About Us

Sandycombe Lodge was built by 1813 to the designs of England’s great landscape painter, J.M.W. Turner; working here as his own architect to create a quiet retreat for himself, away from the pressures of the London art world. It also provided a home for his father, old William, in retirement from his trade as a barber and wigmaker in Covent Garden. With old William’s declining health and changes in his own life, Turner sold the house in 1826.

We aim to celebrate J.M.W. Turner’s artistic achievement through encouraging visitors to discover the house he designed and built, and the Thames landscape which inspired him. Through conserving and interpreting Turner’s House, we aim to build a deeper engagement with Turner as an artist.