What’s on at Chiswick House & Gardens this autumn

Summer may be over, but there is still plenty happening at Chiswick House & Gardens over the coming months, with markets, workshops, live performance, family activities and events making use of the new Learning Hub & Yard

The 65 acre gardens remain free to visit every day, open from 7am until dusk, so there is plenty of reason to head down even when there is not an event on.

Bats at Dusk

One of the first events of the autumn is Bats at Dusk on 22 September. The annual evening walk, run in partnership with WildChiswick, takes visitors into the gardens as darkness falls to look for some of the eight species of bat that forage there.

The walk will be led by Philip Briggs, Chair of the London Bat Group, who will talk about bat ecology and the species visitors might see. It runs from 6.45pm to 8.15pm and tickets are £10, with the event weather dependent.

The Lazy Flea at Chiswick House & Gardens and sculptor Gillian Brett in her studio at Chiswick House 

The Lazy Flea

On 27 September, The Lazy Flea returns to the Chiswick House forecourt, bringing more than 60 vintage traders selling homeware, furniture, clothing and jewellery. There will also be street food and coffee, with dogs welcome at the market.

The new Learning Hub & Yard, which was formally launched with an open day on 20 September, is now providing a permanent base for creative, community and wellbeing activities alongside the gardens themselves.

READ ALSO: Leader of Hounslow Council opens new Learning Hub at Chiswick House

Sculpture and Japanese stitching classes

The new Hub will become increasingly busy as the autumn goes on. A ten week sculpture course begins on 30 September, led by Chiswick House based professional sculptor Gillian Brett.

The Wednesday evening course is designed for complete beginners as well as people with previous experience and will cover a number of projects, including a portrait bust and figurative sculpture. Participants will also have the chance to work from a live professional model. The course costs £300 for ten weeks and runs until 9 December.

October also sees the start of Sashiko sessions with B_Boheme, introducing visitors to the Japanese stitching tradition in relaxed, beginner friendly two hour workshops.

The sessions begin on 3 October and will teach the basics of sashiko stitching, using reclaimed denim to create a piece to take home. No previous sewing experience is required and tickets start at £45.

Antonia the opera / play and Marie Antoinette

Antonia: Behind the Myth of Marie Antoinette

There is also a cultural event in the House on 3 October with Antonia: Behind the Myth of Marie Antoinette.

Part opera and part play, the production by Liberata Collective explores Marie Antoinette’s lesser known relationship with the opera world of the late 18th century, combining an original script with music from composers including Gluck, Piccinni and Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

It runs from 3pm to 5pm, with tickets priced at £25, £22 for members and £16 for students.

We talked to Creative Director of Liberata Collective Olivia Doutney about the production when she first performed it at Chiswick House earlier this year.

READ ALSO: Opera at Chiswick House: Antonia – Behind the Myth of Marie Antoinette

Tickets for the performances coming up.

The new learning hub

Magic and Mischief

October half term brings some more family friendly activities, including Magic and Mischief from Cygnets Art School, running from 27 to 29 October.

The workshops are aimed at children aged five and over and are inspired by myths, fairytales and fantastical adventures. Across the three days, children can work with watercolour, pastels, printing, clay, acrylic and gouache while creating their own magical artworks.

Sessions run from 10.30am to 2pm, with half day tickets from £30, individual days from £55 and a three day option costing £150.

Gardening Together

On 28 October, families can also take part in Gardening Together, a free afternoon volunteering session with the Gardens team.

Participants will help with practical jobs in the woodland and wider grounds, with children aged over seven welcome to take part alongside adults. The session runs from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and registration is required.

Halloween event

There is also a Halloween event planned for the gardens this autumn, although Chiswick House & Gardens has not yet released the full programme or ticket details.

Details will be added here when tickets go on sale.

The programme continues into November and December, too, with a number of regular activities taking place in the new Learning Hub.

Gong baths

Gong Baths are scheduled on selected Tuesdays through to December, offering a sound based relaxation session in the Learning Hub. Sessions run from 7pm to 8pm and cost £20.

Walkies and Waggietails

There are also dog training classes from Walkies & Waggietails, including puppy school, junior and intermediate training and an advanced dog training club. The current programme runs through to 14 December.

And, as always, you do not need to book onto an event to enjoy Chiswick House & Gardens. The gardens are open every day from 7am until dusk and remain free to enter.

For tickets, dates and further information on all of the above and more, see Chiswick House and Gardens.