Strawberry Hill House

About the museum

Strawberry Hill House began as a small leased cottage that the writer and collector Horace Walpole bought in 1749. Over the following decades he rebuilt it as a fantasy Gothic castle with battlements, towers and elaborate ceilings, working with friends in what he called a Committee of Taste. The house is widely seen as an early landmark of the Gothic Revival, and the style it inspired is still called Strawberry Hill Gothic.

Walpole filled the rooms with several thousand antiques, curiosities and works of art, and he published catalogues of the collection. Many visitors came to see it during his lifetime. After his death in 1797 the house passed through his family; later owners spent much of the family fortune, and a 24-day sale in 1842 dispersed most of the contents. Frances Waldegrave restored and extended the house from the mid-19th century.

St Mary's College, now St Mary's University, bought the property in 1923 and used it for teaching. In the early 2000s it was listed among the most endangered historic structures in the world. A restoration project led by the Strawberry Hill Trust, which cost about £9 million, ended with the house reopening in October 2010. Today the house, garden and café are open to visitors, and the rooms are shown with changing displays on the history of the house and its collection.

Highlights

• Walpole's Gothic Revival rooms with gilded and painted ceilings
• The Library and Horace Walpole's Bedchamber on the second floor
• Restored garden with a recreated shell bench
• Garden trails and seasonal family events
• Garden Café in the Great Cloister

Permanent exhibition

• Walpole's Little Gothic Castle – The restored rooms of the house show Walpole's Gothic Revival interiors, with displays on the history of the house, its collection and later owners.

Founded

1749

Admission & discounts

Tickets bought online are cheaper than tickets bought on arrival, which depend on availability. The ticket covers the house, garden and exhibitions on the day. Members and patrons, and holders of the Art Fund National Art Pass, are listed as free on the booking page; adding a voluntary donation or Gift Aid raises the amount paid. Prices shown are the standard online prices without donation.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The garden and café can be reached step-free, although the lawn can be uneven. The ground floor of the house is fully accessible and a lift serves the first floor, where most rooms are. The lift does not reach the second floor, so the Library and two bedchambers cannot be visited in a wheelchair; a virtual tour in the house app covers these rooms. One wheelchair can be borrowed at the entrance and chairs are placed in many rooms. Three Blue Badge spaces are in the car park. Assistance dogs are welcome in the house. Large-print information is available in the rooms, and staff are trained to support visitors with dementia.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available

Seasonal garden trails and events for children run at Easter, in summer and at Halloween; the garden trail map is sold separately. Children aged 5 and under enter free and ages 6 to 16 pay a reduced price. Pushchairs cannot be taken into the house but can be left in a buggy park at the entrance.

Getting there & parking

The satnav postcode is TW1 4ST. Bike racks are in the car park.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

The Garden Café is in the Great Cloister and has views over the garden; dogs on leads are welcome in the café. There is no cloakroom in the house, and large bags should be left behind. The old visitor centre lockers and toilets by the car park are no longer in use.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The house can be hired for weddings and civil ceremonies, and for filming and photography by arrangement.

Plan your visit