About London Luminaries

London was the epicentre of commerce and wealth in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, thanks to the River Thames which attracted royalty, aristocrats, artists, writers and wealthy property owners. A legacy of these luminaries is an area west of London exceptionally rich in heritage buildings, gardens and landscapes. Since 2020, our partnership has been delivering online talks with the aim of bringing this area to life and encouraging you to explore it virtually and in person.

The London Luminaries now comprises fifteen partners, ranging from the very small (Pope’s Grotto, Garrick’s Temple), to the very large. Some of these larger properties are privately owned (Syon House), while others are maintained by trusts and charities (Turner’s House, Strawberry Hill House). Some are National Trust and English Heritage properties (Ham House, Marble Hill House, Chiswick House), and some are managed by local authorities or by partnerships between Trusts, Community Interest Companies and Local Authorities (Boston Manor House, Fulham Palace, Gunnersbury Museum and Park, Hogarth’s House, Orleans House Gallery, Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery).

“By focusing on the people, the speakers brought the history alive.”

Our online talks are given by acknowledged experts. Recordings are available afterwards but the live broadcasts also include lively Q&A sessions at the end, chaired by Professor Judith Hawley of Royal Holloway, University of London. Attendees can book tickets on this website and will be sent a Zoom link by email about an hour before each talk begins.

Tickets are free but we encourage you to make a £5 donation for each talk, if you are able, which will be divided equally between the fifteen participating organisations.