V is for... Victorian Artist - Leighton House

Join us for a visit to Leighton House!

From its first construction in the 1860s up until shortly before Leighton’s death, his studio-house on the edge of Holland Park was a constant preoccupation. Absorbing large amounts of his time, money and effort, the house combined spaces for living, working and entertaining and the display of Leighton’s collections. Regularly featured in the press, his home came to embody the idea of how a great artist should live.

Studio-house to private palace of art

Leighton acquired the plot for his house in 1864 and began making plans for its construction. For a number of years, he had harboured the idea of building a purpose-built studio-house and had an 'old friend' in mind to act as his architect.

The Arab Hall extension: 1877-81

Leighton's travels in 1867 Turkey, 1868 Egypt, and 1873 Syria led to collecting textiles and objects for his house. The 1873 trip to Damascus laid the foundation for the Arab Hall's tile collection. Leighton commissioned others like Sir Richard Burton to acquire more tiles. Inspired by a 12th-century Sicilian palace, Leighton undertook the ambitious construction of the Arab Hall with contributions from artists and craftsmen. The tile collection, mostly from Damascus, is significant in the UK.

https://leightonhouse.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/34288?

No MEETUP FEE

1:30pm: (De Morgan Cafe - for introductions)

2:30pm - Enter Leighton House

3:30pm - Late: SOCIAL (Optional) - There may be no booking depending on how many RSVP
We'll find a local pub for a social chit chat, food and drinks.

TICKETS

https://leightonhouse.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/34288?catID=34420&

Ticket allows admission to both Leighton House and Sambourne House.

Free for Art Pass holders, £11 for standard booking

Please book your ticket before RSVP-ing

Please book your tickets for the 1.30pm time

++ Additional Information ++
Getting There

Tube

High Street Kensington (District and Circle Line):

Approximately 800 metres, 10 minute walk to Leighton House.

Approximately 320 metres, 5 minute walk to Sambourne House

Holland Park (Central Line):

Approximately 1.2 km, 15 minute walk through Holland Park to either Leighton House or Sambourne House.

Kensington Olympia (London Overground):

Approximately 650 metres, 8 minute walk to Leighton House.

Approximately 1.2km, 15 minute walk to Sambourne House.

We recommend checking the Transport for Londonwebsite prior to your journey to make sure there are no disruptions to your travel plans.

Buses

9, 23, 27, 28, 49, 328 stop on Design Museum / Kensington High Street/ Earls Court Road.

Cycling

There are cycle racks for a limited number of bicycles outside the Leighton House visitor entrance. There are no dedicated cycle racks at Sambourne House. There are additional cycle racks along Kensington High St within easy reach of either museum. There are also numerous Santander Cycle docking stations in the immediate area.

Parking

Both Leighton House and Sambourne House do not have any onsite parking and we recommend travelling by public transport where possible. There are no drop-off parking spaces at Leighton House and Sambourne House.

Limited metered parking is available in nearby streets from Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm, Saturday 8.30am to 1.30pm.

WhatsApp Group for Pre-Visit Discussion & Live-Location On The Day

https://chat.whatsapp.com/KwYjJkphbWk5u3y4Bxwb6P

Please note that joining this WhatsApp group will expose your phone number to other members in the group.

You can also find us on Twitter.

Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.