Gunnersbury Park – celebrating 100 years as a public park
Once the Rothschild family’s first major English residence, Gunnersbury Park has been open to the wider community for a century.
Pre‑Rothschild: Prior to the Rothschild family’s ownership, Gunnersbury in West London evolved from a royal retreat to an aristocratic estate, later divided into two mansions.
1835: Nathan Mayer Rothschild bought the Large Mansion, with his wife Hannah overseeing the purchase, making it the family’s first major English home.
1836–1861: Hannah and her eldest son, Lionel, expanded and modernised Gunnersbury to become a hub of society, hosting events including the marriage of Lionel’s eldest daughter Leonora.
1889: Leopold de Rothschild reunited the two estates to create Gunnersbury Park, adding Italian and Japanese-inspired gardens, building houses and investing in local hospitals and schools.
“Marvellous! We have nothing like it in Japan.” The Japanese Ambassador on a visit to the Japanese gardens.
1926: After a century of Rothschild ownership, Gunnersbury became a public park and museum for local history, fine art and archaeology.
2018: The restored Gunnersbury Park Museum reopened, preserving the Rothschild legacy. Today, the park also hosts events including festivals and music concerts.
