The Queen's Consort visited Boston Manor House for the first time in half a century to see how the building has been restored ahead of its reopening. 

The Queen Mother visited the 400-year-old building in 1963 and received a ceremonial key as part of the visit, and the Queen's Consort was presented with another symbolic key by Hounslow Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat during her visit on Thursday 23rd February. 

Boston Manor House has been restored and is now to be run by Hounslow Council and a team of volunteers and will be open to the public to view The Jacobean House six days a week in the spring of 2023, to coincide with the 400th anniversary of it being initially built in 1623. 

Rajawat, said: "It was an absolute honour to have Her Majesty visit Brentford today and see how Hounslow is enshrining heritage and culture into its identity.  

"This project would not have been possible without the highly skilled craftspeople, staff at Hounslow Council, volunteers and funders who have made history come alive in this iconic house. 

"Yet beyond the restoration we have cemented an important legacy: we will provide placements, apprenticeships and internships for young people under 25 – within the heritage sector - until at least 2025." 

Her Majesty also visited the new Jimmy Choo London Fashion Academy in the building adjacent to Boston Manor House as part of the visit and met with school children from Our Lady and St John's RC primary school in Brentford who were designing shoes – along with students and local artisans cutting, sewing and designing clothes. 

Stephen Smith, the Founder and Director of the Jimmy Choo Academy and local resident, said: "My five-year-old son has grown up in Boston Manor Park and we would stare at Boston Manor House every time we visited.  

"I often thought it would be a great place to have a creative space so when Hounslow Council announced they were wishing to support the local artisan community it was an immediate meeting of the minds."