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Syon Park is the garden of
In 1609,
Syon Park website
{{coord, 51.4761, -0.3080, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Hounslow Grade I listed parks and gardens in London
Syon Park is the garden of Syon House
Syon House is the west London residence of the Duke of Northumberland. A Grade I listed building, it lies within the 200-acre (80 hectare) Syon Park, in the London Borough of Hounslow.
The family's traditional central London residence h ...
, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...
in Isleworth
Isleworth ( ) is a town located within the London Borough of Hounslow in West London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settl ...
in the London Borough of Hounslow
The London Borough of Hounslow () is a London borough in West London, England, forming part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 when three smaller borough councils (forming part of the former Middlesex County Council area) amalgamated un ...
. It was landscaped by Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English lan ...
in the 18th century, and it is Grade I listed by English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
under the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 for its special historic interest. The main gardens are a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I, and the flood meadows next to the River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
are a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.
History
Syon was the site of Sion Abbey, which was founded in 1415 and named afterMount Zion
Mount Zion ( he, הַר צִיּוֹן, ''Har Ṣīyyōn''; ar, جبل صهيون, ''Jabal Sahyoun'') is a hill in Jerusalem, located just outside the walls of the Old City. The term Mount Zion has been used in the Hebrew Bible first for the C ...
in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. It was dissolved in 1539. Foundations of the abbey were discovered in 2003. Landscaping of the gardens in the middle of the eighteenth century have left them with a collection of rare trees and plants and a lake which has a population of terrapins. The Great Conservatory, built in 1826 to a design by Charles Fowler, was the first to be built out of cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impu ...
.
In 1609, Thomas Harriot
Thomas Harriot (; – 2 July 1621), also spelled Harriott, Hariot or Heriot, was an English astronomer, mathematician, ethnographer and translator to whom the theory of refraction is attributed. Thomas Harriot was also recognized for his co ...
was working at Syon when he made the first ever use of the newly invented telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to obse ...
to make astronomical drawings of the moon on 26 June, several months ahead of Galileo's observations. A plaque commemorating Harriot can be found in the grounds, not far from where the observations took place.
Flood meadows
The Tide Meadow next to the Thames is a SSSI. It is a tall wet meadow of reed-grasses, with rye-grass and meadow-grass on higher ground. There are many small ditches, and it is used by many over-wintering birds and has a number of rare invertebrate species, including uncommon flies.Access
Access is from Park Road. The park is open for an admission charge in the summer and closed in the winter.See also
* List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater LondonReferences
External links
Syon Park website
{{coord, 51.4761, -0.3080, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Hounslow Grade I listed parks and gardens in London