Strawberry Hill, London

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location
Strawberry Hill


OS grid reference:	TQ155725
Latitude:	51.43965369376846°
Longitude:	-0.33730358569757546°
Administration
London borough:	Richmond
County level:	Greater London
Region:	London
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Greater London
Historic county:	Middlesex
Services
Police force:	Metropolitan Police
Fire brigade:	London Fire Brigade
Ambulance service:	London Ambulance
Post office and telephone
Post town:	TWICKENHAM
Postal district:	TW1, TW2
Dialling code:	020
Politics
UK Parliament:	Twickenham
London Assembly:	South West
European Parliament:	London
London \| List of places in London

Strawberry Hill is an affluent area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames near Twickenham. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles (16.7 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. It consists of a number of residential roads centered around a small development of shops and services by Strawberry Hill railway station. The area's ACORN demographic type is characterized as well-off professionals, larger houses and converted flats.

1 Walpole's villa
2 Other attractions
3 Reference
4 External links

[edit] Walpole's villa

18th century engraving of Walpole's villa

The nineteenth-century development is named for "Strawberry Hill", the 18th century fancifully "Gothick" villa of Horace Walpole, a folly which he had built in stages to his own specification.

Walpole and two friends, including an architect (Chute) and draftsman (Bentley) called themselves a “Committee of Taste” which would modify the architecture of the building. They looked at many examples of architecture in England and in other countries, using such works as Henry VII’s chapel at Westminister abbey for inspiration for the fan vaulting of the gallery, while the bays, recesses and mirrors refer to Robert Adam’s interiors. Many of the exterior details of cathedrals he incorporated into the interior of the house. From the outside there were two predominant styles which seemed to be ‘mixed’; a style based on castles, with turrets and battlements, and a style based on gothic cathedrals, with arched windows, and stained glass.

The building evolved similar to how a medieval cathedral often evolved over time; there was no fixed plan from the beginning; Walpole added new features over a thirty-year period as he saw fit. The first stage to make a ‘little gothic castle’ began in 1749, a second stage in 1760, and there were other modifications such as work on the great north bedchamber in 1772, and Beauclerc tower in 1776.

The building described by Walpole as a 'little Gothic castle' is significant as it is one of the most influential individual buildings of such Rococo "Gothick" architecture which led to the Gothic revival of the nineteenth century, and for increasing use of gothic designs for houses. The type of style has variously been described as Georgian Gothic, Strawberry Hill Gothic, Georgian Rococo, or Gothick.