The newly restored gothic castle known as Strawberry Hill will re-open in September.
It is Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture, and was listed as one of the most endangered heritage sites by the World Monument Fund. The extensive restoration programme has taken two years and cost £9 million.
The castle was created between 1747 and 1792 by historian, writer and collector Horace Walpole, the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister. It was built on the banks of the River Thames in Twickenham to the west of London.
Strawberry Hill’s Long Gallery, based on Henry VII’s Chapel in Westminster Abbey, has a fan-vaulted ceiling and walls hung with crimson damask. The library has pointed-arched bookcases and a painted ceiling and was the first Gothic Revival library created in the world. Walpole housed his collections of coins, enamels and miniatures in a star-ceilinged Tribune which he based on the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Strawberry Hill will house an archive of resources, a museum, cafe and an education centre. It will be open Sat–Wed 12 noon– 4.30pm from 25 Sep until 23 Dec, and 2 April–30 October 2011. The admission price of £8 includes an audio-guide and booklet.
Strawberry Hill, 268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham TW1 4ST
Website: www.friendsofstrawberryhill.org
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