Twickenham’s Strawberry Hill House, erstwhile home to Horace Walpole, collector and letter writer, and son of England’s first prime minister, has completed the second stage of its restoration and has reopened five of Walpole’s private rooms to public display for the first time.
Walpole lived at Strawberry Hill from 1747 until his death in 1797 and in that time transformed the house from a modest house into his own ‘little gothic castle’. Its walls were adorned with hundreds of pictures, the windows were stained glass and the height of stylish wallpaper and paint colours were to be found on its walls.
The house had many owners subsequent to Walpole’s death, including the Waldegraves, but sadly in the 20th century fell into disrepair, partly due to war damage. However, following a considerable grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the house was reopened to the public in 2010.
The newly restored room include Walpole’s private apartment, comprising his bedchamber and dressing room. Visitors can also see his writing room and breakfast room, where he spent most of his time. Restorers have uncovered original wallpapers and have had them replicated. Paint colours have been recreated using original ingredients and stained glass, fashioned by expert makers from Canterbury Cathedral, has replaced plain glass.
The breakfast room in particular has charm, with paneling from the 1690s, 1753 chintz wallpaper and a Turkish-style tented ceiling. The Holbein Chamber, so called as Walpole used it for the display of his growing collection, which included Holbein drawings of the Tudor Court, has been returned to its 1758 splendour and is also impressive.
Strawberry Hill no longer has views of the river, which may once have inspired Walpole, but it is nonetheless an historic jewel, lovingly recreated to reflect the life and times of one of Twickenham’s greatest residents.
