Gunnersbury Park 2026

Gunnersbury Park and Museum

Project IntroductionOctober 2012

Outline of presentation

• The Historic Background of Gunnersbury Park

• The challenge facing us today

• Our Master plan for the site

• Specific Focus (Phase 1)– Heritage Grant– Parks for People

• Community Engagement

Historic Background – The Palladian Villa 1650-1800

Rocques Map of London 1747• John Webb -Architect 1658• Sir John Maynard -Politician 1658• Henry Furnese MP 1739-1756• William Kent -Architect 1740?• Daniel Defoe -Writer1742• Princess Amelia 1761-1786• John Morley -Property Developer 1800

Historic Background – The Divided estate 1800-1889

• Lot 1• Stephen Cosser 1802• Major Morrison -Retired1806-1828• Thomas Farmer 1828- 1859• JHAtkinson• James Hudson Gardener 1876-1919

• Lot 2-13• Alexander Copland 1802• Nathan Rothschild 1835-1836• Sydney Smirke Architect• Hannah Rothschild 1836-1851• Lionel Rothschild 1851-1879• Leopold Rothschild 1879-1917

Historic Background – The Public Park 1925-Present

• Neville Chamberlin 1926• Tennis courts, toilets and playgrounds• Gunnersbury Museum 1926• Heavy Anti Aircraft Guns 1940-43• The café 1958• Ealing and Hounslow 1967

The Challenge

The Challenge

The Challenge

Size72 Ha180 acres

Significance22 Listed buildingsGrade 2*Registered park

Condition11Listed Buildings and Park on English Heritage ‘At Risk’ Register

• High level cost estimate of £48m to address all the issues and challenges

• Holistic approach taken as advised by English Heritage

• Phasing of the 15 year programme to maximise the opportunity of delivering a first phase

• A Strategy supported by both Councils for HLF funding with Heritage Grant and Parks for People bids running in parallel

• Governance – clear structure, both councils working together with English Heritage on the Project Board

Development of the Masterplan – Gunnersbury 2026

Development of the Master plan – Phase 1 £17.25m

Development of the Master plan – Phase 2 £15.75m

Development of the Master plan – Phase 3 £14.75m

Phase 1- Funding Strategy Summary

HLF Applications

Source of Funding Heritage Grant(Museum)

Parks for People(Landscape)

HLF Grant Request £3,425,000 £4,311,000

Secured Capital funding from Hounslow and Ealing

Councils

£3,201,000 £1,054,857

Volunteer and Increased management and

maintenance funding

£547,303 £541,450

Unsecured funding from Other grants, trusts, S106

and other capital

£2,195,300 £1,998,700

Total £9,368,603 £7,906,007

The Gunnersbury Park Museum is:• the local history museum for Ealing and

Hounslow serving a population of some 500,000.

• one of the oldest London Borough Museum services established in the 1920s

• one of the largest collections held by a London local authority museum service.

• Located in Gunnersbury Park House (the Large Mansion): a Grade II* listed Georgian mansion house

Heritage Grant – A new Museum for Ealing and Hounslow

• 20 galleries, an increase from the present 5 allows wide range of functions, activities, exhibitions and display

• New public access to the upper floors and to Victorian kitchens for all visitors

• Improved Learning Opportunities. Learning groups, including schools will access new resource centre and new programmes

• Increased display 600 of the 40,000 artefacts are currently on display, the intention is to increase to 3,000.

Heritage Grant – Benefits of a new Museum

• Redesign of museum in new galleries allows imaginative new interpretation

• remedial conservation where required

• New storage areas. Providing suitable environmental conditions for the care of the collection

• Accessible storage areas to allow visitor access to much wider range of the collection

Heritage Grant – Benefits to the Collections

• Repair to the building fabric including the roof, external elevations and interiors

• Improved access two lifts and more rooms being available to the public

• Conservation of the principal rooms

• Renewal of the building services to improve the efficiency of the building

• Reconnecting with the surrounding landscape

Heritage Grant – Benefits to Gunnersbury Park House

Heritage Grant – Architects impression Flexible Spaces

Heritage Grant – Architects impression Learning Spaces

Heritage Grant – Architects impression Connecting Spaces

Parks for People - Masterplan

Parks for PeopleSketch Masterplan

• Restore the heritage landscape ‘core area’ around the two mansions.• Repair the Orangery for use for events or as a café• Restore the west side of the horseshoe pond • Repairs to historic park structures and follies• Tree management and planting to restore ‘designed’ views• Relocate the pitch and putt golf course within the park

Parks for People - Heritage and Conservation

• Repair the boating lake and bring back boating• Create a community garden in the walled garden area • Run park based activities and courses with local people and

volunteers• Run schools activities in the park to link with museum activities• Employ dedicated project staff for park development, outreach

and education• Create improved signage and interpretation throughout the park• Make the park entrances more welcoming

Parks for People - People and Skills

• The Potomac Lake – new wildlife, ecology and community fishing• The Japanese Gardens – future community led project• Existing playgrounds – refurbishment as part of ongoing maintenance

programme• Sports activities and facilities – separate community sports project • Walled Garden – investigate options for better use and public access• Infrastructure – improve parking, footpaths, furniture through S106 • Improved park maintenance and repairs – already covered by

existing contracts

Parks for People – Other landscape projects outside of PfP

• Aim: to diversify audience by building opportunities for learning and training into every aspect of the project by working in partnership with local community organisations and service providers

• HLF’s aims are: Conservation, Participation and Learning

Community Engagement:– Public Benefit

• Finding out what people want – focus groups, events, surveys• Setting up Community Advisory Panel• Meeting with potential partners• Gathering information about park and museum users through

visitor counts and surveys• Trialling activities

Community Engagement: - Activities to date

• Extending schools programme out into the park• Developing the offer for secondary schools and Colleges

• Taking the museum out to local communities through Pop Up Museum and Mini Museums in a box

• Programme of projects with community partners e.g. community led walks, podcasts, art installations, trails, oral histories

• Extending family learning programme• Programme of events to attract diverse range of audiences

• Developing the programme of volunteering across park and museum

Community Engagement :-Planned activities

Timetable • June 2012 Parks for People Round 1 Approved• July 2012 Heritage Grant Round 1 Approved

Round 2• Development Stage Summer 2012 - Spring 2014 (max 2 years)

If successful Delivery Stage

• Stage Summer 2014 to Summer 2017 (3 years)

Timetable

The End

Questions and Comments