Touring Exhibition: Last Night For Ever
Mon 18 Aug - Sun 30 Nov. A touring sculpture by artist and curator Andrea Gregson and featuring a sculpture in the garden in the ruins. The sculpture can be seen as part of a garden tour only and tours are subject to availability.
- Booking not needed
- Free event (admission applies)
The sculpture will reference fire as both a destructive and reconstructive force of nature. Sited inside the ruined great hall, which burned down in a fire in 1947, it will respond to histories of garden ruins, perspectives and optical illusions with the interior structure reminiscent of a model theatre. The renowned set designer Oliver Messel formerly lived in the house. Last Night For Ever was originally exhibited at The Garden Museum, London in 2009, responding to lost green space and the spectacular Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, a once thriving public gardens between 1661-1859, sited by the Thames. The sculpture made connections between garden histories past and present, merging the visual trickery of the grotto first created in Renaissance Italy, with found objects and visual motifs from this location over time. The sculpture, whose title was taken from the name of the closing event at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens on 25th June 1859, will be exhibited again at three National Trust historic buildings and landscape gardens located in the South East of England, including Leith Hill Place, Nymans and Winkworth Arboretum. (Tours subject to availability).
Times
Prices
Event ticket prices
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
Check admission pricesUpcoming events
Summer of Play
Sat 19 Jul - Fri 5 Sep: 10am - 5pm (last entry 4.30pm) Play your way through the summer holidays with races, games and active challenges. Sponsored by Starling Bank.
Sneak Peek Tours
Take a behind the scenes look inside the house on a sneak peek tour. Tours last approximately 30 minutes and are included in general admission. Please go to Visitor Welcome to collect a ticket. (Limited availability).
The Art of Illusion: The Theatrical World of Oliver Messel
Sat 14 Jun – Sun 26 Oct: 11am–3.30pm. An exhibition exploring the creativity of Oliver Messel, theatre designer for stage and screen, and master of illusion and make-believe. Normal admission applies.