News & Blogs

NEWS: The Strawberry Hill Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr David Gaimster as Director of Strawberry Hill House. Dr Gaimster brings extensive national and international experience from senior roles at the South Australia Museum, Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Hunterian in Glasgow, and the Society of Antiquaries of London. He brings a wealth of experience in museum leadership, heritage strategy, and public engagement.

BLOG: As part of our cataloguing project to delve deeper into the post-Walpole era of Strawberry Hill, we are excited to share a research resource from our archives. In 1883, Lady Waldegrave’s possessions, along with her beloved Strawberry Hill, were put up for sale by the auctioneers Ventom, Bull and Cooper. The catalogue that accompanied this auction is now available for download and is on display in our new exhibition ‘Strawberry Hill After Walpole: The Waldegrave and Stern Legacies’.

HOUSE TREASURE TRAIL: Explore the lives and legacies of Lady Frances Waldegrave and the Stern Family with this self-guided treasure trail, created to accompany our Strawberry Hill After Walpole exhibition. As you explore, look closely — you’ll find fascinating traces of the house’s Victorian and Edwardian past hidden in plain sight! You can download the trail as a PDF to use during your visit. Produced by Collections Assistant, Dr Rosalind White. 

EXHIBITION: Join us in the newly opened Pantry, for ‘Strawberry Hill After Walpole: The Waldegrave and Stern Legacies’. Curated by Cas Bradbeer, Sara Pope and Dr Rosalind White, this exhibition spotlights a lesser-known chapter in the house’s history, when, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Lady Waldegrave and the Stern family revived it into a hub of political influence, artistic patronage, and high society.

BLOG: Find out the full lost and found story of the miniature that Horace Mann gifted to Walpole. This miniature, once thought to have been of Bianca Capella, went missing for more than 180 years and is returning to the house in January 2025.

NEWS: We’re excited to announce that the Stern and Waldegrave Collections Project page is now live! Supported by a Collections Access Grant from the Decorative Arts Society, this project catalogued over 700 artefacts related to Lady Waldegrave and the Stern family’s occupancy. You can now explore a flipbook of our collection highlights and inventory, along with two key research resources from our archives. FIND OUT MORE

NEWS: Thanks to a Collections Access Grant from the Decorative Arts Society, Strawberry Hill House is set to explore the lesser-known legacies of Lady Frances Waldegrave and the Stern family. Building upon ongoing efforts to establish a comprehensive collections database, this project will allow us to extend cataloguing and research initiatives to encompass their significant contributions to the house’s storied past. FIND OUT MORE

NEWS: Bronze bust of the emperor Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Caligula) will be on display from 29 June 24 at Strawberry Hill House on long-term loan from the Schroder Collection. After being lost for over a century, the ancient bronze bust of Roman emperor Caligula, gifted to Horace Walpole by Horace Mann in 1767, has been rediscovered in the Schroder family collection. Initially thought to be a Renaissance piece, recent analysis confirms its ancient origins, reuniting it with its storied past at Strawberry Hill. FIND OUT MORE

BLOG: Crafted by renowned makers Thomas Phipps and Edward Robinson, this blog tells the story of Horace Walpole’s coconut cups, which have returned to the house for the first time since 1842. It highlights the resurgence of coconut cups as symbols of luxury during the Georgian period and acknowledges the efforts of all involved in their return to Strawberry Hill House.

BLOG: The blog delves into the intriguing discovery of graffiti etched onto a stained-glass roundel in the Library of Strawberry Hill, the Gothic home of Horace Walpole. These markings, including the name “Thomas Cromwell,” prompt speculation about their significance and origin. The blog suggests that Walpole, known for his wit and fascination with social mobility, may have left these marks as a commentary on Cromwell’s rise to power. By Dr Rosalind White, Collections Assistant at Strawberry Hill House.

NEWS: Two exquisite paintings by Giovanni Paolo Panini are on display from 20 April 24 at Strawberry Hill on long-term loan from a private collector. These delightful works  presence in the house broadens our understanding of Walpole’s multi-layered taste, including more antiquarian aesthetics to better reflect the original atmosphere of Strawberry Hill. Cas Bradbeer, Assistant Curator at Strawberry Hill House, shares the story behind these stunning works.

BLOG: Walpole was particularly fond of a commission he made for his garden–a cavernous half-clamshell that originally sat in the corner of the garden facing the River Thames. In a surviving letter, Walpole mentions that his three nieces, the Ladies Waldegrave, could all sit comfortably together on the shell. Today, a faithful replica of the Shell Seat can be found in Strawberry Hill’s garden. Nitasha Giran, Collections Assistant at Strawberry Hill House, shares the story behind this piece.

NEWS: Discover the intricate world of woodcut printmaking in our double exhibition – ‘The Devil is in the Detail’ presents Albrecht Dürer’s ‘Great Passion,’ rarely seen in its entirety, while ‘There Goes the Sun’ showcases Christiane Baumgartner’s modern woodcuts. Opens 15 October 2023 – 10 April 2024. Tickets included in general admission.

FILM: To celebrate our exhibition ‘The Devil is in the Detail: Dürer’s Great Passion and Early Woodcuts from the Schroder Collection’, Elena Greggio has made this beautiful film on the art of woodcut making.

PODCAST: As part Christiane Baumgartner. There Goes the Sun exhibition, Making a Mark Podcast produced by Cristea Roberts Gallery, explores the work of Christiane Baumgartner (b. 1967), a ground-breaking artist who has achieved international critical acclaim for her printmaking.

BLOG: Strawberry Hill House was delighted to receive on long term loan a copy of the Percy Sisters portrait which was displayed in the Lost Treasures exhibition. The portrait always intended as an over-mantel piece is now hanging over the handsome Adam fireplace in the Round Room.

NEWS: We are delighted to announce the return of the Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival, 22 – 24 September 2023, supported by Savills Teddington. Join us for a spectacular showcase of British-grown flowers from the UK’s leading floral designers, curated by Leigh Chappell & Janne Ford.

NEWS: Strawberry Hill House is delighted to have been awarded a grant from Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to help us maintain the fabric of this significant building and ensure the quality of care for our growing art collection, enriching our offer for visitors and our community.

NEWS: Treasures from Faraway: Medieval and Renaissance Objects from the Schroder collection (19 March – 19 July 2023) shines a spotlight on the aristocratic habit of collecting valuable objects to create what were known as Cabinets of Curiosities, which developed in the courts of Northern and Southern Europe during the Renaissance. Exhibition now closed.

NEWS: Over 50 Old Master paintings on long term loan from Dulwich Picture Gallery – and a further eight works from a private English collection – will help to recreate the atmosphere of Strawberry Hill House as it would have appeared over 250 years ago. Included in general admission when the House reopens from Sunday 29 January 2023.

NEWS: The Strawberry Hill sewing Bee are now creating another quilt – this time to be raffled to raise funds for the house. The design is modelled on an early 18th century quilt, in the possession of the V&A. The quilt will be stitched at the House, so visitors will be able to see it being made and will often be able to see the quilters at work.

NEWS: This year Strawberry Hill House has commissioned a Christmas card created by local artist, Simon Cavelle. Simon has been painting professionally for over 30 years, he has painted a number of the rooms at Strawberry Hill which have been made into greetings cards. The Strawberry Hill House Christmas card is now available to purchase in the Shop.

NEWS: One of the most iconic and macabre objects owned by Horace Walpole (1717-1797) has been reacquired by Strawberry Hill House, thanks to the Acceptance in Lieu scheme. The porcelain vase will go on permanent display in the Hall at Strawberry Hill House, from Wednesday 26 October.

NEWS: The 4th annual Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival takes place next month, 23 – 25 September 2022. Book now to see the house transformed into a breathtaking oasis by spectacular floral installations created by some of the UK’s leading floral designers. Curated by Leigh Chappell & Janne Ford, proudly sponsored by Savills Teddington and in association with Flowers From The Farm.

NEWS: We are delighted to announce that following the incredible support shown by so many generous donors, the William Hogarth portrait of Horace Walpole as a child has now arrived at Strawberry Hill House and will be on display from Sunday 12 June 2022.

NEWS: Pollock’s Toy Museum presents: ‘Cardboard Gothic: Damsels, Demons and Heroes’ opening 10 July – 14 September 2022. Pollock’s Toy Museum‘s miniature theatres, bring Horace Walpole’s imaginary world of Gothic to life inside his ‘House full of playthings’.

BLOG: Strawberry Hill House & Garden is delighted to be a part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, which invited communities from across the UK to “Plant a #Tree for the Jubilee.”

GARDEN BLOG: The Garden continues to bloom as we step into Spring. Our Hepatica and Narcissi are still on show for visitors to enjoy in the grounds, and the woodland walk is edged by purple and white fritillaries, with cherry laurels, marking the approach to our famous Walpole oak.

NEWS: We are delighted to announce the launch of our first ever Art Happens crowdfunding campaign to raise the final £25,000 to bring a rare and significant painting of Horace Walpole by William Hogarth home to Strawberry Hill House.
Find out more and Donate

NEWS: We are delighted to announce the launch of our first ever Art Happens crowdfunding campaign to raise the final £25,000 to bring a rare and significant painting of Horace Walpole by William Hogarth home to Strawberry Hill House.
Find out more and Donate

NEWS: Discover one of the most beautiful and beguiling cities on earth in our NEW In Focus ‘The Grand Tour: The Two Horaces and the Court of Florence’. Opening Sunday 27 March until Sunday 20 July.

NEWS: The House reopens from Sunday 30 January 2022. Booking is open for our revised opening days. House & Shop: Sunday – Wednesday, 11am – 4pm, Garden & Cafe: Sunday – Thursday, 10am – 4pm.

NEWS: Strawberry Hill House will close from 24 December 2021 – 29 January 2022, due to Covid-19 affecting staffing and our January Conservation Clean. The Garden will remain open for visitors to enjoy Sunday – Thursday 10am – 4pm.

The House will reopen on Sunday 30 January 2022, Sunday – Wednesday.

NEWS: In the second of our In Focus series of objects, we celebrate works created by Horace Walpole’s beloved goddaughter, sculptress Anne Seymour Damer, who inherited the House upon his death in 1797. The display runs from the 17 October 2021 – 3 January 2022, access is included in the general admission.

BLOG: Horace Walpole’s Grinling Gibbons Cravat takes centre stage at new exhibition. The remarkable life and legacy of Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) will be celebrated at Compton Verney, as part of a year-long series of events to commemorate the tercentenary of the most renowned British woodcarver of the 17th century, often called the ‘Michelangelo of Wood.’

NEWS: Online Exhibition (Free to explore): The Unexpected Jewish Past of Strawberry Hill House, Curated by Silvia Davoli. For most visitors, the House is synonymous with Horace Walpole and this online exhibition, through a selection of images and objects, highlights the lives of two of its historic owners: Frances, Countess Waldegrave and the Stern Family.

FILM: Hear from our Honorary Librarian and Conservation Intern as they share a behind-the-scenes of Horace Walpole’s Library and its preventive clean, which visitors can come and see throughout July. WATCH NOW

NEWS: In the first of a new series of In Focus displays, featuring objects and artworks that tell us the extraordinary story of Strawberry Hill House and its inhabitants, one of its most iconic objects is returning home – the 18th century Chinese porcelain vase in which Horace Walpole’s favourite cat drowned.

FILM: With just one week left to visit the installation, you can learn more about Architectural Designer and Drag Performer Kleanthis Kyriakou’s sculpture ‘A Monument to Strawberry Hill’ in this latest in conversation with the brilliant Dan Nouveau: WATCH NOW

NEWS: We’re offering National Lottery players 241 entry between the 6 – 13 June, as part of the National Lottery Open Week. To book tickets please select ‘National Lottery 241’ on the booking page. BOOK NOW

NEWS: As part of the Pride Month celebrations this June, we welcome architectural designer and drag performer Kleanthis Kyriakou to install his sculpture A Monument to Strawberry Hill in the House. The installation is included as part of the general admission.

FILM: Curator, Silvia Davoli talks with Emanuela Tarizzo, Gallery Director, Tomasso and Board Member, London Art Week on the return of the group portrait of Catherine de’ Medici with her children which now hangs in The Gallery. WATCH NOW

NEWS: Queen Catherine returns to Strawberry Hill House – A group portrait of Catherine de’ Medici with her children, first bought by Horace Walpole, is returning to Strawberry Hill House 247 years later, thanks to the Acceptance in Lieu scheme, administered by the Arts Council.

NEWS: Discover the fascinating history of what Horace Walpole, creator of Strawberry Hill House & Garden, called his “enchanted little landscape” by joining our NEW Garden Tour, starting April 13th.

GARDEN BLOG: In this new Garden blog, Head Gardener Alfonso Moreno takes a look back at the winter season and the incredible work the team has achieved ready for our full garden reopening on 12 April.

NEWS: As a result of the Covid-19 restrictions, only a few visitors were able to experience our beautiful Lockdown Letters to Horace: An Art Installation. A look back on the full project is now available on our website.

BLOG: As part of International Women’s Day 2021, Strawberry Hill House interviewed Dr Caroline Gonda about Anne Damer, Horace Walpole’s niece, challenging gender stereotypes and representation of female artists.

BLOG: To mark International Women’s Day 2021, our Outreach Manager Claire Leighton writes about Lady Waldegrave and her independence at a time when this was not at all usual and nearly 60 years before women would have the right to vote.

NEWS: As part of LGBTQ+ History month, Strawberry Hill House hosts a series of online talks which explore the House, its occupants and our cultural understanding of LGBT+ history during the 18th century. Exploring LGBTQ+ in the 18th century: a series of online talks, commences on Wednesday 17th February 2021 at 7pm.  BOOK NOW

NEWS: In response to over 250 letters received from the local community, as part of our ‘Write to Horace’ project. Richard E. Grant introduces just some of our letter writers in a special short film. WATCH NOW

NEWS: Over 250 people responded to our #WritetoHorace letter writing campaign, sharing their unique observations and experiences during this time. All of the letters sent to us whether by post or email have now been collated into a digital catalogue of letters.

NEWS: Lockdown Letters to Horace: An Art Installation, curated by Charmaine Stimson, Judith North, and Kate Proudman opens 5 November 2020 – 5 January 2020, Sunday – Thursday, 11am – 4pm. The installation is included in the general admission to the House.

NEWS: Strawberry Hill House featured in The Times in September, the article highlighted the House, its previous owners and our involvement in the Jewish Country House Project with University of Oxford. READ MORE

NEWS: Strawberry Hill House is seeking a local Visual Artist to help build an installation of letters at the House in late October. Deadline Friday 25th September, 2020: READ MORE

Blog: Visiting-the-house-under-covid-19. Written by Nevil Tomlinson, Volunteer Guide and Membership Newsletter Editor.

NEWS: We are delighted to announce that Strawberry Hill House will reopen its doors from Sunday 26th July, 2020 and Booking is Now Open. Our team and volunteers have been working incredibly hard to ensure we offer the safest environment and experience for visitors.

NEWS: ‘Write to Horace’ and join our new Letter Writing Campaign.

NEWS: The Strawberry Hill Flower Festival Goes Online – offering a range of floral and growing-related sessions across a two-day festival.

BLOG: Horace Walpole’s Curators. Written by Nevil Tomlinson, Volunteer Guide and Membership Newsletter Editor.

BLOG: ‘Horace’s House’ – Written by Carole Tucker, Librarian and volunteer guide

BLOG: Sewing Bees complete replica Bed

BLOG: Katie Sollohub’s ‘Blue Bedchamber’ Wins Derwent Art Prize

BLOG: Local Artist Peter Jarvis completes House artwork