Strawberry Hill House & Garden

About

During the eighteenth century, Horace Walpole, man of letters and son of England’s first prime minister, transformed a modest house in fashionable Twickenham into his own “little gothic castle” creating a tourist attraction that was as popular in his day as it is in ours.

Walpole and his friends took inspiration from historic gothic buildings to develop an internationally famous style known as ‘Strawberry Hill Gothic’. In doing this he masterly created a sense of theatre in which visitors can enjoy a magical experience.

Strawberry Hill was also the inspiration for the first gothic novel. The Castle of Otranto was printed on the first private printing press in the country at Strawberry Hill and was the precursor to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and a literary tradition which lasts into our own time.

In 2010, following an £8.9million restoration, Strawberry Hill reopened its doors to the public. Visitors can again appreciate Horace’s creation, viewing the award-winning restored interiors and a unique collection of Renaissance painted glass.

http://www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk/visit-us/