Hogarth's House

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• Hogarth's House in Chiswick, built around 1700, was the country home of the great painter, engraver and satirist William Hogarth (1697 - 1764) from 1749 until his death. It provided a quiet summer retreat from the bustle of city life around Hogarth's main house and studio in what is now Leicester Square. In Hogarth's time the house stood at the north-west edge of the old village of Chiswick, close to the Thames, so it would have been as easy for him to come to Chiswick by boat as by road. Today the modern road system - including the Hogarth Roundabout - cuts it off from the village, but once inside the high brick walls of the garden (still containing Hogarth's mulberry tree), visitors can almost forget the roaring traffic outside. Hogarth lived here with his wife, sister and mother-in-law. After his death his widow Jane continued to live in the house for a further 25 years, until her own death in 1789. Hogarth's House closed to visitors on Sunday 28th September 2008 for repairs to the fabric and interior of the building. It will reopen beautifully restored, with new displays and a lively programme of activities. The project is supported by a grant of £276,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with the balance coming from the London Borough of Hounslow. Unfortunately a fire at the house on 14 August 2009, means that Hogarth's House will not be re-opening in autumn 2009 as planned. The House's staircase and one room have been damaged by the fire and works are now needed throughout the Grade I Listed building. The scale of this work means that the House is unlikely to reopen until late in 2010.
• The description was provided by michael