Osterley House, Middlesex

Historical Description

Osterley House, the seat of the Earl of Jersey in Heston parish, Middlesex, 2 miles WNW of Brentford. The estate belonged to Sheen Priory; went to Sir T. Gresham, Coke, General Waller, and others; and passed, through the Childs, to the Earl of Jersey. The present mansion superseded a previous one in which Sir T. Gresham gave entertainment to Queen Elizabeth; was built in 1760-63; is a large rectangular mansion of red brick, 140 feet by 117, with a portico, and with restored old comer turrets; and contains a fine painting of the apotheosis of William the Silent by Rubens, many fine examples of the old masters, and some good family portraits. It stands in an extensive park in which there is a large lake.