Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court, Tower of London… Done all the touristy things? Want to see something different? Well, London has more to offer than royal castles and gardens but houses and villas too. Often forgotten by tourists and locals, follow me for a guided review of Strawberry Hill House. So, is it worth visiting?
The first time I heard about Strawberry Hill House was on a Secret London post. I could not believe it was London! It has been here all that time and I did not know about it.
I need to visit this!
Located in West London, not far from Richmond, let’s push the doors of the massive wooden gate and see what is behind these white walls.
Logistics to get to Strawberry Hill House
- Comment s'y rendre :
- Train: Direct trains from Waterloo Station to Strawberry Hill Station. The house is a 10-minute walk from the station
- Bus: Bus 33 and alight at Strawberry Hill vale, just in front of the car park. The bus 33 runs from Hammersmith to Strawberry Hill, passing by Barnes, Twickenham and Richmond
- Underground & Overground: District Line or Overground to Richmond Station and then take the bus R68. Alternatively, you can catch the bus 33 from Eton Street, just a 5 minute walk away from Richmond Station
- What to bring with you: Comfortable shoes and clothing. Avoid heels as paths in the garden across the lawn might feel uneven and you would be going up and down the staircase when visiting the house.
Information about visiting Strawberry Hill House
- Prix:
- Adult: £12.50
- Under 16’s: Free
- Blue Badge: £12.00
- English Heritage: £11.25
- Richmond Card: £12.50
- Student: £6.25
- Gardens only: Free
- Food & Drinks: Cafe available on site
- Amenities: Souvenir Shop
- Toilets: Available in the car park and in the Cafe
- Informations complémentaires :
- Accessible to wheelchair users
- Non-commercial photographs permitted
What is Strawberry Hill House?
Before we dive into the Strawberry Hill House review, let’s take a history class. Open your notebook and get a pen, The Flamingo Hiker is your new history teacher.
Why was Strawberry Hill House built?
Once upon a time was Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister. He had 6 children, the 3rd one being Horace Walpole. In 1747, Horace purchased the last remaining unbuilt land by the Thames River in Twickenham which at that time was a very popular location due to its proximity to Hampton Court Palace. His vision was to build a villa in a Gothic style to use as his second residence.
What Kind of Architecture is Strawberry Hill House?
The house soon picked the interest of local residents and became a tourist attraction; Horace allowed 4 visitors per day. The popularity of Strawberry Hill House grew and with it, the architectural Gothic style was revived and continued to grow during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Who Owns Strawberry Hill House?
Well, that is a good question, and the house changed hands quite a few times over the centuries. So let’s recap:
- 1747: Horace Walpole bought the land to build Strawberry Hill House
- 1797: After his death, his cousin’s daughter, Anne Seymour Damer, inherited the house
- 1811: The house passed to his grand-niece, Elizabeth Waldegrave, who then passed it to her grandson, John Waldegrave
- 1840: After John’s death, the house was passed to his brother George who after being imprisoned, decide to let the house falls into ruins and sell Horace Walpole’s collection in 1942, during what is referred to as the “Great Sale”
- 1846: John passed away and his wife, Lady Waldegrave was left with the house. She vowed to bring it back to life. She made extensive renovations and embellishments to the villa including the refurbishment of the ballroom where she hosted parties
- 1879: The house is sold to the De Stren Family
- 1923: The Catholic Educational Service purchased the house, now called St Mary’s University College, which still owns the site and leases Strawberry Hill House for visits
Strawberry Hill House Review
It is now time to dive into the heart of the topic and review the visit to the house from top to bottom.
The Outside
When you enter the site from the car park, you cannot help but be amazed by the white walls in front of you. The “weeding-cake” like house renovation began in 2006 and the outside walls, as well as the 25 rooms inside, were made to bring back to life Walpole’s eccentric tastes. This included the white stucco render on the outside.
Walk around the house and enter the gardens. It’s a real change of scenery and style. The green lawn of the garden and the brick wall of St Mary’s College University contrast with the bright white walls of Strawberry Hill House.
Video: Watch the renovation work of Strawberry Hill House.
Ground Floor
The visit starts at the Litlle Parlour, acting as a reception. You get given a map of the house. It is a self-guided visit, however, you can book a private tour in advance. The rooms are marked but you are free to visit in the order you wish to. In each room, you find a volunteer available to introduce you to what is in the room and answer any questions you may have.
On the ground floor, you find the impressive Gothic-style staircase in the hall, looking like it was taken from a cathedral. The trompe l’oeil wallpaper covers the wall of the staircase. The missing parts of the wallpaper were hand-painted during the renovation.
In the Great Parlour, you get introduced to the paintings of Horace’s parents, Robert Walpole and Catherine Shorter, as well as Robert’s mistress who then became his second wife. A guide is present in the room to take you through the family history.
First Floor
The first floor with more than 10 rooms to see, just as jaw-dropping as one another.
Blue Chamber
Go up one flight of stairs to get to the first floor where armouries welcome you at the top of the stairs. There you find the Blue Bedchamber, which as the name suggests, has a blue wallpaper. A massive red and white four-poster bed thrones in the middle, contrasting with the bright blue of the walls.
Continue on the floor and you enter the Green Closet, a little desk area tucked in a corner of the house. On the green walls, you find portraits displayed around stain-glassed windows, very common in Strawberry Hill House.
The Breakfast Room
On the right side of the hallway, you find the Breakfast room. Hard to tell in its current setting that this room was made for eating. The massive dark-framed fireplace remains and two pieces of its embellishments which have been removed can be found displayed on a table in front of the windows.
Holbein Chamber
In the Holbein Chamber, you find an impressive fireplace with gothic-style decoration in white stucco on a purple wallpaper. On the walls are sketches of the Tudors commended by Horace, however, they aren’t the original drawings.
The Gallery
Take the trunk ceiled passage to get to the Gallery. This eccentric corridor is made of carved wood, giving you the feeling to be in an upside-down hull of a boat. The Gallery is the masterpiece of Strawberry Hill House. With the red-blood wallpaper, the gothic Cathedrale-like style decoration and the French wooden floor, all you need is some nice ambience music and a dance partner!
At the end of the Gallery is the Rounded Drawing Room with a rounded wall of stain-glass windows and a scagliola fireplace.
On the way back to the hall, stop by the Tribune where you can see the temporary exhibition.
The Library
Once back in the hallway, get behind the wall with the armouries and enter the impressive library with bookshelves in a door-frame shape all around the room. A fun game to do is to look at the titles of the books on the shelves. I found a dictionary French-English: I wonder what the translation could have been back then? But we cannot peruse the books of course!
Second Floor
Then, go up more flights of stairs to the second floor. This floor is compromised of two rooms. The first room is a children’s bed chamber with mannequins of a little girl and a boy dressed like back then.
In the next room, you learn more about the printing press which was in Strawberry Hill House and the first one in the country, as well as the writing work of Horace Walpole. His book “The Castle of Otranto” was printed in this very same private printing room in Strawberry Hill House.
Go down the staircase back to the ground floor. You will find a souvenir shop and a cafe for refreshments and food. Weather permitting, you can enjoy your meal sitting outside in the garden.
Bon appétit !
Fun fact: A Heron has become a regular customer of the Cafe where he is fed by the staff.
Is it worth visiting?
In short, the answer is YES. It is worth the visit 100%! The house is stunning and the volunteering staff know how to give life to every room so you can discover more about the life and the eccentric tastes of Horace Walpole.
Highly recommended!
Final Thoughts on Strawberry Hill House Review
What can you do after visiting Strawberry Hill House?
Well, as the house is located in a residential area, there is not much to do around it but it is only a short bus journey to Richmond.
There you can find a large choice of restaurants and pubs by the River Thames. If you want to continue walking, you can follow the Thames Path from Richmond to Kew. A complete guide and free GPS map are available for download ici.
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