Explore Britain’s past through three brilliant homes.
Ham House, Strawberry Hill and Marble Hill are three closely located houses which bring British history to life. In the Eighteenth Century, outer London was not the sprawling suburbia that it is today. It was a series of large homes owned by notable members of society. These included members of the gentry, mistresses to the King and well-heeled businessmen. The area near Ham House was attractive because of the It was the generous parkland, access to the Thames and space for cottages.
Eighteenth Century Society in Britain has been thrust into the global spotlight thanks to the Netflix hit Bridgerton. You are more likely to find the real-life Lady Danbury in Brockwell Park (well that’s where I have spotted the actress anyway), South West London is home to a series of stately homes. Here you can lose yourself in the diverse decor of the period for a couple of hours and imagine you are at one of those well-manicured balls.
Strawberry Hill, Marble Hill and Ham House were all built at a similar time (as was Orleans House, that is now an art gallery) and were mainstays of society of the time.
C18th Britain reading list
- A polite and commercial people by Langford*
- A Gentlemans Daughter by Vickery*
- English Society in C18th by Porter*
- Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Foreman*
- The Profligate Son by Phillips*
You’ll notice from this blog that Horace Walpole was a major player on the social set. As the son of the Prime Minister he had unrivaled access and influence across society. He wrote to or about all of the houses in this post.
Why visit all three houses?
Firstly, they’re pretty close together and not that big, so each you could allocate about 90 minutes to exploring. If you wanted to push it, Ham House could just about be a day out in itself, but Marble Hill and Strawberry Hill definitely are good to visit together.
Secondly, the houses all interacted with each other. Think about those horse-drawn carriages we see in period dramas taking letters from one house to another. Well, the people who lived at Ham, Strawberry Hill and Marble Hill did just that. They were in the same social circles and there are excerpts of correspondence between the families at the houses. Which I found pretty cool.
How easy is it to visit all three houses?
All three houses are within a couple of miles of each other. Ham is on the other side of the river to Marble Hill and Strawberry Hill. There is a crossing point at at Ham House that has a Ferry and can take you between them.
If you are looking to stay in the area, I would highly recommend the Richmond Harbour Hotel.* It’s a boutique spa hotel (parking isn’t wonderful) with easy access to Richmond Park, a reasonable walk to Ham House and easy to get to Richmond Station too.
For train tickets, I’d recommend buying through the Trainline* or for information on how to navigate the tube read my guide to the Tube.
About Marble Hill
Marble Hill is one of the smaller stately homes, built by Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk. She was one of King George II’s mistresses. She was a rare breed at her time, managing to escape from her first, and by all accounts very bad, marriage. The signs at Marble Hill don’t paint him in the best light, so more power to her.
Marble Hill House is located a short walk from St Margaret’s Station, and is only open Wednesday to Sunday.
Marble Hill is built in a style that many will find familiar, and feels like a simpler version of Chiswick House. It is set in 66 acres of parkland. This is a combination of well-manicured lawns and space for the public to play cricket or other sports on.
The house feels sparsely decorated, especially compared to Strawberry Hill. The house, as you can see it today, is being restored based on images and trends from that time. The wear and tear reflects the number of people who have lived in the house or the different uses for it. For example in the dining room, you can see the floor damage which has come from it being used as a cafe for a number of years.
It became the house where she lived with her second husband and corresponded with notable locals including Alexander Pope and Horace Walpole, brother of the first UK Prime Minister who lived at… Strawberry Hill.
Marble Hill has one other advantage. The bursary it had from the national lottery and English Heritage means it is free to visit. If you drive you need to pay for the car park, but that is it.
About Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill House was created by Horace Walpole (son of the UK’s first Prime Minister) in the Eighteenth Century and it is now owned by St Mary’s University in Twickenham. It was originally built by the Coachmen of the Earl of Bedford in the late Seventeenth Century, but it was transformed into the masterpiece you see today by Walpole.
Of the three houses in this post, Strawberry Hill is my favourite. It has more to see inside than the other two for a start. Also, it has a very unique decor and the gothic exterior is a sight to behold.
One of the charms of Strawberry Hill is how the rooms are themed by colour. As you explore you find yourself in the green room or the blue room. The intentional use of colour gives you an insight into the care which Walpole put into creating his home. Equally, the library has some of the most fantastic examples of gothic interiors, with each shelve enveloped in stunning wood carvings.
The house is also significant. Walpole set up his own printing press in the house. Also, his design and vision for the house sparked some of the gothic revival in the UK.
Tickets to Strawberry Hill are £14.50 for adults but entry is free to National Art Pass holders. The closest train station is Strawberry Hill.
Ham House
Ham House was built in the early Seventeenth Century by Sir Thomas Vavasour and became a significant feature of Stuart society, with the owners loyal to the crown during the Civil War.
Ham is lauded by many online as a bit of a hidden gem, but I would not go so far. It often has large parts of the house closed for renovation. This is not to say it isn’t interesting or worth a visit, I just feel “hidden gem” is a bit of an overstatement. The house is decorated in a classic Stuart style of heavy wood panels and can feel quite overpowering.
The gardens at Ham are something different for a British stately home. They have always reminded me of the stereotype of a French chalet or vineyard (even though there aren’t grapes there by my memory).
So, how does Ham fit into this theme of Eighteenth Century London? Well, Horace Walpole had a lot to say about the house. His letters imply it was thought to be old-fashioned and left in a state of disrepair. In such a fashion-conscious society, Ham shows the impact of not keeping up with the Joneses (who were an actual family that people wanted to keep up with). Equally as a well-established society home, it is used in many films and TV programs such as Sense and Sensibility.
My favourite thing about Ham House is Lord Roscoe. Yes the house has a rescue cat and I could not love this more.
The closest train station to Ham House is Richmond, and it’s a mile-and-a-half walk along the river.
Tickets for Ham House cost £14, but as Ham is owned by the National Trust, it’s free to members. It is also free for National Art Pass holders.
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*These are affiliate links, but I only link to places I have stayed or experiences I have booked. If you follow this link and make a purchase, I get a small commission at no cost to you.
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