London Photo Gallery - Ealing (Pitzhanger Manor)

Located in London's western suburbs, Ealing was once on the main road out of the city to Oxford. The villages grew after the railways arrived in 1838, and Ealing became a borough in 1901. Pitzhanger Manor was Sir John Soane's country home in the early 19th century. He bought it in 1800 for 4500 pounds after working on it as an architect apprentice before. He then removed much of the original building except the extension he worked on. For the next 4 years, he transformed the manor to showcase his talent and drum up business. When his sons showed little interest to continue his architectural legacy, Soane sold the manor in 1810 and moved his library and art to his main home and office in Central London's Lincoln's Inn Fields. The house underwent a multi-year conservation to return it to Soane's original design and re-opened in 2019. A skylight brightens the stiarwell with a statue of the goddess Minerva standing on a base of 2 bull heads. The Eating Room is one of the house's 2 grandest rooms and was designed by his master George Dance in 1768. At the time, classical interiors were popular so this room was mostly unchanged, with a new paint job in the colours we see now. On the other side are the breakfast room and library. The breakfast room faces east to maximize morning light, while the library's walls are painted to look like wood with a starfish canopy dome ceiling that was inspired by Roman villas. The conservatory was originally supposed to extend 2 stories but was too costly. Soane originally wanted to have an open terrace to better enjoy the garden, but English weather got in the way. Although visitors now enter the house from the side, be sure to check out the main entrance, which has high ceilings to impress visitors. Heading upstairs, the upper drawing room is the grandest room. Soane made few changes to the room, such as using hand-painted Chinese wallpaper. This house was used to entertain and host dinner parties, although visitors rarely stay for the night. The bedroom overlooked the park although the original Georgian gardens have disappeared. While upstairs, check out the 25 hand-sculpted ceramic busts of victims from wrongful convictions over the past 125 years.