Leighton House Reviews Summary

House and Interiors

Pros:

• "The most amazingly beautiful house! Stunning interiors and a lovely way to spend an afternoon."
• "The detail involved in the main room is incredible!"
• "The Arab room is worth visiting and exploring in detail."
• "The house is a great mixture of the Orient and European styles, filtered through the aesthetic sensitivities of Lord Leighton."
• "The beautiful home of Frederic Leighton, an enigmatic and cultured man who was a prolific and accomplished artist."
• "The most impressive room in Leighton House is the Arab Hall, built to house Leighton's collection of tiles collected during visits to the Middle East."
• "A magnificent 'arabesque' room, tiled from floor to ceiling, together with a small fountain can be found on the ground floor."

Cons:

• "I was a little dissapointed to find that a lot of the furnishings and decor were replaced and not the original."
• "Much of the collection is either copies or recently purchased items matching the originals rather than the original objects."
• "Most of the ítems and paintings are reproductions or replacements purchased to fill up the rooms as the originals are elsewhere."
• "Although I like Leighton's paintings, I had trouble appreciating them as the light isn't great and creates much glare."
• "Interesting rooms to visit inside, be mindful that there is no wow factor and the pictures look nicer than the place."
• "There honestly isn't much of the house to see. It's quite ornate and exotic and the art is good. But, unless you're a huge fan of Leighton's art, I wouldn't bother."
• "Went there last year and it's ok... Not Victorian at all as it's a new build using all the latest products from B&Q and pound stretcher... Best thing about it is it only cost's £92 to get in so well worth spending 10 minutes standing pointing and laughing at the janitor."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Such a wondrous venue. All the staff were helpful and friendly."
• "Staff at the till and shop were very nice and welcoming."
• "Our guide had encyclopaedic knowledge and was very engaging."
• "All the staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable."
• "The docents are very helpful and knowledgeable."
• "We had a wonderful private curated tour last night. Full of information, anecdotes, insights and all sorts of other miscellaneous associated bits and pieces."

Cons:

• "The woman on the front desk was rather perfunctory and sounded like a disgruntled peacock."
• "After we returned to the lobby after the tour, a female staff member suddenly told us that we needed to buy tickets, which made us feel very uncomfortable."
• "One of the staff asked me to take them off due to ‘not being able to hear the fire alarm‘."
• "Profoundly patronising: Firstly, upon buying the ticket, the staff didn’t ask if I am entitled to any concession."
• "Stunningly beautiful and probably one of London's best kept secrets - unmissable if you're interested in the Victorian era and/or Pre-Raphaelite art. Taking out one star due to unwelcoming staff - I was quite rudely asked to leave ten minutes ahead of the stated closing time."

Value and Accessibility

Pros:

• "A self-guided visit would still be worth it because this home has some gorgeous details that are not to be missed."
• "The little booklet is helpful but would have liked more information displayed alongside the individual exhibits."
• "Toilets are accessible through lifts, as they are on the bottom floor and each one has sink, mirror etc."
• "The house also houses collections by William and Evelyn de Morgan and Schaeffer."
• "The new extension increases accessibility."
• "There is a lift."
• "The temporary exhibitions they hold upstairs are usually superb."

Cons:

• "9 GBP to visit; maybe a little too much."
• "Very interesting. Worth a visit. £11 for entrance is a bit much for what it is."
• "The entry fee of £9 I found to be quite steep for the above reasons."
• "At 9 quid per adult for a handful of rooms it is not very good value for the money."
• "I think it's expensive for what the museum offers."
• "Not worth the £9."
• "It is a pretty interesting place to take a look for 20 minutes, but not worth 12 pounds."

Gardens and Exterior

Pros:

• "I was lucky to visit on the nicest day of the year. The garden alone is a haven of peace."
• "Nice and quite with a big spacious garden, there is a choice of seating inside or out depending on weather or you can choose to sit on one of the wooden benches in the garden."
• "The rear garden provides a good view of the house and places to sit."
• "The gardens outside have a breathtaking large black statue of a stallion set amidst a large grassed area surrounded by tall trees."
• "The gardens in Autumn are a little neglected but you come here for the house which is truly spectacular."

Cons:

• "The garden was closed so can't comment on that but the docents are very helpful and knowledgeable."
• "HARD TO SUPPORT AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT DOESN'T SUPPORT THE DISABLED."

Cafe and Amenities

Pros:

• "Garden and cafe are splendid and a treat after you’ve enjoyed an unique part of London’s art history."
• "It also has a great garden and a small cafe and shop, the shop has many inexpensive gems."
• "There's also a pretty cafe on the premises. Really enjoyed the visit!"
• "The cafe had limited offerings but enough."