As part of our Behind Blue Walls series, we’re turning the spotlight on the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust, which was set up in 2012 to raise funds and organise the renovation of Pitzhanger Manor, a Grade I listed property in West London dating back to the beginning of the 19th Century.
 

What is Pitzhanger Manor?

Designed by John Soane in 1800 as the perfect ‘country retreat’, Pitzhanger Manor is now a major site of cultural significance in West London. Soane was Architect and Surveyor to the Bank of England and enjoyed using the Manor to showcase his collected pieces of art and to entertain guests from high society - notably French King Louis Phillippe. Pitzhanger Manor sits in Walpole park, 28 acres of grounds that were once Soane’s ‘pleasure grounds’ and which now a beautiful urban park open to the public.

Time and well-intentioned attempts at modernising the Manor have had a detrimental effect on its appearance and structure. Changes were made to the Manor during Victorian times - the ongoing work aims to remove those alterations to return Pitzhanger Manor to the design originally envisioned and designed by Soane. Stonemasons and paint specialists have been commissioned and are making good progress, though more work is needed before it can once again open its doors to the public
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The future of Pitzhanger Manor

In recent years, the Manor has regularly hosted and displayed art collections from national and international artists but is currently closed pending refurbishment and essential renovations to conserve it for future generations. The Trust is restoring the natural beauty of the gallery; they’re also creating a restaurant and a new event space in the walled garden to cater for bigger and better events when it reopens.
 

Pitzhanger and Safestore

We regularly offer space in our Safestore units to local charities as part of our ethos of supporting our local communities. We are glad to be able to support the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust by highlighting their work.
 
If you would like to support the restoration of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery or Sponsor a Pane of Glass, find out more here.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Trust when the Manor and Gallery reopens, they would be very interested to hear from you - you can find out more here.
 
The Trust team is working out of the offices of Ealing Council until they can move into the newly restored Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery. We are therefore delighted to provide the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust with vital storage in our Safestore facility at Acton so that they can keep working on returning Pitzhanger Manor to its former glory.
 
You can follow the progress via their social channels as well.
 
Twitter: @pitzhanger
Facebook: /pitzhanger
Instagram: @pitzhanger  
Youtube/ Vimeo: Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery

Discover more charity articles on Safestore’s blog where you’ll find a range of interviews from our partners up and down the country as well as partner events.  Or, if you’re looking to get a storage quote we have a range of self storage options in 118 locations – find your nearest store today.