Stretching across a beautiful landscape, Syon Park encircles the 16th-century home of the Duke of Northumberland. The River Thames meanders through the park, which contains a conservatory and several gardens. Take a self-guided tour of Syon Hall and speak with the docents for context.
Marvel at the artworks adorning the Great Hall, State Dining Room and Princess Victoria’s Bedroom. The hall is influenced by a Roman basilica. The inner courtyard is decorated with sculpted hedges and a charming fountain.
The gardens date back six centuries, previously belonging to a medieval abbey. Walk along the green river banks and meander between narrow tributaries carved into the terrain. Set up a picnic beside one of the lakes, flanked by rows of trees in the vast 200-acre (80-hectare) grounds.
The parkland resembles the original layout designed over a period of two decades in the 1700s. Admire the oak trees that date back to the 1600s, when the Royalists marched through here for a battle in the English Civil War. Sit on a bench in the Grasslands & Meadows area, and gaze at the multicolored primroses and yellow cowslips. Admire the annual plantings and stroll through the hay meadow.
Gleaming in the sunlight is the dome of the Great Conservatory. Capture photos of the neoclassical façade, with its fountain in the foreground. Enjoy hot drinks and food in the Garden Kitchen Restaurant.
Reach the adjoining grounds of Richmond Park and Kew Gardens. This region is of great ecological interest, with more than 150 types of fungi and a range of bats as well as birds and invertebrates.
The gardens are open daily, while the house is only accessible on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, March through October. Pay to enter the house and garden and get discounts for kids.
Syon Park is in the Brentford district in the southwestern region of London. Take a train to the railway stations of Brentford or Syon Lane and walk south for a short while to get here. Visit neighboring sights, such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Gunnersbury Park and the Orleans House Gallery.
