Recently, Year 12 A-Level English students were given the opportunity to visit Strawberry Hill House as part of our study of Gothic literature texts.
The original house was bought by Horace Walpole – author of The Castle of Otranto, a novel often considered the first Gothic text – in 1747. Over the course of the next few years, the house was turned into a prime example of Georgian Gothic revival architecture. During Walpole’s lifetime, he opened the house for small tours, and over 250 years later, the house is still thriving.
Upon first arriving, it was lovely to see how integral the house still is to the community, with sketching and yoga classes happening on the lawn.
We were then given a tour of the house by one of the volunteers. While most of the house’s interior furnishings have been sold, some pieces have been returned or re-purchased, others are on loan, and a few are copies – not that you would ever know. The whole house is a collaboration – for instance, one of the beds was based on a similar bed at Hampton Court Palace, with the fabric of the hangings and bedding as advised by the V&A. The house has some incredible original features, such as the stained glass and the wallpaper in the entrance hall, and we were even able to see the room where Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto.
After the tour, we were given a talk from one of the lecturers at St Mary’s University, discussing Strawberry Hill House’s links to The Castle of Otranto, and the role of the Gothic in society at the time.
Overall, it was a wonderful visit which really enriched our understanding of the Gothic genre.
Zoe S (Y12)
