The Friends of Hylands House celebrate 30 years
The Friends of Hylands House are marking 30 years of voluntary work to support the restoration and improvement of the historic estate.
The Friends officially hit the milestone in late 2025 and this week held a reception in the Terrace Room at Hylands House as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations. The Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Lynne Foster, and her Mayoress, Corinne Tutton, joined the event, where the Mayor thanked the Friends for their work in helping to preserve and promote Hylands’ heritage:
““Over three decades of tireless, voluntary support, the Friends of Hylands House have financed and aided the delivery of many projects across Hylands Estate. Not only have they preserved and restored elements of this grand house for future generations to enjoy; they have improved access to its history, helping families today to learn about and connect with its vital role in Chelmsford’s story. My heartfelt thanks go to all committee members for their invaluable work in developing our understanding of and appreciation for this great historic house.”
Councillor Lynne Foster, Mayor of Chelmsford
The 30th anniversary was celebrated in The Terrace Room.
The Deputy Mayoress, Councillor Julia Frascona, and her Consort, Amanda Wilson, were also in attendance to celebrate the occasion.
About The Friends of Hylands House
The Friends of Hylands House is a voluntary group of local people who are passionate about assisting the preservation of Hylands House and Park. The group formed in late 1995 – following Chelmsford Borough Council’s decision to restore the historic house – and has since worked independently to raise funds for the maintenance, repair and improvement of the estate.
The Friends also manage the popular second-hand bookshop at the stables, run regular tours of the house, and curate exhibitions exploring the history of the house and its past owners for visitors to enjoy at Hylands’ monthly Open Estate Days.
The Friends have supported the estate for decades.
Three decades of Hylands projects
During their 30 years of fundraising activities, the Friends have led or supported many projects to improve parts of Hylands Estate and created new opportunities for locals to engage with its history. Their projects have ranged from purchasing historic photo albums to full-scale restorations of parts of the estate.
Here’s a look back at some of their most notable projects:
Venus with the Apple (2002)
One of the Friends’ first major achievements in 2002 was to commission a life-size marble replica of ‘Venus with the Apple’ by the famous Danish sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen. The original sculpture was commissioned in 1816 by Pierre Labouchere – who owned Hylands House from 1814–39 – and displayed in the house’s Entrance Hall. Its replica now sits in the same location, giving visitors to Hylands House a flavour of the beautiful décor that once graced its halls.
Stable’s turret clock (2006)
Four years later, the Friends undertook their very first large-scale project outside of the House —the restoration of the stable’s Georgian turret clock. The project involved working with local craftsman Chris Papworth of Kelvedon Clocks, who carried out the restoration of the clock’s mechanism, and blacksmith Steve Miller of Hatfield Peverel, who created a replacement weathervane based on similar weathervanes of the Georgian era.
Interestingly, during works on the bell tower, a second world war air-raid siren was discovered. This piece of local history was tested and was found to be in working order. It is thought to be the only surviving siren in the Chelmsford area.
The turret clock at Hylands Estate was restored to its former glory in 2006.
Hanbury Memorial Garden (2021)
In 2021, the Friends worked in partnership with Chelmsford City Council to reinstate The Hanbury Memorial Garden. Previous Hylands’ owner Mrs Christine Hanbury originally made the private garden as a memorial for her husband, John, who died shortly after purchasing the house, and for their son, Jock, a pilot officer, who died at the beginning of World War II.
During this project, careful thought was given by the Friends and city council to keep the garden in character with 1920s period. Work involved the restoration of an ornate fence, planting beds of flowers with Mrs Christine Hanbury’s favoured plants in mind, and sourcing replica benches and York stone paving to match the original designs. The garden’s restoration created a peaceful, reflective space for visitors to the park to enjoy, while paying respect to the Hanbury family memorial.
Hylands Estate publication (2021)
A book on the long and rich history of Hylands House was published in 2021 thanks to the Friends. Hylands ‘A Remarkably Elegant…Mansion House’ was authored by Friends committee member and local historian, Nick Wickenden, with contributions from Linda Knock, who was at the time Chairman of the Friends.
The publication explores in detail the house’s 300 years of history, including its many past owners, lavish events and eminent guests. It also covers the restoration of the neo-classical villa, during the 1990s and 2000s, which transformed it from ruined to resplendent.
Open Estate Days (since 2023)
Hylands’ long-running Open Estate Days have become a very popular monthly event with locals. Each one offers an opportunity for visitors to enjoy a day of activities in and around Hylands House, including Essex Foodies’ food and craft market.
The Friends are a key part of Open Estate Days. Over the years, they’ve supported the events by providing free tours of the house to visitors and curating rotating exhibitions exploring Hylands’ 300-year history. They’ve also contributed towards activities designed to encourage families to visit the estate and learn more about its history – including new croquet, quoits and chess sets, and storytelling sessions.
Chair of The Friends of Hylands House, Val Chiswell, says of their past achievements:
““For thirty years, the Friends of Hylands House have supported the preservation and improvement of this historic estate. From the early days of Hylands’ restoration journey to now; they have provided their time and talents to ensure that Hylands is a place for the public to come and enjoy themselves and learn about its history. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedicated work.
Val Chiswell, Chair, The Friends of Hylands House
“The work of the Friends is ongoing. We will endeavour to continue supporting the ‘Jewel in Chelmsford’s Crown’, and we always welcome new members to help in this endeavour. It gives us all great pleasure to do what we do; sharing in making Hylands attractive and welcoming to visitors.”
You can read about more of the Friends’ projects on their website.
How to get involved with the Friends of Hylands House
If you’re interested in becoming a Friend of Hylands House and helping to improve the historic Hylands Estate, you can become a member today.
As well as supporting the activities of the Friends, you’ll enjoy several benefits as part of your membership, including discounts in The Deli café, The Friends of Hylands House Bookshop, and in the Artist Shop at the Stables; plus invitations to social Friends events.
Membership starts from just £13 per year for concessions and £18 per year for adults.
Find out more and become a member via The Friends of Hylands House website.
