Strawberry Hill House & Garden — Attraction in London

I originally booked a visit for my friend and I for Tues 13th July 21, my friend then said asked if we could adjust it for the next day instead. Thankfully Strawberry Hill House were happy to adjust the date with no issue.

With our visit scheduled for Weds 14th July 21, we were late as my friend didn't turn up in time for our train so I quickly called the house who were happy to accommodate us for a later slot - Thank you for that. Once we arrived at Strawberry Hill Station, we did wonder how easy it would be to find the House but it is very straight forward, you come out the station, turn left, walk past the cafe and shop/Post Office and you see Brown signs for Strawberry Hill House, take the second road - Waldergrave Gardens on your right then follow the road round, once you get to the bottom you will see a sign for Queen Mary's University, the House is literally in front of you, you just need to look out for traffic then cross the road and walk a few yards and you will see the gate for the entrance. Very straight-forward.

Once we arrived, I didn't know if we needed to wait or could go in straight away so I asked and a staff member said he would be happy to let us start our tour so off we went and explored.

Rather than someone taking you round each room, there is a staff member/s for every room/section of the house to brief you on the history and architecture. It wasn't busy so we had ample time to explore and take pictures. We used our phones (No Flash Photography Allowed).

Although Strawberry Hill House is called a house, it is very much like a Castle on the inside. It is like a labyrinth from the time you step in and see the wooden staircase and then each room/corridor leads you into another dimension. The gothic architecture is too be admired and awed. The rooms that stood out the most for me was the Library, Grand Hall, Little Green room, Purple Room and Red Room. Basically everything.

The staff were attentive and helpful to answer questions. They gave us ample time to look around and take pictures. It felt very relaxed.

There is a small souvenir shop which sells mainly postcards, magnets and a few ornate things/handmade soap/balms. We didn't visit the café.

After our wonderful visit, we decided to visit the "Shell Seat" as seen on one of the postcards in the shop. It made for some great photos and chit chat as we got to relax and sit outside in the sun and enjoy ourselves.

Thank you for accommodating us, not minding me changing the booking and then missing our slot due to my friend's very bad punctuality. You made our visit a...

Strawberry Hill House is a major tourist attraction in Twickenham, London. The mansion was developed and built by Sir Horace Walpole, author of the first gothic novel, "The Castle of Otranto", between 1749 an 1776. It is the type example of the "Strawberry Hill Gothic" style of architecture, and it prefigured the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival. A major restoration took place in 2012.

The mansion is open to the public on Sundays from 11am-5pm and Mondays through to Wednesdays 12-4.30pm between March and September; in the winter months you can only visit on Sundays and Monday. Except between October 2018 and February 2019, when it will be open 7 days a week for the "Lost Treasures of Strawberry Hill" exhibition. The price for a standard adult ticket is UKP 12.50, under-16s go free if accompanied by a paying adult.

The architecture is very special and served as a model for Neo-Gothic manors all over Europe. But the most impressive (and peculiar) aspect are the extensively decorated windows all over the manor. They, however, in most cases were installed later in the 19th century. Except for a long gallery on the first floors, most rooms are empty, without any furniture - except the library and one of the bedrooms. But the wall and ceiling decorations alone are worth the price of admission. Volunteers in many rooms will tell you about the history of Strawberry Hill House and its owners, the Walpole family. At the entrance you will be given a map of the two floors, but there's no audio guide. Essential information is provided by a short video feature.

It is truly a special place, quite bizarre (if not quite as much as Brighton Pavilion, but there are similarities). Once you've seen the house, which will take you about one hour, you can sit in the gardens, there's a café to the rear. Expect to spend about 1.5 hours at this mansion.

A public bus from Richmond stops just about 200 meters away from...

EASTER EGG EXTORTION:

After our experience yesterday I feel I have no option but to try and warn as many people as possible about the high costs involved to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt advertised at the house. It was a wet day and we had family join us at Strawberry Hill House for the £2 Easter Bunny hunt. On arrival we were told we actually had to pay £2 for a child and then £6 for each adult! The children had to be supervised and we had to pay that money in order to supervise them inside the house. As we had several young children we were unable to actually take part in any sort of guided tour so in effect paid £6 per adult to watch the children find six clues which were far too difficult for toddlers to understand and then see them presented with a 30p chocolate bar at the end. It was SUCH a disappointment and I was embarrassed at the poor display. We made a complaint and were advised to fill in an exit survey which I did not have time to do as the children were already restless.The website claims: Children under 8 years of age should be supervised at all times during family activities. Adults supervising children don’t need to book tickets for themselves, just for the children they bring along.

We were forced to part with money to supervise children which is direct contradiction to their website. In essence we were tricked into paying £24 (for the family) for 90p worth of chocolate and a very poor display.

It was really NOT...