Strawberry Hill re-opens
It stands out like Lady Gaga in a school choir.
, Horace Walpole's villa in Twickenham, inspired a European-wide gothic revival.
The Great Cloister in 2009, halfway through restoration
On 2 October, having been closed for extensive renovation, it opens once again to the public.
This morning I was given an early preview of the "fantasy castle" by curator and chair of the Strawberry Hill Trust, Michael Snodin.
Afterwards I talked to former cabinet minister William Waldegrave, whose family took ownership of the house after Walpole died in 1797. They too left their mark.
Ìý
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit Ö÷²¥´óÐãÌýWebwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
An arts journal by 
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Sep 2010, L A Odicean wrote:Most major Victorian buildings would look better as picturesque ruins. Whose idea was it to restore Strawberry Hill? It should have been allowed to decay naturally. In 10 - 15 years time it would have looked lovely. It's a disgrace.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 23rd Sep 2010, L A Odicean wrote:Even if it's not Victorian....
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 24th Sep 2010, Christine wrote:In 10-15 years Strawberry Hill might have fallen down. It would have been a disgrace for this magnificent Gothic Revival house to have been lost. This restoration looks amazing, and I can't wait to visit.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 24th Sep 2010, L A Odicean wrote:OK...ok, I'll go and have a look.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)