Orleans House Gallery

A Villa Built for Royalty

Orleans House began life in 1710 as a Palladian riverside villa designed by John James for James Johnston, Secretary of State for Scotland. James had previously worked under Sir Christopher Wren at Hampton Court and Greenwich, and his red-brick house with white stone detailing reflected that Wren-influenced style. In 1718, Johnston commissioned the architect James Gibbs to add the Octagon Room, a lavish entertaining space intended to impress visiting royalty. Completed in 1720, the room features ornate plasterwork by the Swiss stuccatori Artari and Bagutti, gilded busts of Hanoverian monarchs, and a painted capriccio of Roman ruins above the fireplace.

The gamble paid off. George I visited in 1724, and in 1729 Queen Caroline hosted a magnificent dinner in the Octagon, bringing her own cook and gold plate. The house passed through several owners before Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, took up residence during his English exile from 1815 to 1817. He praised the peaceful Twickenham setting — and later became King of France in 1830, giving the house the name it carries today.

What to See

The Octagon Room remains the centrepiece of any visit. Its Grade I listed interior is one of the finest examples of early Georgian Baroque decoration in the capital, with every surface worked in gilt, plaster and paint. Beyond the Octagon, the main gallery spaces host a rotating programme of free contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year, featuring emerging artists, community projects and works drawn from the Borough of Richmond's permanent collection.

The Study Gallery displays highlights from that collection, which numbers over 3,500 paintings, prints and drawings bequeathed to the borough in 1962 by the art collector Nellie Ionides. Ionides had purchased the Octagon Room and surrounding wing in the 1920s to save them from demolition after the main house was pulled down in 1926. Her generosity preserved the building and formed the foundation of what became a public gallery when it opened in 1972.

The Gardens and Nearby

The gallery's woodland gardens are worth exploring in their own right. Mature trees, wildflower plantings and paths wind down to the Thames, connecting with the Thames Path for riverside walks in either direction. Neighbouring Marble Hill Park, with its own Palladian villa built for Henrietta Howard in the 1720s, is immediately adjacent and makes a natural extension to a visit.

Twickenham itself offers a good selection of independent shops, cafes and restaurants along Church Street and King Street. Ham House, the remarkably preserved Stuart mansion managed by the National Trust, lies a pleasant 30-minute walk south along the river. Richmond town centre, with its hilltop park and sweeping Thames views, is reachable by bus or a longer riverside walk.