On Sunday 23rd September Bushy Park House exhibited its gardens and a selection of rooms to the public, as part of the Open House Weekend (22nd September – 23rd September). The house is currently used as a conference facility for the National Physical Laboratory but it was where NPL was established before moving to a new laboratory complex which is amongst the worlds most sophisticated for measurement science. In the past, the house had been home to Duke of Clarence, later King William IV and many other Earls including Charles Montagu, Earl of Halifax.
I visited the house, having only viewed it from afar whilst in Bushy park, and visited the Historical museum before following the trail in the garden which provided a surprisingly interesting way to spend the Sunday afternoon. A tree in the garden was known as the ‘Apple Tree’. This is a deceptive name which does not convey its importance: the tree was grown from the cuttings of the tree from which an apple dropped onto Sir Isaac Newton’s head and gave him the idea of gravity.
The house opening also allowed for the community to get together. 3rd Hampton Hill is a local scout group, based in nearby Hampton Hill. The children, aged 10 to 14 sold scones to the community as well as other refreshments that they had kindly donated. Tom Delaney, 13, was one of the scouts at the event. When asked about the event he said ‘this is my third year working on the stall and I look forward to meeting people. It is also fun to raise money fo scouts’.
The National Physical Laboratory also played it part in making the day a success: science demonstrations were held throughout the afternoon in the house. NPL ran these demonstrations with the aim to get the general public interested in science. I had the pleasure of attending one of these demonstrations, ‘The Dolls of Confusion’. Russian dolls of different sizes but the same weight were shown. The crowd, myself included, were convinced that the smaller doll would be heavier. The illusions persisted even when the numbers in the scales told the audience they were the same weight. I am not usually interested in science but the demonstration left me with many questions about human perception.
The day ended with a fitting walk back home through Bushy Park. It was a warm autumn day and the red brick of the house fitted in with the darkening colours of the leaves. The house will be open again next year from the 21st-22nd of September and I recommend the event for an enjoyable afternoon. If not Bushy Park House, I advise you to have a look online to see what other houses nearby may be opening their doors for a weekend, giving a perfect opportunity to discover other hidden houses there are in your area!
