Strawberry Hill

Lovely building and mostly lovely staff, however the lady on the front was discriminating towards me based on the way I look. She forced me to wear my small bag on my front and yet multiple people who looked very different to me wore their bag on their back and their bags were even bigger! A shame that I would face discrimination here. The gardens are free and lovely

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Beautiful place to visit with some nice grounds. A lot of the rooms are low on items, but the ceiling are absolutely stunning. Staff and volunteers are very friendly and knowledgeable, the tea room had high customer service and vegan options available. Recommended for a visit!

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Visited on a sunny spring day. Idyllic. The grounds were amazing. I can see why Walpole loved sitting by the windows. The house itself is a gothic nightmare (in a good way) of low ceilings, false doors, cupboards, windows etc and many aesthetic (if not entirely functional) embellishments. We get it, Horace, it was all about the vibes! The cafe on the grounds was a surprise - crisp toasties and good coffee. All star.

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Despite working in Twickenham for years, I've never visited this place before. I put that right on Friday. What a wonderful place! We were introduced to the house in the original entrance hall by Nigel, an extremely knowledgeable and entertaining volunteer, and then toured round the rest of the property. Every room was a delight and all the volunteers had interesting information about each area of the house. I loved the 20th century "Egyptian" ceiling in one bedroom and the original flocked wallpaper in another but, my goodness, the Gallery! What a breathtaking example of gothic interior design. It was truly fabulous. Along with the beautiful paintings and furniture, fireplaces and ceiling details, the restoration of this house has really given the visitor a taste of what it might have been like to live in a grand and fashionable house in the 18th century. We also had a very tasty toasted sandwich in the bright and airy cafe and a wander round the garden.

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A wonderfully eccentric Gothic revival house that feels more like a storybook castle than a typical stately home. Strawberry Hill House was Horace Walpole’s creation, gradually built and expanded between 1747–1776 - which explains why it’s deliberately unsymmetrical and slightly rambling in layout. You simply amble from room to room rather than following a rigid route. Highlights include the stunning Library (inspired by Old St Paul’s Cathedral and completed in 1754), the dramatic Gallery built for entertaining, and beautiful painted and stained glass throughout (including 15th–16th century Flemish panels). Some rooms are quite sparse due to historic sales of contents, but there’s good signage and knowledgeable volunteers on hand to bring it to life. You can comfortably see it in 45–60 minutes. The house has had an eventful life - from Walpole’s time through major sales before reopening to the public in 2010 - but the focus today feels accessible rather than overly academic. Nice café on site with indoor and outdoor seating, serving hot drinks, cakes, ice cream and light meals. Toilets available near the cafe, as well as a small shop.

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