The sale of Ferry House will sever a longstanding link with the Duke of Northumberland’s Syon estate.

The freehold of the house together with Rosery Cottage has been offered for sale for £3.75 as was reported on our news pages last week.

The present property had been from 1953 the home of Lord (Sir Ian) Gilmour who died last September and his late wife Caroline.

The photograph, right, was taken in around 1930 and is from Hounslow, Isleworth, Heston & Cranford by Andrea Cameron who later researched Ferry House for the Gilmours.

The house was perhaps built in the 17th century but entirely rebuilt early in the following century. Alongside is Syon Pavilion boathouse, not included in the sale, designed by J Mylne, 1788 and until the 1990s the home of Lady Victoria Scott, daughter of Earl Haig, who died at more than 90 years of age.

Owned by the Dukes of Northumberland, the most famous tenant was the artist J M W Turner from 1804 until 1806. He had completed a watercolour of Isleworth church nearby at the age of 13 when living with his uncle in Brentford. The British Museum has a book bound in brown calf with brass clasps stating ‘Thirty seven studies for pictures, Isleworth’.

Later, another painter of eminence James Hewlett lived at Ferry House 1830-1836.

For the first 40 years of the 20th century the house changed little, but on the night of September 25-26, 1940, some 30 incendiary bombs fell on Taylor’s Yard, Church Street, Park and 89 London Road, Brentford End. This burned out Ferry House.

In 1951 the house was rebuilt as near as possible to the original by the tenth Duke of Northumberland and in 1953 it was purchased by his sister in law Lady Caroline Gilmour and her husband Lord Gilmour, former cabinet minister.

The couple were devoted to Isleworth and Lord Gilmour was president of The Isleworth Society.