Turner’s House was delighted to welcome visitors as part of this year’s Open House
Festival on Saturday 12 September 2026, opening the doors free of charge to J.M.W.
Turner’s former Georgian retreat.
Visitors explored Sandycombe Lodge, the villa near the Thames, with guided tours
and behind-the-scenes stories, discovering more about Turner’s life and his
connection to Richmond.
The garden also came to life with an Art Fair, where seven artists displayed their
work, while refreshments and cakes added to the welcoming atmosphere.
It was a day filled with art, discovery and joy, offering a wonderful opportunity to
celebrate and share Turner’s unique home with the local community and visitors from
across London. As part of the much-loved Open House Festival, the day celebrated the
capital’s architecture, heritage and special sites.
Turner’s House had the honour to welcome Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor of London for Communities and Social Justice, and Fiona Sacks, Sanctuary Champion, on Wednesday 12 August 2026 as part of a visit to local organisations supported by the Sanctuary Fund.
What can J.M.W. Turner’s paintings tell us about the changing environment? Many a story. In July 2024, Turner’s House welcomed broadcaster and environmental campaigner Chris Packham CBE, who opened A World of Care: Turner and the Environment, an exhibition exploring Turner’s response to a world undergoing rapid change.
In 1819, at the age of 44, J.M.W. Turner finally made the journey to Italy that he had long dreamed of – a country he would later call the ‘land of all bliss’. Seeing the Light, held at Turner’s House from Friday 7 July until Sunday 29 October 2023, explored this pivotal journey through a selection of watercolours and works tracing Turner’s first impressions of the country that would profoundly shape his art.
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