Friends of Kingswood House, Dulwich
Last update 22nd April 2026
Embedded Files
We need YOU ...
We need YOU ...
Do you like Kingswood House?
Could you spare a few hours?
The Friends aims to preserve and promote the use of Kingswood House. We also host bi-monthly tours. (Re-starting Sept 2026) We are looking for anyone of any age to help us with things like archiving, tour guides, helping on a stall, setting up displays, helping with the website and social media (be nice to share the load), and just jump in wherever you feel comfortable.
Don't worry if you're not local.
Please feel free to email or contact us via our Facebook page
If you would like more information
Friends of Kingswood House Dulwich
Friends of Kingswood House Dulwich
Welcome to our brand new website. Please note that work is still ongoing, and more info and history are being added all the time. We also welcome your stories, pictures and memories of this amazing house, with a history going back more than 200 years.
A brief description of the Friends.
In July 1998, the Friends of Kingswood House was formed to explore ways to preserve this fine late Victorian family mansion while ensuring it continues to provide facilities for the community. Partly through their efforts, a refurbishment programme for the house took place in 2001, which helped to preserve the house for the future.
In 2019 the house was closed by Southwark Council due go covid the house remained closed until 2023 when Kingswood Arts took over the lease, and started to work to save and restore the house, after six months of hard work, they opened the house back up to the public as a community space once again, they run many events throughout the year, and weekly clubs and classes, please see events page for more information on both our events and Kingswood Arts.
So who are we? And what do we do ??
We are a small bunch of like-minded people from the local area who help preserve the history of Kingswood House, maintain the archive and host open events. We work closely with Kingswood Arts, which has a lease on the house and runs many community events and private functions. We have bi-monthly meetings and a once-yearly AGM, which anyone is allowed to attend. We always welcome new members as we are now slowly growing in the events we wish to hold and would love you to help, whether that be for the odd hour now and again or becoming a part of the committee. Please do get in touch if you feel you wish to get involved.
The tapestry depicts William Vizard, who lived in the Kingswood at the beginning of the 19th Century; John Lawson Johnson, who transformed the House into a baronial castle at the end of the 19th Century; and William Vestey, who took the title ‘Baron Vestey of Kingswood’ when he was made a Lord in 1928.
The Project was funded by a Lottery Grant from the Countryside Agency and a Grant from the Nationwide Building Society.
The work was overseen by Ruth Cousins.
The picture was designed by Patrick Darby.
It took more than 1800 hours to stitch over three years, from January 2002, and involved more than 100 people, including school children.
Donations.
We are self-funded and rely on the public to help fund us, along with some small grants that we have been given. Your donations are helping to fund the new displays we wish to exhibit both inside and outside the house. Here is a link to our funding page.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse