Kingswood House guided tours

Kingswood House is a stone-faced baronial castle currently used as a cultural and community space. It's history dates back to 1811 and was originally the home of an eminent lawyer, William Vizard. The House was extensively rebuilt by Henry Vaughan Lanchester, architect of Methodist Central Hall on Parliament Square, for the inventor of Bovril, John Lawson Johnston. A Russian prince and aviator lived there and it was used as a Canadian military hospital in World War 1. In the 1950s the House and its estate were acquired from the owners, the Vestey family, by London County Council, in order to build public housing, the Kingswood Estate, which surrounds the House. A public library was opened in the House in 1956 and in 1965 Southwark took over managing it as a community facility. The House was closed during the COVID pandemic and the library was moved out. The House reopened in 2023, managed by Kingswood Arts CIC. The interior includes substantial wood panelling and a great hall. Walking tours will be available of all the main rooms in the house including the Great Hall, Jacobean Room, Golden Room, Culloden Room, and Billiards Room. It is also planned that the tour will access an external second floor balcony with fine views. The tour will give the history of the building, who lived there, and its recent and current use.

Timings & Tours

Sunday 08 September:

11.00, 12.00, 14.00, 15.00

Location & directions

Kingswood House, Seeley Drive, West Dulwich, London, Greater London, SE21 8QR

Directions:

The nearest train station is Sydenham Hill which can be reached from London Victoria and London Blackfriars (change at Herne Hill). It is also served by the number 3, 322, and 450 bus routes.

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking preferred

Booking conditions:

Please book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kingswood-house-guided-tours-heritage-open-day-tickets-998362839127?aff=oddtdtcreator If a tour is not booked in advance we cannot guarantee there will be space available.

Booking contact name:

Beth

Booking website:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kingswood-house-guided-tours-heritage-open-day-tickets-998362839127?aff=oddtdtcreator

Booking opens:

07 Aug 2024 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

08 Sep 2024 12:00 AM

Accessibility details

The ground floor is wheelchair accessible but the tour will involve stairs to the first and second floor and there is no lift.

Additional information

Max no of people per tour:

15

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s)

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