Woodlands House
Encyclopedia
Woodlands House is a grade II listed Georgian
villa, next door to Mycenae House
, Mycenae Road, in the Westcombe Park
area of the London Borough of Greenwich
.
by John Julius Angerstein
(a Lloyd's
underwriter whose art collection was bought in 1824 to form the nucleus of the National Gallery, London
). While Angerstein occupied a house in nearby Crooms Hill, Greenwich, the villa was constructed over the next two years to a design by local architect
George Gibson and was completed in the summer of 1776.
It was described in Daniel Lysons
' The Environs of London (1796):
Angerstein extended Woodlands in the late 18th century, adding a west wing, conservatory, out-buildings and a stable and riding school (most of these were demolished after the sale of the Westcombe estates in 1876). After Angerstein's death in 1823, the property became the family home of his son John Angerstein
(who was elected Liberal
MP for Greenwich in 1835 and devoted much of his time to development of the Angerstein estates).
In the late 1890s, the property was purchased by the shipbuilder Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow
. It became the Yarrow family home and later, during the First World War, served as a hostel for Belgian refugees. In the 1920s, it was sold to a Catholic
religious order, the Little Sisters of the Assumption, for use as a convent
.
in 1967, the house opened as a local history
library and contemporary art
gallery — known as Woodlands Art Gallery — in 1972. It held an extensive range of solo and group exhibitions.
In October 2003, the local history library was moved to a new site on the Royal Arsenal
site in Woolwich
- now the Greenwich Heritage Centre, and the gallery subsequently closed. The council sought proposals to redevelop Woodlands House, the adjacent Mycenae House and surrounding grounds, with a proposal incorporating premises for a local Steiner School being approved in July 2006.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
villa, next door to Mycenae House
Mycenae House
Mycenae House is a community centre housed in a former convent building next door to the Georgian villa, Woodlands House, in Mycenae Road, in the Westcombe Park area of Greenwich, London.-History:...
, Mycenae Road, in the Westcombe Park
Westcombe Park
This article is about the London district. See Westcombe Park rugby club for details of the rugby club - now based in Orpington.Westcombe Park is a largely residential area in Blackheath in the London Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, England....
area of the London Borough of Greenwich
London Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
.
History
The building was built on a site leased in 1774 from Sir Gregory PageGregory Page
The heads of three successive generations of the same English family were each named Gregory Page. A wealthy family whose fortune was not inherited but initially accumulated through trade, the Pages were closely associated with the development of north-west Kent during the 18th century.-First...
by John Julius Angerstein
John Julius Angerstein
John Julius Angerstein , was a London merchant, Lloyd's under-writer, and patron of the fine arts. The imminent prospect that his collection of paintings was about to be sold by his estate, in 1824, galvanized the founding of the National Gallery, London.Angerstein was born in St Petersburg, Russia...
(a Lloyd's
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
underwriter whose art collection was bought in 1824 to form the nucleus of the National Gallery, London
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
). While Angerstein occupied a house in nearby Crooms Hill, Greenwich, the villa was constructed over the next two years to a design by local architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
George Gibson and was completed in the summer of 1776.
It was described in Daniel Lysons
Daniel Lysons
Daniel Lysons was a notable English antiquary and topographer of the late 18th and early 19th century, who published the four-volume The Environs of London ....
' The Environs of London (1796):
"Woodlands, the seat of John Julius Angerstein, Esq. (between East-Combe and West-CombeWestcombe ParkThis article is about the London district. See Westcombe Park rugby club for details of the rugby club - now based in Orpington.Westcombe Park is a largely residential area in Blackheath in the London Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, England....
), occupies a situation uncommonly beautiful. The surrounding scenery is very picturesque; and the distant view of the river, and the EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
shore, is broken with good effect by the plantations near the house. The grounds were laid out, and the house built about the year 1772, by the present proprietor, who has a small but valuable collection of pictures; among which Sir Joshua ReynoldsJoshua ReynoldsSir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
's celebrated portrait of GarrickDavid GarrickDavid Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson...
between Tragedy and Comedy, the Venus, a well known picture, by the same artist; a fine portrait of Rubens, by VandykeAnthony van DyckSir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England. He is most famous for his portraits of Charles I of England and his family and court, painted with a relaxed elegance that was to be the dominant influence on English portrait-painting for the next...
; and a very beautiful landscape, with cattle, by CuypCuypThe surname Cuyp is shared by three painters who lived during the Dutch Golden Age:* Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp * his half-brother Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp...
, claim particular notice. The greenhouse is to be remarked for its collection of heaths."
Angerstein extended Woodlands in the late 18th century, adding a west wing, conservatory, out-buildings and a stable and riding school (most of these were demolished after the sale of the Westcombe estates in 1876). After Angerstein's death in 1823, the property became the family home of his son John Angerstein
John Angerstein (MP)
John Angerstein was an English Whig politician from Blackheath.He was one of the three people nominated in November 1829 to be the High Sheriff of Kent in 1830,but the King appointed Edward Rice....
(who was elected Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP for Greenwich in 1835 and devoted much of his time to development of the Angerstein estates).
In the late 1890s, the property was purchased by the shipbuilder Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow
Alfred Yarrow
Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow, 1st Baronet, of Homestead was a British shipbuilder who started a shipbuilding dynasty, Yarrow Shipbuilders.-Life and career:...
. It became the Yarrow family home and later, during the First World War, served as a hostel for Belgian refugees. In the 1920s, it was sold to a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
religious order, the Little Sisters of the Assumption, for use as a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
.
Woodlands Art Gallery
Acquired by the London Borough of GreenwichLondon Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
in 1967, the house opened as a local history
Local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
library and contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
gallery — known as Woodlands Art Gallery — in 1972. It held an extensive range of solo and group exhibitions.
In October 2003, the local history library was moved to a new site on the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
site in Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
- now the Greenwich Heritage Centre, and the gallery subsequently closed. The council sought proposals to redevelop Woodlands House, the adjacent Mycenae House and surrounding grounds, with a proposal incorporating premises for a local Steiner School being approved in July 2006.