Asgill House Explained

Asgill House
Map Type:United Kingdom London Richmond upon Thames
Building Type:Villa
Architectural Style:Palladian
Location:Old Palace Lane, Richmond, London, England
Coordinates:51.4603°N 0.3122°W
Start Date:1757–58
Architect:Sir Robert Taylor
Embedded:
Embed:yes
Designation1:Grade I
Designation1 Offname:Asgill House
Designation1 Date:10 January 1950
Designation1 Number:1180412

Richmond Place, now known as Asgill House, is a Grade I listed 18th-century Palladian villa[1] on Old Palace Lane in Richmond, London (historically in Surrey), overlooking the River Thames. The house is on the former site of the river frontage and later the brewhouse for the medieval and Tudor Richmond Palace. It is from Charing Cross and was built in 1757–58 by Sir Robert Taylor as a summer and weekend parkland villa beside the river for the merchant banker Sir Charles Asgill,[1] who was Lord Mayor of London in 1757–58.[2] It has been described as "among the last villas of importance to be erected on the banks of the Thames".[3]

It was returned to its original appearance in a restoration of 1969–70 by the then-leaseholder Fred Hauptfuhrer, aided by Donald Insall Associates. This included removing the Victorian extensions.[3] [1]

Asgill House has been leased from the Crown Estate since 1983 by the Asgill House Trust.[4] The trust preserves and maintains this historic house as a heritage asset.

The rear garden contained a 200-year-old copper beech tree, one of the Great Trees of London;[5] the tree died in the winter of 2013/14.

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Buildings of England – London 2: South . . . 1983 . London . 524 . 0-14-0710-47-7.
  2. Asgill, Charles. Bolton. Augustus Samuel. 02.
  3. Web site: Asgill House . . Local History Notes . 14 March 2021.
  4. Asgill House Trust is a company (no. 01701275) limited by guarantee and a registered charity (no. 286270).
  5. Book: . The Great Trees of London . Time Out Guides Ltd . 2010 . 978-1-84670-154-2 . 66.