See & Do

The Red Drawing room in Syon House

SYON HOUSE

Syon House is the spectacular London home of the Duke of Northumberland.

The house was built in the sixteenth century on the site of the Medieval Syon Abbey, and came to the family of the present owners in 1594.

Syon has many layers of history and has seen some profound changes over the centuries.

THE GREAT CONSERVATORY

In the early nineteenth century, glasshouses were relatively small and little different from the orangeries of previous years. They were predominantly built of stone with large windows, and, occasionally, glazed roofs.

At Syon the commission for the new Conservatory was given to Charles Fowler, an architect who specialised in large industrial buildings; in his use of the new metalworking technologies being developed in the English midlands, he spanned the twin disciplines of architecture and engineering. At Syon he created a building whose delicate structure was combined with a neo-classical elevation on a Palladian model.

Backed by the huge range of growing houses in the newly-built nursery, the Great Conservatory was filled with exotic plants from all corners of the world. Thus there were “Cape” plants from South Africa, “New Holland” plants from Australia, and Camellias from China. By the 1880s palms and giant bamboos grew to the top of the Dome, but the social and political disruption arising from the First World War lead to a period of decline.

The building was extensively restored in 1986/7 and, although now entirely unheated, it is an important historic structure in a remarkably good condition.

The Great Conservatory and fountains Syon Park The Great Conservatory dome interior blue sky Pond inside The Great Conservatory

Lake between trees in the Parkland Meadows, Syon Park Lake and trees in the Parkland Meadows, Syon Park lit up at night with colourful lights Trees reflecting on lake in the Parkland Meadows, Syon Park

GARDENS & ARBORETUM

Syon has a remarkable 600 years of garden history.

From the gardens of the Abbey, where the priest Richard Whitford argued with Thomas Cromwell’s agents, through the sixteenth century plant collection of William Turner, and the formality of the seventeenth century, the rise of the Brownian landscape in the eighteenth century, the great plant collection of the nineteenth century through to the extraordinary rise in interest in domestic gardening in the 1960s.

In the twenty-first century, the landscape is emblematic of Syon, an extraordinary and multi-layered survival of great richness.

PARKLAND AND MEADOWS

The one hundred acres of parkland at Syon is essentially the landscape created over twenty years by ‘Capability’ Brown in the eighteenth century.

However, this landscape is formed out of and on top of a pre-existing layout. Thus the two lakes were excavated along a prehistoric channel of the Thames, but much of the open parkland was simply made by enclosing fields, removing hedgerows and buildings, and re-routing roads. The best testament to this is a number of ancient oak trees, including two which would have seen the Royalist army marching past to the Battle of Brentford in 1642. It is likely that Brown would have retained these trees to give maturity to his new landscape.

Syon Park is around 200 acres in extent, of which about 2/3 is composed of a remarkable variety of grasslands. These range from fine lawns to the open meadow of the Brown parkland. A number of areas are also managed for specific purposes, such as a traditional hay meadow to the east of Syon House, a spring meadow of primroses and cowslips in the Arboretum, and more exotic annual plantings.

Along the edge of the drive in from Isleworth a strip of cornfield annuals is planted every year and the fields beyond are grazed with cattle. A programme of re-planting in the parkland has introduced a limited number of trees, but it is important that this remains open meadow, with specimen trees.

There is also a considerable variety in management practices. Some areas of grassland will be cut on a weekly basis, but others may be left uncut over the summer or for longer periods. The real benefit of this is the habitat potential of longer grass and undisturbed areas, which encourage populations of insects and small mammals, which, in turn, provide food for birds and larger mammals.

Floral field in the Parkland Meadows in Syon Park Historic portrait of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown Bridge over lake in Parkland Meadows, Syon Park

ECOLOGY & WILDLIFE

Syon holds a huge diversity of habitat in a comparatively small area.

However, it should be seen as part of a larger expanse of green space, including Kew Gardens and Richmond Park, spaces linked by the Tidal Thames.

The most important part of Syon is Tide Meadow, 40 acres of tall grass washland, which is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Tide Meadow is the only significant section of unembanked riverside on the Tidal Thames, and as a result it floods at high tide, creating a unique and special habitat and a historical artefact in its own right.

The Moses Glover map of 1635 shows this as ‘The Great Meade’, and there have been few changes here in 400 years. Grazing, as shown on the Canaletto of 1749, is still a key element of management.

It is this historical continuity of land use and management which makes Syon so important. Thus we have in excess of 150 species of fungi, some very rare, and over 60 species of lichen. The lakes, surrounded by ancient trees, provide a perfect habitat for bats, and we actively manage deadwood in the canopy and on the ground to provide habitat for invertebrates, birds and fungi.

Robin stood on branch in Syon Park Mushrooms growing in Syon Park 2 Swans in lake in Syon Park

EVENTS & EXPERIENCES

OTHER THINGS TO DO

Snakes and Ladders logo

Snakes and Ladders indoor adventure playground
020 8847 0946  |  www.snakes-and-ladders.co.uk

Refurbished in 2014 with new playframes, special zones and more fun for everyone. Bursting with indoor play activities, Snakes and Ladders is fun for children of all ages and is so much more than just soft play. There’s so much to do. Hot and cold snacks available in the café and favourite magazines for the grown-ups.

Buttercups logo

Buttercups Day Nursery
020 8840 4838  |  www.buttercups-nursery.co.uk

Buttercups Nursery at Syon Park is one of a group of independent, boutique nurseries that are individually and personally managed. Based within a two-story detached house in a parkland setting Syon Park Nursery has CCTV security throughout, well decorated playrooms with library corner, a computer zone, large secure garden with a climbing tower, sand play and gardening and digging area. It was recently awarded ‘Outstanding’ in an Ofsted report.

Redbeard Forest School logo

Red Beard Forest School
07531 331226  |  www.redbeardforestschool.co.uk

Join Scott Hardie from Redbeard Forest School to explore, learn and connect with nature during a 2 hour fun-filled Forest School session. Led by Scott, a qualified Level 3 Practitioner, Syon Saplings is a great way to introduce and strengthen your child’s love of the natural world, through storytelling, natural crafts, games and exploration. Through child-led learning, the group will connect with each other and the wonderful historic setting of Syon House and gardens. The group is suitable for children from 2.5 to 5 years of age.

Trout Fishery logo

Syon Park Trout Fishery
07956 378 138  |  www.alburyestatefisheries.co.uk

The six acre lake, originally constructed by Capability Brown, is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, and brown trout when in season, from Albury, Surrey. Syon offers easily accessible trout fishing for the novice and the more experienced angler alike in a beautiful environment. Open every day from 8.00am until dusk, except Christmas Day.