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The Homewood
One architect's vision of the future
Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9JL
Book a visit
Important notice
All visits to The Homewood must be pre-booked.
Opening times for 19 May 2025
Asset Opening time The Homewood Closed Book a visitThe Homewood house and gardens are open for pre-booked guided tours on specific days between April and October. Please note that at all other times, this is a private residence. The nearest facilities are located at Claremont Landscape Garden.
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Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £14.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £7.00 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £35.00 1 Adult, max 3 Children £21.00 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Most show rooms are on the first floor, which can only be accessed by a spiral staircase.
- By road
The Homewood is on the west side of the A307 Portsmouth Road.
From London exit the A3 at Esher and Sandown Park. Pass Sandown Park on your right and drive straight through the middle of Esher on the A307, following signs for Claremont Landscape Garden and Cobham. Passing Claremont on your left (which is in a dip), the road then rises quite steeply. As you come over the brow, you will pass the turning to Blackhills on your left, and the large Esher Common car park on your right. Indicate right at this point. The entrance to The Homewood is at the bottom of the hill opposite the white railings of the horse crossing. There is a discreet red-brick entrance. Fork right inside the drive and continue up to the house, where NT volunteers will meet you. If you cross over the A3, you have gone too far and will need to retrace your route.
From M25, take the London-bound A3 and come off almost immediately following signs to Cobham and Esher. As you come into Cobham, follow the A307 to Esher. Continue for over a mile crossing over the A3. On your right, you will pass Upper Court (currently hidden behind black hoardings). Indicate left at this point. The entrance to The Homewood is on the left, just after the belt of horse chestnut trees. There is a discreet red-brick entrance. Fork right inside the drive and continue up to the house, where NT volunteers will meet you. If you get as far as Claremont Landscape Garden, you have gone too far and will need to retrace your route.
Parking: Please do not arrive more than 10 minutes before your allocated arrival time. On arrival you will be met by a volunteer who will direct you where to park.
Sat Nav: Portsmouth Rd, Esher KT10 9JL
- By train
The entrance to The Homewood is approximately 2 miles from Esher station, and can be reached using the 715 bus route. The station has a regular train service every half an hour direct from London Waterloo, and also stops at locations such as Surbiton, Portsmouth and Southampton. Please visit Esher station to find out more. To plan a train journey please use the National Rail journey planner.
- By bus
The 715 bus route drops off and picks up directly outside Claremont Landscape Garden's front gate. From there, it's a short 10 minute walk to The Homewood. This convenient bus route takes in a large portion of the local area including Kingston, Surbiton, Guildford, Cobham, Thames Ditton and Esher station.
To plan a bus journey you can use the Travel Smart journey planner.
- Cycling
The Homewood is on the west side of the A307 Portsmouth Road. Please note, bicycle storage racks are not available at The Homewood, however they are available at Claremont Landscape Garden which is a short 10 minute walk away. Plan your route to Claremont Landscape Garden using the CycleStreets journey planner via the link below. (This journey planner uses OpenStreetMap data which is generally excellent but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you come to a footpath or other cycle-prohibited track, please don't ride on it.)
Planning your visit
Place
Refreshments and facilities at Claremont Landscape Garden
Refreshments and facilities can be found at Claremont Landscape Garden, just half a mile from The Homewood. Make the most of your day and explore the garden. Created by the great landscape designers of the 18th century, it charts the evolution of the English Landscape Garden. As part of your visit to The Homewood you will receive a voucher for 25% off in the Gardener's Bothy café at Claremont.
Highlights
Modernist home
Transformed from a Victorian villa into Patrick Gwynne’s vision of a Modernist house.
Garden
A series of vistas that offer glimpses of the landscape beyond.
Things to see and do
Article
Explore The Homewood
Find out more about the design and furnishings of The Homewood, Patrick Gwynne’s extraordinary early 20th-century country villa which is a masterpiece of Modernist design.
Place
Visit Claremont Landscape Garden
Refreshments and facilities can be found at Claremont Landscape Garden, just half a mile from The Homewood. Make the most of your day and explore the garden. Created by the great landscape designers of the 18th century, it charts the evolution of the English Landscape Garden. As part of your visit to The Homewood you will receive a a voucher for 25% off in the Gardener's Bothy café at Claremont.
Places to stay
Polesden Garden Cottage
You’ll find gorgeous views over the Polesden Lacey estate and elegant interiors in this Regency-style villa.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About The Homewood
This extraordinary early 20th-century country villa is a masterpiece of Modernist design, in the midst of a picturesque woodland garden not far from Esher in Surrey. It was designed by the architect Patrick Gwynne for his family - his father, mother, sister and himself - and completed in the early summer of 1938. Gwynne lived in the house for the rest of his life, continuing to keep the building fashionably up-to-date until his death in 2003. His friend, the architect Sir Denys Lasdun, observed that The Homewood was 'the great love of Patrick's life'.
History
Article
The history of the garden at The Homewood
Find out more about how the garden at The Homewood was transformed from a woodland site to Patrick Gwynne’s carefully choreographed landscape.