The Hermitage

Sepia-toned photograph of a historic two-story thatched cottage with multiple chimneys and ivy-covered walls
The Hermitage
Below are emails received from Historic England
Email received from Historic England on 20th of June 2025
Message received on the 20th of June 2025 from the Department of Media Culture and Sport
Below is an update received on the 7th of May 2025
Update
Below is a reply I received from an email request asking for advice as to how long the process will take received on 29th November 2024
DCMS is the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
As many of you will know the Hermitage was an Historic house in Heston, it was not only the oldest house in Heston it was the last thatched house in the London Borough of Hounslow. It’s origins date back to the late 15th century with many historic and architectural features. It was a grade 11 listed building. It was purchased by a property developer around 2002/2003 who immediately applied for planning permission to redevelop the site and this was refused. A few weeks later it mysteriously caught fire and was badly damaged and has remained in the dilapidated condition for the last 21 years despite the councils demands for  protective measures to be taken nothing has happened and despite English Heriatge being involved, nothing has happened.
Heston Residents Association received a letter dated the 24th of September 2024 from Historic England (formerly English Heritage) stating they had received an applicaton to De-list the site, this means taking it off the list of listed buildings, and they asked for our opinion on this within  21 days. In response we replied to them stating that it was too short a notice period as our next newsletter wasn’t due to be published till after this date and they kindly extended the notice period by 14 days.
The expiry of the notice period ended on the 29th of October 2024 and we received a good response to our newsletter article and we were able to send to them 17 emails, some of them from very eminent people including historians and academics. you can see the emails in the Microsoft Sway below.
                                           A Short History of “The Hermitage or Thatched House Sutton, now Heston

                                     

The house has been variously called and documented under both names . Curiously local people still use them interchangeably. It’s earliest record appears on Moses Glovers’s map of the ‘Manor or Isleworth-Syon’ in 1635. It is the oldest house in Heston and is listed by English Heritage principally because it is the sole surviving Medieval Hall House of the area.
Our earliest known owner is one Robert Beale, a Yeoman. By good fortune all leases and deeds have survived on vellum since 1765 and then will be a certain trust on the keeper to respect that in continuum.
The house and lands were the copyhold of Heston Manor which itself came under the ownership of the Osterley Park Estate and owned since the early 19th Century by the Earl of Jersey.
In the early 1800’s Lieutenant-General Charles Neville of the royal Artillery owned the “Hermitage”. He was first commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1779 and progressed to Captain in 1790, Major in 1803, Major General 1813, and Lt General in 1825. He actually died in the house in 1826 but curiously was not buried in the Norman Church, St Leonards as would have been expected. His wife continued her life there until 1849.    
Gentlemen landowners and proffesional men (such as solicitors) took ownership until 1903 when it was sold by Rt.Hon Victor Albert Child Villiers, the 7th Earl of Jersey to a Charles Frederick Gill.
1910 saw it revert to the “Thatched House” and became the home of the revered and renowned Icelandic poet, Einar Bendediktssen. His biography by Gudjon Fredrikkson was published in Iceland in 1999. The research brought him to the property and several photographs of it appear in the book along with the story of his life there. The stables where he kept his Icelandic ponies remain in use.
In 1952 Mr. J. Michael Ostrowski, a Civil Engineer and former soldier responsible for some remarkable global structures (including the metal overpass at the Hogarth Roundabout) lived with his wife Jean and daughter Janina. Janina Imman represented her ward of ‘Heston East’ as a Councillor at the age of 24. She was pleased to entertain the Icelandic Ambassador following her father’s death in 2000

A Short History of “The Hermitage” or “Thatched House” Sutton, now Heston

The Hermitage as described by English Heritage

 

The “Hermitage” is a detached, thatched roof house listed as a grade 11 building in 1995:
House: Probably 15th Century with 19th Century additions. Two principal ranges aligned to produce a “T” shaped plan. Third brick range to east. E-W range comprises of a 3 bay house, probably 15th century, with original low eaves and full hip at each end of a steeply pitched roof. the roof is thatched. Exterior walled in rough cast cement render. North elevation refronted in early 19th Century with mock framing and three open-headed windows at first floor level. The second range, aligned N-S and adjoining the early range in its south side, dates from early 19th century. Two storey with attic. Entrance porch on west side with imported medievel carved door. Third small brick range to east propably early 19th Century.
Interior: Early range, clasped purlin roof with collars and wind braces, with smoke blackened rafters over hall. At first floor level, timber framed partition wall continues through the roof space up to a ridge to seperate chamber from open hall at west end. Also at first floor level, west end, a row of empty mortices in the exposed soffit of the girding beam, which shows that the external walls were originally close studded; and a socket for diamond-mullion, which marks the position of an early window opening. The house is listed principaly for the special interest of the medieval hall house.
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