Visit Isleworth Places

Welcome to Visit Isleworth Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Isleworth

  

Isleworth Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Isleworth

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Isleworth history

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Roman and Anglo Saxon

Excavations have unearthed evidence of a Romano-British settlement . ‘Gislheresuuyrth’, meaning in Old English Enclosure belonging to [a man called] Gīslhere, is first referred to as a permanent settlement in an Anglo-Saxon charter in 695 . The Domesday Book says that during the reign (1042–1066) of Edward the Confessor the manor belonged to Earl Algar .

Granted to St Valeri Barons

Isleworth was a well-cultivated farming and trading settlement, more valuable than many of its neighbours . The Domesday Book records its 55 ploughlands, 118 households and amount rendered, £72 per year, to its feudal system overlords .

Transfer to Earldom of Cornwall

In 1227, Henry III seized Isleworth and other property of the St Valeri family and gave the manor to his brother, Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall . He built a new moated manor house which is described in the Black Book of the Exchequer . Beyond the moat was an outer courtyard with a number of buildings for servants and supplies, and a short distance away was a watermill . The exact location of this house is not recorded, but a report of an area long ago known as ‘Moated Place’ puts the likely place between the Northumberland Arms and Twickenham Road .

Advowson, right to appoint the vicar

Abbey of St Valeri in Picardy held the livings (benefices) and revenues of several English parish church lands . In 1391 it transferred those of Isleworth (for a fee) to William of Wykeham, who endowed them to Winchester College . This lasted for 150 years, then in 1543 King Henry VIII exchanged with Winchester certain manors elsewhere for five churches in Middlesex . Four years later he gave the Isleworth rectory and advowson to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, but they returned to the crown when the Duke was executed in 1552 .

Transfer of Manor to Syon Monastery

In 1415 Henry V granted nuns from the Swedish Bridgettine order land on the bank of the Thames, in Twickenham parish, where they built their first house Syon Monastery . In 1422 Henry V transferred ownership of Isleworth Manor from the Duchy of Cornwall to Syon Monastery in 1422 .

Granted to Duke of Somerset

Henry VIII demolished most of Syon Monastery after 1539 and the site and manor was granted to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset . Lady Jane Grey was taken from here to the Tower by Royal barge in anticipation of her being crowned Queen of England .

Acquired by Earl of Northumberland

Queen Elizabeth I granted a lease of the manor of Syon to Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland in 1594 . The Royalist army occupied the house during the Battle of Brentford in November 1642 . Syon Park was rebuilt and landscaped by the Adam brothers and “Capability” Brown between 1766 and 1773 .

Georgian and Victorian times

Much of Isleworth became orchards in the 18th century (including part of Hugh Ronalds’ renowned nursery), and then market gardens in the 19th century, supplying the London markets . Lower Square and Church Street still have buildings dating from 18th and early 19th centuries . A striking element of this period was the establishment in Isleworth of many mansions and large houses for aristocrats and high achievers .

20th century

First half of 20th century for Isleworth generally characterised by a very substantial amount of artisan and white-collar residential development throughout the town . This period also included the building of several new factories and offices, mostly towards the north-east, up to the town’s eastern boundary with New Brentford .

Isleworth landmarks

Notable houses

A period of intense mansion-building occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries . A few palaces, monasteries and mansions already existed . Then the royal court began to appear at Kew, so the adjacent districts on both sides of the Thames became very fashionable places for the rich and famous to build their grand homes .

Isleworth geography / climate

Isleworth is east of Hounslow which has more retail and offices, in the borough of that name; west of Thames; north of its tributary and the northern confluence of the Crane (before 1998 its southern channel); and south of the crest by the M4 motorway separating the Brent and Crane catchments. Elevations range from 27 m (89 ft) in north west to 4.9 m (16 ft) by the Thames at the opposite extreme.

You can visit Isleworth places with Walkfo Isleworth to hear history at Isleworth’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Isleworth has 266 places to visit in our interactive Isleworth map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Isleworth, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Isleworth places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Isleworth & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 266 audio facts unique to Isleworth places in an interactive Isleworth map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Isleworth Places Map
266 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Isleworth historic spots	Isleworth tourist destinations	Isleworth plaques	Isleworth geographic features
Walkfo Isleworth tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Isleworth

  

Best Isleworth places to visit

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Isleworth has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Isleworth’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Isleworth’s information audio spots:

Isleworth Cemetery Isleworth Cemetery is a cemetery in Isleworth, London Borough of Hounslow, in west London, England . It is located in the Isleworth area of west London .

Syon Park Syon Park is the garden of Syon House, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland . It was landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century . It is Grade I listed by English Heritage under the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 for its special historic interest .

Our Lady Queen of Apostles Church, Heston Our Lady Queen of Apostles is a Catholic church in Heston in the London Borough of Hounslow . It was built in the early 1960s and contains stained glass designed by Pierre Fourmaintraux .

Hounslow West Hounslow West is part of the western residential area of Hounlow but is its own separate area. The area is bounded by the River Crane to the west, Cranford and the A30 road to the north and north-west. Features of the area include Beaversfield Park, Hounslows Heath and St Pauls Church.

River Brent 17.9 miles (28.8 km) in length, it rises in the Borough of Barnet and flows in a generally south-west direction. It joins the Tideway stretch of the Thames at Brentford.

St Leonard’s Church, Heston St Leonard’s Church is the Grade II* listed Church of England parish church for Heston in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located in Heston, London, and is situated in the West London boroughs of the London borough.

Ivybridge (Isleworth) Ivybridge, formerly Mogden, is a housing estate in the southern part of Isleworth in West London. Formerly agricultural, it was the site of Mogden Isolation Hospital, later South Middlesex Hospital, from 1897 to 1991. The Ivybridge estate is a council development with four tower blocks, new build houses, and various different play area’s and shopping centers. The area borders between Isleworth and Twickenham, and is close to the home ground of England rugby team.

Great Pagoda, Kew Gardens Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens was built in 1761 by Sir William Chambers as a present for Princess Augusta. The pagoda comprises 10 storeys, totalling 163ft in height. It was closed for repairs in 2006 and reopened in 2018 following major restoration.

Hounslow House The building is the headquarters of Hounslow London Borough Council. It is a municipal facility in Bath Road, Hounslow, London.

Visit Isleworth plaques