Volunteer complimentary guided tour of Sambourne House
Friday 6 February 2026 (14.30 - 15.30)
Join us for a complimentary private tour of Sambourne House!
Tucked away in Holland Park, a leafy neighbourhood in West London, stand Leighton House and Sambourne House. Combining living and studio space, the houses remain largely unchanged today. They are the extraordinary legacies left by two ‘celebrities’ of the late Victorian era – Frederic Lord Leighton (1830-1896) and Edward Linley Sambourne (1844 -1910).
Leighton and Sambourne lived as neighbours for over 20 years and had many acquaintances in common. They were widely known to their contemporaries; Leighton as the most prominent artist of his day, a celebrated painter and president of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sambourne as Chief Cartoonist at the infamous satirical magazine Punch. Their similar tastes were reflected in the furnishing of their homes, both filled with sculpture, blue and white ceramics and glassware. But if we delve beyond the physical artefacts, what do we know about these men, their lives and careers, and why do their former homes capture our imagination today?
This exclusive 60-minute guided tour will take us through Sambourne House which was decorated in the fashionable aesthetic style, including stained glass windows, and Morris & Co. wallpaper. Decorating the house was a passion of Edward Linley Sambourne’s and it was mainly he who was responsible for choosing the various wallpapers and furnishings. Throughout the 35 years he lived in the house, he continued to add to it, re-papering walls and purchasing new ceramics and pieces of furniture.
Please meet at 14.15 at the Sambourne House visitor entrance for the tour starting at 14.30.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GUIDED TOUR OF SAMBOURNE HOUSE (14.30 - 15.30) WILL BE PRECEDED BY A GUIDED TOUR OF LEIGHTON HOUSE (12.00 - 13.00 - Leighton House is approx. 10 mins walk away) - PLEASE SIGN UP SEPARATELY FOR THE Leighton HOUSE TOUR IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN BOTH TOURS (optional).
Event details:
This event is exclusive to Fulham Palace volunteers.
This tour is approximately 60 minutes long.
Accessibility: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/accessibility
We will meet at 14.15 at the Sambourne House visitor entrance.
Getting there: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/plan-your-visit
The guided tour of Sambourne House (14.30 - 15.30) will be preceded by a guided tour of Leighton House 12.00 - 13.00 - Leighton House is approx. 10 mins walk away) - PLEASE SIGN UP SEPARATELY FOR THE Leighton HOUSE TOUR IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN BOTH TOURS (optional) - thank you.
Please book your space on the Sambourne House tour here: https://fulhampalace.digitickets.co.uk/category/68964