Members may be interested in this forthcoming series of short talks on historic gardens along the Thames valley, including Hogarth’s House, Chiswick House and Boston Manor House from our patch. Full details and booking information here. The talks are free but a £5 donation is recommended, with proceeds being split equally between the participating houses. You can also book all 9 talks for £25. Please note: all tickets were sold out on 20 January – but a new batch has been added to cope with the demand – do try again if you failed to book before

The Thames brought commerce and wealth to what is now South and West London, attracting royalty, aristocrats, artists, writers and wealthy property owners. The legacy of these luminaries is an area exceptionally rich in historic buildings, gardens and landscapes. Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust and English Heritage’s Marble Hill organised the series of virtual talks over three weeks beginning on Wednesday 27 January. Experts will each explore, explain and offer insight into a luminary, their landscape or garden and property.

The talks will be delivered using Zoom. Each talk will start at 7 pm and last for approx-imately 20 minutes with time being allowed for questions and answers at the end. Events will end by 8 pm.