanting, productive space that has offered visitors beauty, pleasure and a deep connection to the seasons for over 300 years.
Today, the biggest challenge is tomorrow: ensuring these beautiful spaces thrive for future generations.
A £6.2 million capital redevelopment programme to develop Artists’ Studios, a Learning Hub and a new community garden is bold and necessary, to ensure this vital and historic green haven not only survives but thrives for years to come.
Long-forgotten, under-used spaces around the Kitchen Garden are being transformed into places that bring our heritage to life in creative, inclusive and practical ways. Places where schoolchildren can learn, artists can work, communities can gather, and families and friends can celebrate together. Rooted in heritage and designed for the future, the Trust will inspire, educate and connect our local community, while also generating vital new income for the ongoing care of the House and Gardens.
Why we need your support
Every year, our partnerships with local groups and schools deepen as we create projects together around horticulture and creativity that boost wellbeing, mental health, and confidence. We need to do more, but we can’t because our current facilities just aren’t big enough or good enough to reach more of the people that need us.
We also need to do more to ensure that the gardens and the House survive and thrive for another 300 years. As a charity, we must raise 75% of our income: that’s £1million+ of crucial funding that gets tougher to find every year.
The Kitchen Garden is a growing space: a vital community hub and a productive haven. Intensive consultation and planning, combined with recent experience, reveals that the work here provides real answers for our future.
Where will the new Learning Hub and community garden be?
The Learning Hub and community garden will be centred around the tranquillity and beauty of the Kitchen Garden. Nineteen Artists’ Studios are already housed in refurbished historic sheds and stables.
New buildings and a rescued 17th century walled garden will provide a home for our expanding Schools Programme, enable us to welcome twice as many partners to our community programme and provide inspiring new spaces to hire for celebrations and events. They will also create new volunteering opportunities to meet the demand for these roles, welcoming the community to care for these spaces together.
How much have we raised so far?
Thanks to our generous funders and supporters, we have raised over £5.2 million for this project. The final funds were raised through a successful Crowdfunder that ran between March – April 2026 which was widely supported by the local community, including first-time donors. Every supporter is vital to the long-term future of these spaces.
Watch our campaign film:
What now?
Work began on the first phase of the project in January 2025, culminating in the creation of the Artists’ Studios. The Studios were completed on time and on budget in May 2025 with artists moving in over June and July that year.
Construction of the next phase, the Learning Hub & Yard and Kitchen Garden Hub started in November 2025 and will be complete in early summer, giving us time to get ready for the full launch of our expanding Schools & Community programme in September 2026.
These new community spaces will mean we can:
- Welcome ten times as many schoolchildren and twice as many charity partners to experience the joy of being outdoors and connecting with nature
- Expand volunteer opportunities, enabling even more people to participate in the care of these beautiful spaces and find a sense of wellbeing and connection
- Create crucial new income for the Trust through hire for celebrations, classes and meetings
- Provide our volunteers & visiting groups with much needed additional space, shade and shelter
Interested in supporting the future of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust? Get in touch with Sue Sandle, Head of Development, to discuss how you would like to support this exciting project.
In partnership with:
