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Boston Manor House

Boston Manor House is a Grade II* listed Jacobean manor house located in Brentford, West London. It is believed to have been built in the early 17th century, and it is one of the few surviving Jacobean manor houses in the city.

The house is constructed of red brick with stone dressings and has a hipped roof. It is built in the shape of an "E," with the main entrance located at the centre of the east wing. The house has two main stories, as well as attics and basements.

The interior of the house features a number of original Jacobean features, including panelling, plasterwork, and fireplaces. The Great Hall is particularly impressive, with a large fireplace and ornate plasterwork ceiling. There is also a long gallery on the first floor, which was a popular feature in Jacobean houses and was used for entertaining and socialising.

In the 19th century, the house was home to the Neale family, who made a number of alterations to the property. The most significant of these was the construction of a large conservatory on the west wing of the house. This was a popular addition to Victorian homes, as it allowed the residents to enjoy the outdoors even in inclement weather.

Boston Manor House has a long history and has undergone a number of changes over the years. Despite these changes, it has managed to retain many of its original Jacobean features and is a beautiful example of this architectural style. The house is now open to the public and is a popular tourist attraction in London. It is also available for private events, such as weddings and corporate functions.

In addition to the main house, there are also formal gardens surrounding the property. These gardens are laid out in the style of the 17th century and feature a number of impressive features, including a parterre, a rose garden, and a herb garden. The gardens are a popular spot for visitors to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the house.

Boston Manor House is a fascinating and beautiful historical property that is well worth a visit for anyone interested in the history and architecture of London. It is a unique and charming piece of the city's history that has been well preserved and maintained, and it offers visitors a glimpse into the life of the wealthy Jacobean elite.

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Boston Manor House is a fine Jacobean manor house, built in 1623. It has hosted distinguished visitors including King William IV and John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States. Set back from Boston Manor Road in Brentford, the three-storey building is situated in Boston Manor Park, a splendid public park which contains a nature trail, lake, and ancient cedar trees.

Location & Opening Hours

Boston Manor House Boston Manor Rd Brentford, TW8 9JX

Opening Hours

Open Tuesday–Sunday, 12pm–5pm. Free entry.

By public transport

Both Boston Manor tube station (Piccadilly Line) and Brentford train station (SW Railway) are 10-15 minutes’ walk from Boston Manor House.

The 195 (Hayes-Brentford) and E8 (Hounslow-Ealing Broadway) buses stop outside the manor at The Ride bus stop.

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Boston Manor House: A Hidden Gem In West London

The perfect day out awaits....

If you're looking for day out inspiration, somewhere that feels a world away from the hustle and bustle London, yet is still easily accessible on public transport, then look no further than the grandeur of Boston Manor House .

Nestled in the beautiful Boston Manor Park in Brentford - which features a picturesque lake and woodland with ancient cedar trees - the Jacobean manor house is a Grade-I listed mansion first built in 1623 for Lady Mary Reade, a young widow who later married Sir Edward Spencer, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Open to the public six days a week you can explore the exquisite historic rooms (where Grazia recently shot its cover story with Saltburn actress Rosamund Pike) which have been brought back to life as part of an extensive regeneration project.

Rather than restoring every room to look as it did in one particular period of its history, conservation teams looked to the strongest surviving evidence of a decorative style in a room, and restored the interior to that period. Which means you will find rooms in 17th, 18th and 19th Century styles across the House. From breathtakingly ornate plasterwork to stunning wallpapers and tapestries, it's an interiors lovers' dream. (If you're looking for a show-stopping wedding venue in London, Boston Manor House is available for private hire.)

The House is just a 10-minute walk from Boston Manor underground station on the Piccadilly Line, and from Brentford train station. Entry is free, too. Each month the House hosts visitor events, from community walks in the park grounds, to heritage talks and family-friendly activities (check the website to see what's coming up next), plus there's a modern cafe for refreshments.

If you want to be transported to another time, and discover the splendour of one of London's great historic homes, put Boston Manor House top of your list for your next day trip.

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Open House Festival

Boston manor house.

historical house

Boston Manor House, Boston Manor Road, Brentford, TW8 9JX

Boston Manor House is a Jacobean House built for Lady Mary Reade in 1623 and later owned by the Clitherow family from the 1670s until the 1920s. The House is now open to the public with free entry six days a week. Its beautifully restored historic interiors, including breath-taking ornate plasterwork, are joined by two community exhibition galleries, meeting rooms and an attractive modern café.

Getting there

Boston Manor

E8, 195, H91

Additional travel info

Cycleway 9 comes by the front of the House. We are close to the River Brent and Grand Union Canal in Brentford.

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• Family-friendly event
• Large print guides

Accessibility notes

Level access via café terrace at Park side entrance or ramp at front entrance the House. Foldable gallery stools available.

What you can expect

House has some bright colours (wall paint, fabrics and wallpaper) in some of the historic rooms. Audio from 3 sets of mannequins.

Create a free visitor account to book festival tickets

Guided tour

10:00–11:30

Renovation tour including attic (quieter time)

This tour will walk visitors through the House, including the attic, providing information on the latest renovation of the House (2018-23).

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

13:00–14:30

Wallpaper tour with show and tell

This tour will focus on the historic wallpapers from the House, with a show and tell of selected fragments uncovered during the renovation.

15:00–16:00

Colour-themed tour

This tour will walk visitors through the most striking colours found in the house and talk them through the curatorial research involved.

Costumed Interpretation tour

Costumed Interpretation tour with portrayal of Lady Mary Reade, who Boston Manor House was originally built for in 1622-23.

History of the House

Boston Manor House is a Jacobean Manor House, built in 1622-3. There was a Tudor mansion on site previously, but it was cleared to build the current house. The House has large park grounds (28-30 acres) which have recently completed development through a separate National Lottery Heritage and Community Funded project. Queen Elizabeth I granted Boston Manor to Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester who immediately sold it to Sir Thomas Gresham, an internationally wealthy merchant and financier who had also bought Osterley as his summer residence. He later founded the Royal Exchange. As Gresham died without children, the property went to his stepson (Sir William Reade) who lived in Osterley so had to obtain a Patent of Possession in 1610 from James I so that he could inherit. He married Mary Goldsmith who built Boston Manor House in 1622–3, immediately after Sir William Reade's death. She then married Sir Edward Spencer of Althorp, who gained ownership and appears to have bought out the claim of the late William Reade's heirs so that, upon her death in 1658, the lands passed to Lady Mary's heir, John Goldsmith.

In 1670, his executors sold Boston Manor House to another very wealthy city merchant: James Clitherow I and the Clitherow family owned Boston Manor from 1670-1922. John Bourchier Stracey-Clitherow was the last private owner of Boston Manor. The House and the surrounding 20 acres was purchased by the Brentford Urban District Council and opened as a public park in 1924.

The House reopened to the public in July 2023 after a five-year restoration programme, which has seen it completely refurbished with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a range of other funders.

The House has not been restored to look as it did in one particular period of its history. Instead, wherever there was the strongest surviving evidence of a decorative style in a room, the room was restored to that period. This means Boston Manor House has rooms in 17th, 18th and 19th century styles.

Online presence

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Boston Manor House: Renewal and recovery

Boston Manor House in Brentford, Greater London
— owned by the London Borough of Hounslow — is a 17th-century house that has undergone a sensitive restoration and now offers fascinating insights into changing domestic tastes, as Charles O’Brien explains.

Boston Manor House, Brentford, was put up for sale after the First World War in the face of the inexorable expansion of London. In 1924, it was purchased by the local council and preserved within its immediate setting. Last featured in Country Life in 1965, after it had been repaired by Donald Insall & Partners, this splendid example of a 17th-century suburban country house subsequently fell into serious disrepair. It has now been recovered from that state and its interiors represented in exemplary fashion by a team led by Harriet Pillman of Purcell for London Borough of Hounslow.

The house was built in the early 17th century for Mary Reade, widow of Sir William Reade, who inherited Boston, together with Osterley, from his mother, Ann, the widow of Thomas Gresham. The couple probably lived in an old house here when Osterley was tenanted by Sir Edward Coke, but William’s death in 1621 provided Mary with the impetus for comprehensive reconstruction. Three lead rainwater hoppers are dated 1622 with her initials.

Fig 2: The state drawing room, formerly the great chamber. Its grand plasterwork ceiling bears the date 1623 and Mary Reade’s initials. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

The result is a fine example of the type of compactly planned house favoured by City merchants ( Fig 1 ). It is built of red brick laid in English bond to create a block six bays wide, four deep and three storeys high. A deep cornice runs around the building and demarcates the third storey with its crown of gables, three to the longer sides, two at the short end. The main front to the east appears regular with a central door, now enclosed by a porch, but the rear of the house is slightly chaotic, with the cornice broken to accommodate staircase windows and the gables are entirely unrelated to the placing of the windows below ( Fig 8 ). Now hidden within the roof space between the fourth and fifth bays are two north-facing brick gables, each decorated with an oculus, proving the top storey originally ended here. The brickwork in the lower floors north of this line is carried on without interruption, so these storeys probably existed in the 1620s and, at ground floor, no doubt contained the kitchens, perhaps with other service rooms retained from the older house adjoining.

In 1670, the manor and other lands were purchased by James Clitherow, City merchant and banker. His business activities are detailed meticulously in account books, which record his payment of £5,336 for Boston. Rainwater heads dated 1671 correspond with a record of his having disbursed £1,439 on the house. It would appear, then, that he added the attic at least to the north end and may have adjusted the height of the upper storey and built or heightened the chimneys at this end. No trace remains of mullioned and transomed Jacobean windows, the openings having been recast as thick, stuccoed Classical frames. These may be 1670s, but, if so, they must have been sashed later. Curiously, one bay on the south side of the house is blind and painted with imitation frames.

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The interior expresses the early-17th-century fashion for double-pile plans with principal ground- and first-floor rooms sharing a spine wall for fireplaces. The present entrance hall and dining room may originally have been combined as the hall. Beyond the spine wall to the rear of the house would have been the great parlour and, facing the front door, the magnificent surviving main stair ( Fig 7 ).

Fig 3: The neo-Jacobean hall screen. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

One of the chief wonders of the house is the way in which it preserves so many layers of decoration. These chart the changing face of the interior over two centuries. The decoration of the Jacobean staircase balustrade, for example, is repeated in contemporary trompe l’oeil on the walls, a conceit that occurs at Knole, Kent, a few years earlier. The lower treads are walnut and the landing has a floor of the same wood laid in a diamond-chequer pattern, like parquet. This seems advanced for the 1620s, so may be late 17th century.

Emulation of Court fashion by the London merchant class is also evident in the magnificent ceiling plasterwork of the state drawing room, formerly the great chamber, on the first floor ( Fig 2 ). This bears the date 1623 and Mary Reade’s initials. Geometric fields of enriched ribs contain strapwork, cartouches and medallions with allegorical representations of Peace and War, the five Senses, the four Elements, the Theological Virtues, Time and Plenty ( Fig 4 ). The Elements derive from 16th-century prints by Gheeraerts. Other motifs—as art historian Anthony Wells-Cole has discovered—are drawn from the work of Frans Floris and the elaborate chimneypiece derives from a set of engravings of scenes from the life of Perseus by Abraham de Bruyn. Here, however, the central medallion presents the Sacrifice of Isaac after a print by Egbert van Panderen, in place of Andromeda’s rescue. The same engravings were the source of overmantels at Charlton House, Greenwich, east London (1607–12), the house intended for Prince Henry.

In the 19th century the mouldings and borders of the great-chamber plasterwork were ‘picked out in red, and the Latin names of the subjects in gilt letters’; this was by George Hawksley of Grays Inn Road, who extensively redecorated the interiors in 1847. The 1960s redecoration was also highly coloured, but now returned to a correct off-white. How the walls were treated originally is unknown, but the refurbishment has given this room a more definite 18th-century character, with panelled dado and silk damask hangings of dazzling blue, made by Humphries Weaving.

Fig 4: Detail of the state-bedchamber ceiling. The figure of Peace is identified by an inscription in the border above her head. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

A panel has been made in the silk, which opens to reveal surviving Victorian flock wallpaper beneath. This is probably the material referred to in Hawksley’s bill as ‘22 pieces of crimson and green… flock’ (and beneath which has been discovered a fragment of yet earlier flock wallpaper). The style suggests it is one of Thomas Willement’s designs. Furniture sold from this room in 1922 has been copied by A. T. Cronin, with blue damask upholstery and checked case covers, and the appearance given of a room of parade, well suited to its future purpose as a general function room.

Behind the drawing room is the state bedchamber, with another very fine ribbed ceiling with pendants and a medallion of Hope. A similar ceiling pattern was at Bury Hall, Edmonton, north London (now demolished), which suggests that the plasterer was much in demand. A bolection-moulded marble fireplace is perhaps of Christopher Clitherow’s time (1682–1727) and two more are on the second floor. The room has now returned to its historic function with a bed frame of early-17th-century type, its dimensions determined by a 1620s bedspread sold in 1922 ( Fig 6 ). Annabel Westman advised on all the textiles for the restoration. Walls have been hung with painted linens by Zardi & Zardi, replicating tapestries at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire. The mini-suite is completed by the state dressing room, now decorated with loom widths of different cloth hung vertically as ‘paned’ hangings.

Fig 5: The dining room, redecorated to its vivid Victorian colours. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

North of the drawing room is the Oak Room (or Mr Clitherow’s Room), evidently of the 1670s, with the space for its strong room now occupied by a discreetly installed passenger lift. Across the passage is another room, of Georgian appearance. One wall has layers of historical decoration: wallpaper of a trellis pattern with flowers printed in white, dated by Allyson McDermott to the mid 18th century, covers plaster painted in two tones to look like panelling, probably of 17th-century date.

It’s hard to date many of the decorative schemes precisely, but one notable exception is a scenic wallpaper—first rediscovered in 1961—that decorates the top section of the Jacobean staircase. Unusually, it is printed in four squares to produce a panorama of young men contemplating the remains of a Corinthian temple, an obelisk and a sphinx. There was a brief fashion in about 1760 for papers depicting Grand Tour vignettes of classical ruins and this can presumably be associated, therefore, with redecoration undertaken by James and Ann Clitherow after their marriage in 1757. The paper and its border has been digitally copied and reprinted to cover the lower flights of the stair (which it also originally decorated).

Fig 6: The re-created state bedchamber, with a bed frame of 17th-century type and painted linens replicating tapestries. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

Col James Clitherow, who inherited in 1805, made a firm and lasting friendship with William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV), resulting in a dinner for the royal couple at Boston in 1834. Records for his adjustments are patchy and there is little now that speaks of his time following major redecoration by his cousin Gen John Clitherow in 1847. His architect is unknown, but, externally, this period is announced by the entrance gates and large stone porch, in a heavy Jacobean Revival style. The entrance hall was wider in 1790, when a plan of the house was made, so the present narrow shape must be 19th century. It has a plaster ceiling of credible Jacobean-style plasterwork that appears to go with the hefty stone screen between hall and stair, the details of which faithfully copy those of the drawing-room chimneypiece.

George Hawksley records painting the screen in 1847 and one must assume that it was installed at this time ( Fig 3 ). Hawksley simultaneously embellished the stair newels with lions carrying shields painted with arms of the Clitherows and related families. Pretty painted glass—including a roundel with the arms of Col James Clitherow and his wife, Jane Snow—has been revealed in the upper light of the screen and shields of owners of Boston manor from the time of Edward I to Gen John Clitherow formerly adorned the walls. Hawksley in 1847 refers to ‘painting out old crests, laying in Grounds, and repainting crests and mottos upon the hall chairs’.

Fig 7: The Jacobean staircase, with reprinted 1760s wallpaper. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

The dining room must have been extended to its present length at this time, oddly taking in the left sidelight of the 18th-century entrance. The cornice and plaster frames for paintings appear to date from this change. The refurbishment revealed the cornice to have a stencilled frieze, the pattern of which matches the grained and painted surface of the mid-18th-century chimneypiece. This type of decoration also survives in the former library behind. Walls have been repainted to their vivid Victorian red and, to complement this, crimson curtains of stamped plush velvet were commissioned by Mrs Westman, fringed in gold and red ( Fig 5 ). Some portraits in this room had been dispersed in the 1922 sale, but subsequently recovered by Hounslow Council: Christopher Clitherow (1666–1727) by Kneller and James Clitherow (1766–1841), at the age of 18, by Romney. The same James as an older man is portrayed by H. W. Pickersgill, a picture originally hung in the offices of Hanwell Asylum.

The long brick service wing attached to the north end of the house is of multiple 18th- and 19th-century dates, sensitively remade as Maker Spaces and converted into a café with a terrace now opening onto the garden and park. The grounds still evoke the mid 18th century, when fish ponds detailed in a valuation of 1719 were reformed into a lake and the first of the cedar trees planted. Arthur Devis painted James and Ann Clitherow in their remodelled park in 1757, a picture sadly missing since the sale of 1922. Its rediscovery would round off the achievement of returning Boston Manor to its earlier glory.

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Fig 8: The garden front, with its asymmetrically arranged windows. The service wing is to the left. Boston Manor, Brentford. Photo: Will Pryce for Country Life

Acknowledgements: Harriet Pillman and John Collins

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Boston Manor House

Under Construction

© Diane Auckland and fotohaus ltd

Boston Manor is a Grade I-listed Jacobean mansion – one of West London’s lesser-known gems – undergoing extensive restoration to transform the house into an engaging, vibrant visitor destination.

The restoration of Boston Manor House will create an engaging hub for the local Brentford community whilst ensuring its sustainable future. New visitor facilities, event spaces, upgrades to the historic fabric and improved accessibility throughout the building will facilitate a high level of continued and increased social value within Hounslow. Interactive educational programmes, new meeting facilities for local businesses, and Maker Spaces for local makers, will further strengthen links between the Grade I listed Jacobean house and the community.

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Boston Manor House, Brentford TW8 9JX, UK

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London Borough of Hounslow

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Boston Manor House

• Venue information

Open to the public

Historic house or home in Hounslow

Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Middlesex, Greater London TW8 9JX England

[email protected]

0845 456 2800

Boston Manor House is open to visitors on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, 12pm–5pm.

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Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society

Brentford’s jewel: boston manor house.

by Janet McNamara

Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal 6 (1997)

Boston Manor House has undergone a two-year refurbishment programme and re-opened to the public in April 1997. In addition to the drawing room and staircase which have been open on summer weekends for many years, visitors will now be able to see the dining room and library, which have never been opened before. The newly-opened rooms will have reproduction furniture which fits the character of the house, and many pictures of the local area, owned by the London Borough of Hounslow, will be on show adding further interest to one of the treasures of Brentford. This seems a good time to give a brief account of the house’s history.

The manor of Boston At the time of the Domesday Survey of 1086, the manor of Boston was part of the parish of Hanwell. The manor was bounded by the River Brent to the west; Half Acre/Boston Manor Road to the east; the line of what is now the Piccadilly underground track to the north and the Thames in the south. The name ‘Boston’ (recorded as Bordestun in 1377) is thought to mean ‘Bord’s farm’. In 1280 the manor was held by the Benedictine Priory of St Helen’s Bishopsgate who were granted a charter for a market and a fair in 1306.

In 1538, at the Dissolution of the monasteries, the manor reverted to the Crown and was given by Edward VI to the Duke of Somerset. After his execution Elizabeth I gave it to the Earl of Leicester. He sold it to Sir Thomas Gresham who added Boston to his estate at Osterley. Sir Thomas’s wife inherited his properties and left Boston Manor to a son by a previous marriage. This was William Reade, who was knighted by James I in 1610. In 1621 the estate passed to his wife who was 30 years his junior.

Boston Manor House, pen and ink sketch from Chiswick Library Local Studies Collection

The Jacobean house Lady Mary Reade then began building the present house. It is shown at the bottom of Moses Glover’s 1635 map of the area which hangs in Syon House – a square red brick house with three storeys and two gables, the property of Sir Edward Spencer who had married Lady Mary shortly after the house was completed. The older manor house is shown as a large rambling building alongside. In spite of more than 350 years of additions and alterations, this square Jacobean house still stands and its rarity led it to be listed as an Ancient Monument in 1996.

Many of the original Jacobean features remain; the most spectacular being the elaborate plaster ceiling in the Drawing Room, restored in the 1960s. This ceiling, described as ‘the high watermark of Jacobean elaboration’ is thought to have been executed by the same craftsmen as a ceiling in Blickling Hall, Norfolk. This style of ceiling was fashionable at the time, with owners choosing patterns and symbols from published books of designs.

Lady Mary selected emblems depicting the Elements, the Five Senses, War and Peace (twice), Tune, and Faith, Hope and Charity, with some labelled in Latin, some in English. She also elected to have her initials and the date 1623 included. The design of the plaster overmantel is from a 1584 engraving by Abraham de Bruyn with a central medallion showing Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, but being prevented from doing so by an angel. The inscription ‘in the Mount of the Lord it shall be seene’ has been ingeniously shortened to fit the panel below.

Lady Mary and her husband both died during the 1650s and it seems that the house was damaged by fire about the same time and the manorial records destroyed.

The home of the Clitherow family In 1670 Lady Mary’s trustees sold the estate to James Clitherow, a City merchant and banker whose father had been an MP and Lord Mayor of London. With his City connections one wonders how he came to move to New Brentford. Possibly he was related to the Hawley family who held the lease for Brentford Market – he is reported to have been churchwarden at St Lawrence’s ‘with his cousin Hawley’ in 1673/4. Another possibility is that his third wife was Elizabeth Barker of the family that lived at Grove House, Chiswick during the 17th century. Clitherow paid £5,136.17s.4d (£5,136.87) for his new property and spent another £1,439.12s.9d (£1,439.63) on repairs and on building an extra gable to the house. It is likely that the pediment window surrounds and architraves were added at this time. The older manor house that stood on the lawn was also demolished.

The Clitherow family were to remain in the possession of the house until 1924. Over the years many alterations were made, the house extended northwards and a stable block built about 1700. Early in the 19th century, the fourth James Clitherow added a porch to the front, built a screen across the hall and added lions to the newel posts. A hundred years’ later, when the Clitherow family’s main residence was in East Yorkshire, the house was condemned as unfit for human habitation.

Repairs were carried out and the house was put up for sale just after World War I. A buyer could not be found so the house contents – including paintings by old masters and family portraits – were sold off. The house and 20 acres of land were bought by the Brentford Urban District Council which opened the grounds as a public park.

From about 1941 to 1961 the ground floor of the house was used as a primary school. It was restored and in 1963 leased to the National Institute of Houseworkers Ltd. A housing association took over the lease in 1972; it now has flats on the top floor of the main house, in the north wing and in the recently-converted stables.

The house is open from the first weekend in April until October, from 2.30pm to 5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. There will be special events on June 14 and 15 1997.

Note: During 2011 the House is likely to remain scaffolded and closed while restoration work is arranged.

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A look around Boston Manor House

Sitting half way between posh Chiswick and ahem, less posh Hounslow lies Boston Manor, named after a Manor House – and one of the ancient manors of Middlesex.

A short walk from the suitably named tube station is Boston Manor Park, which was once the private gardens of the Lord of the Manor and now a public park and nature reserve, and sitting inside is the eponymous manor house itself.

Although owned by the local council since 1923, it was only opened to the public in 1963, but has been closed since 2006 due to structural problems.

This weekend it reopened. Well, a bit of it opened again. A very small bit. But probably the best bit.

Built around 1622, the main part of the house has been extensively updated over the years and a large Victorian wing was added later for servants and the family grew over time.

Another modification was the addition of a doorway leading from the staircase to the main garden, which now gives the building a slightly off-centre feel to it from the rear.

The grand frontage is showing signs of its age with the windows slipping in the structure. There are suggestions that the house was built in a bit of a hurry and has been suffering the implications of that ever since. The stone porch is a 19th century addition as part of a late Jacobean revivalism.

A small A-Board outside advertised the fact that the house is now open to the public , so turning the handle to open the front door brings you into the ornate entrance hall with plaster ceiling and fake urn columns creating a secular rood screen to conceal the staircase.

To the left is the main dining room, decorated with – at the time – very expensive yellow paint and specially decorated for a very rare event. A monarch visited the owners, the Clitherow family for supper. Although rich, the Clitherows were mere commoners and it was unheard of for Royalty to dine with their subjects in this way.

Through a door, a 2-foot deep corridor and another door brings you to a still under restoration room. The double door/corridor is to allow for the very thick brick wall which runs through the centre of the house and enabled fireplaces to lie flat with the wall.

The main staircase is largely original Jacobean and creaked most agreeably as I ascended to the upper floor which houses the master bedroom and State Room. The heraldic animals each hold a crest for different members of the Clitherow family and were added when the aforementioned Royals paid a visit.

The staircase also has a very rare Trompe d’œil painted balustrade that mirrored the real one on the other side.

The first floor contains the State Room – which is sumptuously decorated. The flock wallpaper is probably Victorian but the ceiling is original. It would have originally been painted plain white, and the colours/gilt are a later addition. I think the colours work well here, and looked to be very “Wedgwood” in style, which was very fashionable at a time, and is possibly why the white was painted over.

There is also a grand fireplace with quite possibly – to my mind – the cheesiest Biblical representations of Jacob’s sacrifice I have ever seen. Chintz is an understatement for this garish horror .

A master bedroom and smaller side room complete this side of the house. The other side of the house is still off-limits as it is in dire need of the restorers touch. I was given a peak through the locked door to see the other side and it shows the signs of its time as a council run school and housing with a lot of plywood and cheap carpeting being visible.

Although the second-floor is not open to the public, climbing up the staircase reveals one of the hidden wonders of the whole building – the ornate wallpaper that probably once ran down the entire staircase. The narrowness of the staircase here will probably make showing this off to the public a bit of a pain, but I hope they manage to do something with it.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if more of this is discovered under the rather bland Victorian wallpaper that is used to decorate the lower two floors.

Although only a few rooms are currently open to the public, that for me is part of what encouraged me to visit – as I like to see houses that are not perfect or pristine, and still show signs of the builders at work.

The rear library should be finished later this year, and may be used for local art displays, then over the years, the rest of the house will be slowly restored. Funds permitting.

So this could be a building that rewards annual visits, to see what new bit has been opened up. Although the grandest rooms are now open, I am usually fascinated by the servants quarters which are in the side building.

The plans of the house also show a cellar – a brick vaulted cellar no less. Now that I would love to see!

Boston Manor House is now open every Saturday / Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 12 noon until 5pm until Sunday 28th October 2012.

Entry is free.

If visiting, do take time to have a look at a hidden secret in the undergrowth to the right of the building (looking out from the front) – a WW2 air-raid shelter.

Sadly, the Brentford Festival which usually takes place in the surrounding park during September has been cancelled this year after a dispute.

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One comment

I visited Boston Manor some years ago, before it closed for restoration. At that time, part of the exterior was being propped up by huge wooden beams. Are they still there, or has the restoration meant the stabilising of that wall and their removal?

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• News & Events

The Restoration of Boston Manor House

The restoration of Boston Manor House has seen the rescue and redemption of a neglected Grade I-listed manor house – one of London’s true hidden gems - resulting in its triumphant removal from the Heritage at Risk Register.

Recently opened by HRH Queen Camilla and soon to welcome the public back through its doors, Boston Manor House has been transformed into a community heritage venue for the local Hounslow populace and visitors alike.   Purcell’s restoration has made possible the continuing story of a remarkable house, first built in 1622 by its remarkable first owner, Mary Reade - remarkably for the time, a single widow. Externally, it is one of the earliest examples of English Renaissance style architecture: internally, its historically significant rooms and interiors tell the many stories of those who once lived in the house.

Historical background Like many houses of its time, it is a tale of ambition and achievement followed by gradual decline. Unlike many others, Boston Manor House has survived against all odds.

Still set in beautiful parkland, the house was built on an existing manorial estate with over 230 acres of land. After Mary Reade’s death, her house was passed down through her family until being sold to the wealthy Clitherow family in 1670 and, following various internal and external alterations, the property reached its peak during the late 18th and 19th centuries when it became a quintessential ‘Gentleman’s Estate’. As cities in England began to urbanise with Industrialisation, so the wealthy retreated to their rural properties, away from the smog and noise of city life. From this point on, Boston Manor House gradually slid into decline, and following the First World War – with no heir to maintain it – the house and parkland were sold to Brentford Urban District Council in 1924.

Despite restoration projects in 1960 and 1963, the house was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register, where it  remained for two decades until the restoration.

Restoration The London Borough of Hounslow saw an opportunity to transform the house with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and engaged Purcell as heritage and  conservation architects to turn the house into a heritage asset for the local community with renewed relevance and purpose for the 21st century.

As well as restoring the fabric of the significant suite of historic rooms and the exterior of the building, the brief also outlined a vision to provide flexible spaces for interpretation and events, improving accessibility, and sensitively restoring the service wing to provide self-contained units for local creative businesses. Visitor facilities have been relocated and upgraded and a new cafe, shop and toilet have been added, while improved access includes the provision of a new lift to allow access to all levels of the original house. The re-presentation of the historic interiors was driven by discoveries made on site, including the discovery of fragments of over forty wallpapers dating from around 1760 until the early 20th century.

Following specialist analysis of the wallpapers, we gained a wealth of knowledge on the design and social history in addition to the pigments and the technology available at the time. Paint analysis from walls, ceilings and joinery was also undertaken to analyse and understand the historic paint schemes implemented in the house over the last 400 years.

Each room in the main house was found to have huge  evidential value, sometimes thrilling surprise discoveries hidden under layers of modern plasterboard. Archival research and the Sales Catalogue from the sale of the house in 1922, also offered clues as to how the house was furnished over 300 years.

Using these exciting discoveries, the conservation philosophy evolved to incorporate the re-presentation of the different historic rooms in the house to each represent a different, and appropriate moment in time of the houses’ history.

As such, the State Bedroom has been re-presented in a 1620s scheme; the Drawing Room and Staircase have both been re-presented in their mid 18th century schemes; and the Dining Room has been re-presented in its 1840s scheme.

The two original 1620s decorative plaster work ceilings in the State Bedroom and Drawing Room were in good condition considering their age, but required removal of previous unsightly or unsound restorations, in addition to stabilisation and consolidation to water damaged areas and some additional repairs.

Specialists undertook the wider crack repairs to these ceilings in a bespoke mix of lime putty and aggregates to match the analysis of the original, and the smaller cracks were repaired in a mix of lime and marble flour.

The original decorative plaster frieze discovered in the 1960s in the State Bedroom had significantly deteriorated and a section of this on the north side required rebuilding. Specialists carried this out by remodelling in mortar to match the properties and hair proportion of the original, to enable the room to be read as it was originally intended.

The Drawing Room The Drawing Room is the jewel of the house and retains its magnificent and finely-worked early-17th century plaster ceiling and ornate overmantle.

The decision to restore the room to its mid-18th century splendor was based on the notable change made to the size of the windows in the 1730s which would have dictated a new decorative scheme.

Research undertaken in 2019 uncovered blue silk fibers on one of the walls, suggesting that the walls had once been hung with fabric: given this evidence, and given that the family would have been at the very height of social standing in the eighteenth century, it was judged that a silk damask wall hanging would be appropriate. A specially-woven hanging, mimicking a 1730s-50s design and dyed in a contemporary blue, adorns the refurbished room as it would have during this time.

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• Accessibility

Immersing in the Colourscape at Boston Manor House

For the first time in Hounslow, Boston Manor House will host the ‘Colourscape’ festival of colour and music.

Published: Tuesday, 21st May 2024

Residents and visitors can experience the immersive Colourscape space that blends light, music and architecture starting the weekend before the school’s half-term break, and running every day from Saturday, 25 May to Sunday, 2 June, 12pm to 5pm.

The historic house has partnered with Eye Music to deliver a dazzling array of intense colours and spaces, accompanied by live music and performance in the Colourscape structure which will be on the front lawn of the house. Highlights include: 

•               Sunday, 26 May: HyperYak plays Far Eastern instruments plus panpipes, gongs, and Tibetan Singing Bowls with computer processing

•               Thursday, 30 May – music from the Baroque period to the present day by Stevie Wishart and Maureen Wolloshin, playing on ancient instruments with new technology

•               Friday, 31 May - Voice Trio, a women's vocal ensemble

•               Saturday, 1 June: music by Sylvia Hallett and Ansuman Biswas, featuring a range of instruments including an amplified cycle wheel and aquaphones with creative dance by Eileih Muir

•               Sunday, June 2: Chinese gongs and drums by Beibei Wang and creative dance by Eileih Muir

Inside the historic house, free colour-themed craft activities for families, and tours of the vivid colours of the four-hundred-year-old House will take place every day whilst the Colourscape Structure is in place for visits.

Councillor Shivraj Grewal, Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities and Culture , said: 

"Hounslow is a destination for arts and culture, celebrating the rich diversity of the borough. Boston Manor House has welcomed residents and visitors of all ages to explore its unique architecture and participate in a wide range of community events and activities, including exhibitions, heritage talks, special creative events families, volunteer events, school forums and much more. I encourage everyone to visit this historic house to learn, discover and socialise."

The performances will last for 30 minutes with a limit of 15 people per session. Tickets for Colourscape are now available. Book a place here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/boston-manor-house

With support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Boston Manor House is open to the public for free, six days a week from Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm -5pm. Visit Boston Manor House website: https://bostonmanorhouse.org/   or find upcoming events and activities here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/boston-manor-house-38413967573

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Our fantastic Jacobean Manor House is equipped with modern amenities and special accessibility features as outlined below.

Getting inside

Entrance to the House is via the front gates on Boston Manor Road or the café terrace.

Level access to the House is via the café terrace entrance, which faces the Park side. Wheelchair users and people on mobility scooters or with pushchairs and buggies can access the café terrace using the ramp.

To book blue badge parking, please email  [email protected] . Once booked, on the day of your visit House staff will meet you at the site barrier upon arrival and guide you to the accessible parking spaces.

Modern amenities

The accessible toilet and baby changing facilities are located by the café area on the ground floor.

Thanks to our National Lottery Heritage Fund project, all floors of the house are accessible via lift. There is level access on each floor with ample space to manoeuvre between displays. The lift and level access ensure that the historic rooms can be enjoyed by everyone.

Folding chairs are available from the Dining Room on the ground floor and the State Drawing Room on the first floor. You can take advantage of window sill seats in the Ante Room and State Drawing Room on the first floor, as well as the chairs and sofa in the State Drawing Room.

Assistance dogs are welcome at the house. Our café staff will be happy to provide drinking water for your dog.

If a visitor requires an accompanying personal assistant, the personal assistant will be admitted to paying events free of charge. Please contact us on [email protected] to arrange a personal assistant ticket or just let us know if you are buying a ticket from reception.

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