A quiet village just 30 minutes from London has been praised for its ‘magical’ 18th century gothic manor with a fascinating history and ties to Horace Walpole, the writer and politician.

Strawberry Hill in Twickenham, southwest London, is known for the beautiful Strawberry Hill House and Garden, and is a short walk from the nearby riverside and trains into London.

The house was created by Horace Walpole  in the 18th century and has been open to visitors for more than 250 years. Walpole bought the house in 1747 and turned it into his vision of a small ‘Gothic castle’, which was to become his summer residence. 

During his life, Walpole opened it up  to local residents who were interested in looking around the house. After his death, the house went to his cousin’s daughter, the sculptor Anne Seymour Damer before being passed on to various members of the Waldegrave family. 

Several years ago, the house was restored thanks to £10million in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, The World Monuments Fund, English Heritage, and the local community and other foundations. The house was opened to the public in 2010 and later won the Georgian Group Award for the best restoration of an 18th century country house, and the Europa Nostra Award. 

Tickets cost £14.50 for adults when booked online, £10 for students, and £7.25 for children, while under-fives go free. Local residents, Blue Badge holders, and English Heritage members all get a discount.

The house also hosts the UK’s most sustainable flower festival in September, which turns the property into a “faery-tale realm where imagination runs wild”. More than 50 of the UK’s leading flower artists will produce displays that will “weave nature’s untamed beauty into every corner of this gothic masterpiece”. 

Strawberry Hill’s garden is free to visit and is open from Saturday to Wednesday, 9am-4pm. The five-acre garden has been restored as much as possible to its original appearance using 18th century maps and paintings, and Walpole’s own writings. It is Grade II* listed, and is described as being of “national importance as a reminder of a fascinating period in garden history”. 

Visitors have praised the house’s charm and unique history, with one reviewer writing on Trip Advisor: “I enjoyed this house more than any that I can remember – and that’s a lot. Lots of little surprises, friendly and knowledgeable guides and a delightful and good value cafe.”

Another said: “A friend and I spent a lovely few hours here today. The house is quirky and interesting, but what impressed us particularly was the charming and welcoming manner of every single member of staff we encountered.”

A third said: “A very interesting house to visit and comes with a lot of history. The stewards in each room have so much information to impart and they deliver it very well and make it interesting. There is so much to see in the house and so much varied detail and is well worth a visit.” Another visitor lauded the house’s “marvellous architecture and decorative arts”, as well as the “welcoming and knowledgeable” staff. 

Just next door to the house is St Mary’s University with its stunning chapel built on top of the library. Designed by Sir Albert Richardson, the chapel was influenced by the medieval Albi Cathedral and has even been visited by the pope.

Radnor Gardens, set on the riverside, is also a short walk away. The gardens have a cafe and a play park as well as lots of open space and statuesque trees that make it a popular spot for picnics. The summerhouse and gazebo date back to the mid 18th century, when the poet Alexander Pope was a local, and there is also a bowls club on the site. Fishing is permitted with the right licence, so you will often see locals fishing and relaxing near the river edge for hours at a time. 

Strawberry Hill House is 34 minutes away from Waterloo Station by train and there are four trains every hour on Monday to Saturday, and two trains per hour on Sundays. If you are taking the underground, you can get the District Line to Richmond, then catch the 33 bus towards Fulwell or the R68 towards Hampton Court. For those travelling by car, there is a free car park on site with limited spaces available.