Marble Hill House

Today I met up with some friends to visit the newly refurbished Marble Hill House. It has had a big restoration over the last few years , by English Heritage, and at the moment is free to enter. This was my second visit and not many people there today which was good as it’s is quite a small house. It was built by Henrietta Howard in the 18C. She was an interesting character who had two husbands and was also the mistress of George II !  The restoration has tried to decorate and furnish it as it would have been when it was first built in about 1725. There is some amazing hand painted Chinese wall paper ( no photos allowed) in the dining room ..a replica made in China today. Apparently then(1725)  it cost £45 to buy while the head gardener was earning less than £30 per year! There are several replicas of paintings by well known artists. Apparently Henrietta was friends with Walpole( lived in Strawberry Hill House) Alexander Pope ( lived nearby in Twickenham too) and JohnGay( wrote the Beggars Opera). 

Outside the gardens are also being restored including a Grotto which will eventually be open to the public. 
Afterwards we went for a walk along the Thames and had lunch at the White Swan pub and a brief visit to Orleans House Gallery.

Off to Richmond Theatre tonight.