Local Attractions

Chiswick is a lovely area to visit, with plenty of good pubs on and near the river and a wealth of history.

Just ten to fifteen minutes on foot is Chiswick House which boasts one of the most important landscaped gardens in the country and an award winning cafe.

Fuller's beer has been brewed on Fuller's Chiswick site for over 350 years - as far back as the era of Oliver Cromwell. Fuller's is the only brewer in the UK to have three different beers named Champion Beer of Britain by CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) at the annual Great British Beer Festival and the only brewer to receive The Publican Award for Regional Brewer of the Year three times (2006, 2007 and 2011).
It's just down the road from us and has a shop and gives guided tours of the brewery.

St Nicholas Church stands in Church Street on the banks of the River Thames near the former ferry, which was the only means of crossing the river for many years. There is reason to believe that during the time of Mellitus, Bishop of London in the 7th century, a pagan shrine on this site was converted to Christian worship; certainly it existed in the reign of Edward the Confessor.

The first documentary evidence dates from 1181 and records a Visitation of the manors and churches. The name of Chesewic is simply that of "wic" or village, but the derivation of ‘Chis’ is either the old English "cese" or "ciese" meaning cheese, or the village by the "ceosil" or "cesil" a stony beach or landing place which seems appropriate.The dedication of a church to St Nicholas, patron saint of sailors and fishermen, was a common practice where the parishioners’ livelihood depended on water.

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.

In November 2011 the House reopened after a three year restoration project which included research into the entire history of the House. The historic residence holds an extensive collection of the artist’s 18th century prints and a set of his engraving plates, of which a selection will always be on display. Replicas of furniture from Hogarth’s prints, made in 1904, give a good idea of how the house would have looked in the 18th century, and a number of personal items belonging to the Hogarths, which have been traced in other collections, have returned to the house for the first time in over 200 years. These include vital tools for his work such as his palette and mahl stick, objects demonstrating his sociable nature such as his punchbowl and card counters, and a stand for his famous pug dog’s bowl. Free admission from Tuesday to Sunday 12 noon to 5pm. Open on Bank Holiday Mondays.

The Leg O'Mutton Nature Reserve opposite the Pier in Barnes is a haven for birdwatchers and the pictures in our slide show depict some of the birds you can find there.

To view a video of our mooring facilities, please take a look at Episode 10, part 2, on www.uk-boating.tv .