JMW Turner RA designed and built Sandycombe Lodge in 1813 as his retreat in once-rural Twickenham. Turner’s House Trust is fundraising to restore the building and to open it to the public in summer 2017. The Trust also plans to offer a broad programme of activities which will draw in many sectors of the public, from young children to those seeking to learn more about art and architecture, or to learn to paint, whatever their age. About the house
Sandycombe Lodge is a little-known treasure: here JMW Turner became his own architect, and in 1813 built a picturesque small country villa close to the Thames. Turner entertained his friends at the house, including the architect Sir John Soane, whose influence is visible throughout the building. Sandycombe Lodge was left in trust on the death of its then owner Professor Harold Livermore in 2010 and with the Trust’s objectives in mind, the Trustees commissioned an Options Appraisal with the support of the Architectural Heritage Fund. It is now 200 years since Turner built Sandycombe Lodge, and the house, listed Grade II*, is still almost totally intact but has some unsightly later additions. However it is threatened by damp and decay, is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and in need of major conservation. The restoration project
The Trust will repair the fabric of the house and restore it to its original appearance, as designed by Turner. Visitors will be able to explore this small but beautiful building, discovering Turner’s ways of working and learning more about his deep love of the river landscape. Everyday life in the house will come entertainingly alive through traditional and digital interpretation. The house will open five days per week, 46 weeks per year and we anticipate 9,200 visitors in the first year. The surviving section of the original garden, which is of great importance to the presentation and character of the house, will also be restored. As well as renewing the planting and reinstating the “grassy mound” revealed in a 1814 illustration, access issues will be addressed with new paths to allow maximum accessibility and where possible include provision for wheelchair users.
