# Woodlands House

51°28′47″N 0°01′02″E﻿ / ﻿51.4796°N 0.01733°E﻿ / 51.4796; 0.01733
Woodlands House is a Grade II* listed Georgian villa, next door to Mycenae House, Mycenae Road, in the Westcombe Park area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in southeast London. From 1972 to 2003 the building served as a library and art museum, known as the Woodlands Art Gallery. Today it houses a Steiner School.

## History

The building was built on a site leased in 1774 from Sir Gregory Page by John Julius Angerstein (a Lloyd's underwriter). Angerstein made his fortune in the East Indian trade as well as having West Indian business links, including a third share in a slave plantation in Grenada. His art collection was bought in 1824 to form the nucleus of the National Gallery, London. Angerstein occupied a house in nearby Crooms Hill, Greenwich, while the villa was constructed over the next two years to a design by local architect George Gibson and was completed in the summer of 1776.
It was described in Daniel Lysons' The Environs of London (1796):
   "Woodlands, the seat of John Julius Angerstein, Esq. (between East-Combe and West-Combe), occupies a situation uncommonly beautiful. The surrounding scenery is very picturesque; and the distant view of the river, and the Essex shore, is broken with good effect by the plantations near the house. The grounds were laid out, and the house built about the year 1772, by the present proprietor, who has a small but valuable collection of pictures; among which Sir Joshua Reynolds's celebrated portrait of Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy, the Venus, a well known picture, by the same artist; a fine portrait of Rubens, by Vandyke; and a very beautiful landscape, with cattle, by Cuyp, claim particular notice. The greenhouse is to be remarked for its collection of heaths."
Angerstein extended Woodlands in the late 18th century, adding a west wing, conservatory, out-buildings and a stable and riding school (most of these were demolished after the sale of the Westcombe estates in 1876). After Angerstein's death in 1823, the property became the family home of his son John Angerstein (who was elected Liberal MP for Greenwich in 1835 and devoted much of his time to development of the Angerstein estates).
In the late 1890s, the property was purchased by the shipbuilder Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow. It became the Yarrow family home and later, during the First World War, served as a hostel for Belgian refugees. In the 1920s, it was sold to a Catholic religious order, the Little Sisters of the Assumption, for use as a convent and novitiate; during the 1930s, an adjacent building (today Mycenae House) was constructed to expand the novitiate accommodation.

## Woodlands Art Gallery

Acquired by the Royal Borough of Greenwich in 1967 after the Little Sisters relocated to Paddington, the house opened as a local history library and contemporary art gallery — known as Woodlands Art Gallery — in 1972. It held an extensive range of solo and group exhibitions.

### Exhibitions 1970s

| Dates | Title | Artist(s) |
| 1 – 25 July 1972 | Blackheath Art Society 1947–1972: A Retrospective Exhibition arranged by Greenwich Libraries for the Greenwich Festival 1972 | |
| 19 July – 21 August 1973 | Space from the Quadrangle | Philippa Beale Joan Burr Gerry Hunt Kay Hunt Lawrence Preece Susan Tebby |
| 27 October to 25 November 1973 | Graphothek Berlin | Peter Ackerman Horst Antes Andreas Bindl Rudolf Calsow Otto Eglan Volkmar Haase Hannah Hoch Rudolf Kugler Imre Kocsis Siegfried Kuhl Wolfgang Kunde Jean Leppien Roger Loewig Heinrich Graf von Lückner Karl Opperman Heinz Otterson Wolfgang Petrick Heinrich Richter Peter Sorge Friedrich Seidel-Fichert Arnulf Spengler Helmut Thoma Günther Uecker Gerd Winner Hans Joachim Ziedler Max Seevogt |
| 1974 | John Julius Angerstein and Woodlands, 1774–1974 : a bicentenary exhibition celebrating the building of Woodlands by John Julius Angerstein | |
| 18 July – 6 August 1974 | Four artists from Kent | Dorothy Fairweather-Walker Julia Easterling Brian Hargreaves Joyce Hargreaves |
| 4 January to 2 February 1975 | Watercolours from 1840 to 1914 of places in the Borough of Greenwich | |
| 6 February – 4 March, 1975 | Crafts from the Institutes | |
| 23 August – 23 September 1975 | Drawings | Siegfried Kühl |
| 10 January – 10 February 1976 | Victorian Street Scenes: Mr Coulthurst's Salford, 1889–1894, Mr Spurgeon's Greenwich, 1884–1887 (a Magic Lantern Lecture): An Exhibition of Photographs | |
| 14 February - 14 March 1976 | Valentines: Greetings Cards | |
| 20 March - 2 May 1976 | Design Review (V&A) | |
| 6 May – 1 June 1976 | Mary Rhodes and her embroiderers and Tapestry Weavers | Mary Rhodes |
| 5 – 27 June 1976 | Paintings and Drawings | Jean Cooke Diana Cumming |
| 9 October – 9 November 1976 | Paintings | Ian McGugan Ed Perera |
| 13 November – 14 December 1976 | Paintings, drawings and prints | Frederick Palmer Max Middleton |
| 18 December 1976 – 18 January 1977 | Watercolours and drawings of places in the Borough of Greenwich | Llwyd Roberts |
| 3 April – 1 May 1977 | Postcards | Collection of Richard Moy |
| 11 June – 12 July 1977 | Women's International Art Club | |
| 12 January – 14 February 1978 | Exhibition | Clem Beer Roger Butlin |
| 29 April – 6 June | Retrospective exhibition of watercolours and drawings 1952–1978 | Gordon Gunn |
| 1978 | Solo Show | Cristiana Angelini |
| 15 July – 22 August 1978 | Sculptures and Drawings | Kinnie Calo |
| 15 July – 22 August 1978 | Collage, Pictures and Sculptures | Myfanwy Shrapnel |
| 26 August – 26 September 1978 | Textiles, Wall Hangings and pottery | |
| 30 September – 31 October 1978 | Pottery and Weaving | WOVEN TEXTILES FROM GREENWICH INSTITUTE Mary Alder Rosemary Apteb Sharon Blay Gillian Boorman Elizabeth Bourne Grace Bowen Millie Caverley Joan Chamberlain Julie Collins Julie Crawford Ronnie Cross Violet Day Edith Anona Jane Farmer Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer Judith Filkins Linda Foreman Elaine Gerrity Ann Goldman Hazel Grayson John Grayson Jane Harcourt Marybell Hargward Chris Harvey Pamela Haydon Gillian Hearne Rose Humphries Doris Jenkins Jane Jenkins Richard Jolly Eileen King Maureen Kingston Jo Llewellyn Susan Marsh Valerie Mendes Ethel Moore Peggy Nicholson Win Oldridge Gillian Perrin Gladys Pugh Gillian Price Janice Pudelek Hazel Rank Ann Sofroniou Marylin Ridge Joy Slater Elizabeth Thompson Svbil Spink Catherine de Sousa Joy Turkiewiez Ella Vollans Susan Wieck Winifred Wright |
| 30 September – 31 October 1978 | Pottery and Weaving | POTTERY FROM ELTHAM INSTITUTE Joyce Adamson Tessa Andrews Brenda Taylor Irene Barker Jackie Barter Frances Brunsell Joan Butcher Alan Dudley Tony Duignan Ann Fay John Foley Maureen Hawes Linda McQuillen Irmgard Marcer Peter Nieto Joan Randall Betty Shadwell Pamela Coe Angela Hunt Sue Trotman |
| 30 September – 31 October 1978 | Pottery and Weaving | POTTERY FROM GREENWICH INSTITUTE A. ADAMS J. ANNAND P. ANNAND J. Beagles T. Beale G. Budd E Colqhoun S Enderby E Frester M. Gocking L. Gregson L. Hall Anne Hart A. Hartley K. Kaiser A. Morgan B. Rubie M. Schofield P. Stanbridge K. Ward |
| 30 September – 31 October 1978 | Pottery and Weaving | POTTERY FROM WOOLWICH INSTITUTE Jennie Adams Tony Ashton Jordon Vaviusun Eileen Davies Jan Dias Jean Drostle Neville Edwards Colin Fifield E. Godden Miriam Gordon Grace Gosling Silvia Hogg Jack Holmes Nancy Lawrence Faith Nicolaides Maggie Page Jean Paoras Dorothy Perry Elsie Rigby Sandra Riley Jan Ruddock Beryl Searle Sarla Shankar Eileen Sloane A. Sylvester Elsie Wise Doris Yearsley |
| 4 November – 12 December 1978 | Sculpture and Drawings | Ken Bright |
| 1979 | Memorial Exhibition | Bernard Adeney Noël Gilford Adeney |
| 15 December 1979 – 15 January 1980 | Watercolours and Etchings | Maureen Black |
| 15 December 1979 – 15 January 1980 | Watercolour Drawings and Patterns | Rod Harman |

### Exhibitions 1980s

| Dates | Title | Artist(s) |
| 19 January – 19 February 1980 | Drawings and Prints | Julie Llewellyn |
| 19 January – 19 February 1980 | Paintings and Drawings | David Williams |
| 23 February – 25 March 1980 | Paintings Drawings and Fabric Collages | Richard Box |
| 23 February – 25 March 1980 | Paintings, Watercolours and Drawings 1968 – 1980 | Norman Smith |
| 29 March – 29 April 1980 | Paintings | Tony Ashton |
| 3 May – 10 June 1980 | Figurative Painters | Joseph Dixon Ken Ersser Eileen Hogan Robin Hull Julian Minton Terry O'Connor Barrie Payne Simon Pierse Allanah Piesse Jack Piesse Michael Salaman Terence Scales Gordon Scott Ivy Smith Tony Tribe Louise Vines |
| 19 July – 26 August 1980 | Paintings | Arthur Cotterell |
| 19 July – 26 August 1980 | Watercolours | Pat Tucker |
| 30 August – 30 September 1980 | Pottery | Ray Auker |
| 30 August – 30 September 1980 | Watercolours and Ceramics | Dave Edmunds |
| 30 August – 30 September 1980 | Paintings, Prints, Drawings and Constructions | Inger Lawrance |
| 4 October – 4 November 1980 | Paintings and Drawings | John Mallcott-Mills Martin Ward |
| 8 November – 9 December 1980 | Photographs | Peter Johns |
| 8 November – 9 December 1980 | Sculpture, Pottery, Paintings, Drawings and Stained Glass | Catherine Armstrong |
| 13 December 1980 to 20 January 1981 | New pictures for the Art Gallery collection | |
| 13 December 1980 to 20 January 1981 | Pastel Pictures | Frances Treanor |
| 24 January – 24 February 1981 | Paintings | Penny Carey |
| 24 January – 24 February 1981 | Icon Paintings | Jasmina Draskovic-Johnson |
| 24 January – 24 February 1981 | Paintings and Watercolours | Charlotte Forman |
| 24 January – 24 February 1981 | Sculpture | Sue Lamb |
| 13 June – 14 July 1981 | Solo Show | Victor Pasmore |
| 18 July - 25 August 1981 | Group ’77 Printmakers | Betty Allen Sally Brodholt Edith Hill Jane Gray Mollie Russell-Smith Dinah Travis Carol Walkin Margaret Wilson |
| 29 August – 29 September 1981 | Paintings | Doris Little |
| 3 October – 3 November 1981 | Batik Paintings and Drawings | Barbara Huish |
| 3 October – 3 November 1981 | Paintings and Drawings | Bill Huish |
| 1982 | Solo Show | Zadok Ben-David |
| 1982 | Public Views | Stephen Rumney |
| 1982 | Artists in Adult Education | Lindsey Adams Niel Bally Ashton Chadwick John Flemons Michael Fletcher Ray Garvey Robin Hazlewood Ann Kilvington Charles Manning Alistair Skinner Chrish R H Snook Michael Stanley Minna Thornton Paul Wilson |
| 1983 | Goldsmiths’ show | Christopher Andrews Kerry Andrews Philip Bird Graham Coupe Pamela Day Alan Franklin Martin Spanyol Victor Willis |
| 20 August – 20 September 1983 | Textiles | Maria-Theresa Fernandez |
| 24 September – 18 October 1983 | Have You Seen Sculpture from the Body | Ulmen Aygin Hilde Köhly Gillian Brent Michael Marren Owen Cunningham Paul McGonigle Martin Ferrabee Simon Orman Francisco Gazitua Robert Persey Katherine Gili Pamela Pinhorn Robin Greenwood Mark Skilton Thomas Grimsey Anthony Smart |
| 10 November – 4 December 1984 | Work by Beckenham Textile Studio | Sylvia Bates Irene Dobson Valerie Dow Mary Fogg Margaret Gabay Margaret Gartell Geraldin Gillet Mary Howell Barbara Kinsley Renée Leale Moyra McNeill Pamela Pavitt Monica Perry Shelia Rabbetts Valerie Riley Pat Salt Marjorie Self Audrey Shaheen Ann Shearn Barbara Siedlecka Cynthia Singer Dinah Travis Anne Vaughan Julie Walker Pat Wood |
| 7 – 31 March 1985 | Photographs | Gregory Pavely Santiago Castrillon Keith Cardwell John Stathatos |
| 6 July – 6 August 1985 | Norfolk House SPACE studios at Woodlands | Manuel Aja-Herrera Jobe Berrington Niamh Collins Joan Diamantis Linda Dodd Paul Donnelly Ken Janks Philip Hodgetts Sophie Horton Sally Kidall Susan Kinley Laura Knoblock Robert Koenig Peter Maris Gerda Rubinstein Julieta Rubio Rita Smith Steven Veldkamp Jean Wilson |
| 14 September – 8 October 1985 | Group Exhibition | Dave Mabb |
| 14 September – 8 October 1985 | Group Exhibition | Andrew Carmichael |
| 14 September – 8 October 1985 | Group Exhibition | Sue Kelly |
| 14 September – 8 October 1985 | Group Exhibition | John Wood |
| 12 October – 5 November 1985 | Retrospective Show | Rowland Hilder |
| 1986 | Solo Show | Manuel Aja-Herrara |
| 8 August – 2 September 1986 | Solo Show | Pierre Vivant |
| 2nd – 26th May 1987 | Paintings and Prints | Martyn Brewster |
| 2nd – 26th May 1987 | Paintings and Drawings | William Mills |
| 25 June – 26 July 1988 | Prints | Kathleen Crozier |
| 25 June – 26 July 1988 | Drawings | Richard Evans |
| 25 June – 26 July 1988 | Paintings and Prints | Avis Thornton |
| 25 June – 26 July 1988 | Paintings & Sculpture | Kim Tong |

### Exhibitions 1990s

| Dates | Title | Artist(s) |
| 11 August – 9 September 1990 | Creative Textiles and Ceramics | |
| 1991 | Solo show | Kathryn Ensall |
| 1992 | Retrospective (1942–92) | Pedro Friedeberg |
| 26 November 1994 - 14 January 1995 | Abstract paintings and prints of painters' painter | Albert Irvin |
| 8 December 1995 – 16 January 1986 | A retrospective exhibition of oil paintings and collages | John Christopherson |
| 24 October – 21 November 1998 | Wide Time | Susan Hinks Ian Bottle Gareth Edwards |

### Exhibitions 2000s

| Dates | Title | Artist(s) |
| 19 October – 12 November 2000 | Enclosures/Disclosures (mixed media work, paintings, sculpture and photography) | Artists including Paul Rooney |
| 20 January – 4 February 2001 | Sculpture and drawings | Carl Plackman |
| 22 March – 15 April 2001 | Collection of diverse recent paintings | Rosemary Morison Ruth Sumner Val Flack Bruce Williams |
| 2 – 24 June 2001 | The London Group | |
| 16 February – 15 March 2003 | The London Group 90th Anniversary | Peter Clossick Anthony John Plowden Eyton Alfred Harris |
| 23 Mar-12 Apr 2003 | Greenwich open studios | |
In 1996, John Christopherson died with instructions for donations to Woodlands Art Gallery.
In October 2003, the local history library was moved to a new site on the Royal Arsenal site in Woolwich – now the Greenwich Heritage Centre, and the gallery subsequently closed.

## Steiner School

The council sought proposals to redevelop Woodlands House, the adjacent Mycenae House and surrounding grounds, with a proposal incorporating premises for a local Steiner School being approved in July 2006.