An exclusive after-hours series combining candlelit exhibition viewing, drinks, and talks by leading experts.
From November 2025 to February 2026, Strawberry Hill House opens its doors after hours for a special programme of expert talks connected to Henry VIII’s Lost Dagger: From the Tudor Court to the Victorian Stage.
Arrive from 6pm to enjoy a rosewater spritz — a delicate nod to Ottoman courtly flavours — and explore the landmark exhibition in the hush of Walpole’s candlelit castle. In the Tribune, encounter two dazzling sixteenth-century Ottoman daggers reunited for the first time. Continue into the Great North Bedchamber to discover how Victorian actor Charles Kean reimagined Walpole’s dagger for the stage.
At 7pm gather for an expert talk shedding new light on Tudor, Ottoman, and theatrical histories. Afterwards, wander Walpole’s fan-vaulted halls and gilded rooms at night, where The Castle of Otranto was born.
Friday 21st November 2025 – Strawberry Hill After Dark: Walpole, Wolsey and the World Beyond, featuring a talk from Prof. Glenn Richardson (SMU) considering Walpole’s internationalist outlook and comparing this with Cardinal Wolsey’s.
Thursday 22 January 2026 –Strawberry Hill After Dark: Henry VIII’s Kunstkammer, featuring a talk from Timothy Schroder (FSA) on Henry VIII’s Kunstkammer (cabinet of curiosities) at Whitehall Palace, and the role of treasures like the dagger in Tudor collecting.
Thursday 5 February 2026 – Strawberry Hill After Dark: Shakespeare Reimagined, featuring a talk from Dr Robin Simon: ”Nothing is but what is not”: historical authenticity in the theatre 1700–1850’
Standard: £25 | Students: £17.50
(Includes rosewater spritz on arrival, exclusive after-hours entry, lecture, and exhibition access.)
Following the success of our previous after-hours series, these evenings are limited to just 60 guests and tend to sell out quickly. Early booking recommended.
Strawberry Hill After Dark: Walpole, Wolsey and the World Beyond – Friday 21 Nov. 2025 | entry from 6pm, talk at 7pm
Step into Walpole’s candlelit castle after hours to explore Henry VIII’s Lost Dagger. Enjoy a rosewater spritz before Professor Glenn Richardson reveals how Walpole’s international outlook compared with Cardinal Wolsey’s vision of England’s place in the world.
Standard Ticket: £25 | Students: £17.50
Strawberry Hill After Dark: Henry VIII’s Kunstkammer – Thursday 22 Jan. 2026 | entry from 6pm, talk at 7pm
Discover Henry VIII’s Lost Dagger in the hush of Strawberry Hill at night, with candlelight flickering on Walpole’s Gothic interiors. Timothy Schroder FSA takes you inside Henry VIII’s Kunstkammer at Whitehall Palace, where treasures like the dagger once embodied royal power and prestige.
Standard Ticket: £25 | Students: £17.50
Strawberry Hill After Dark: Shakespeare Rediscovered – Thursday 5 Feb. 2026 | entry from 6pm, talk at 7pm
Wander Strawberry Hill’s gilded rooms by candlelight, drink in hand, before gathering for Dr Robin Simon’s expert talk. “Nothing is but what is not” traces the rise of historical authenticity on the stage, showing how antiquarianism reshaped Shakespeare in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Standard Ticket: £25 | Students: £17.50
