Marble Hill House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marble Hill House |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
North (town) front, with pilasters
|
|
| Type | Villa |
| Location | Twickenham |
| OS grid reference | TQ 17296 73627 |
| Area | Richmond upon Thames |
| Built | 1724–1729 |
| Architect | Roger Morris |
| Architectural style(s) | Neo-Palladian |
| Owner | English Heritage |
|
Listed Building – Grade I
|
|
| Official name: Marble Hill House | |
| Designated | 2 September 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1285673 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Marble Hill House is a beautiful old country house. It is located in Twickenham, in London. This amazing house was built between 1724 and 1729. It was the home of Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk. She was a close friend and advisor to King George II.
The house's simple but elegant design became very famous. Many other large houses, even in America, copied its style. In 1903, the house and its land became public property. It was the first 18th-century house in England saved by a public group. Today, English Heritage looks after Marble Hill House.
Contents
Building Marble Hill House
Marble Hill House was built for Henrietta Howard. She was a very important lady in the court of King George II. The house was designed by Roger Morris. He worked with Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke. Pembroke was known as one of the "architect earls."
Design Inspiration
Lord Herbert based the design of Marble Hill on an Italian villa. It was called Villa Cornaro. This villa was designed by a famous architect named Andrea Palladio. Palladio's style was very popular. Many houses in the American colonies also copied this design. Examples include Drayton Hall and even Thomas Jefferson's first design for Monticello.
The house is surrounded by 66 acres of beautiful parkland. This area is now known as Marble Hill Park.
Inside the House
The main room in the house is called the Great Room. It has amazing gold decorations. You can also see five special paintings there. These paintings are called capricci and were made by Giovanni Paolo Pannini.
Marble Hill House also has old furniture from the Georgian era. You can see paintings from that time too. There is also a collection of Chinese-inspired art. This collection is called the Lazenby Bequest.
Famous Guests and Visitors
Marble Hill House was a popular place for important people. It was only a few miles from another grand house. That house belonged to another close friend of King George I.
Two very famous writers often visited Henrietta Howard. They were Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. They were regular guests at the house.
Later, in the late 1700s, the house was rented. The Prince Regent used it. He was the future King George IV. He rented it so he could meet Maria Fitzherbert in private.
Influence on Architecture
Marble Hill House quickly became well-known. Pictures of its design were published. People admired its simple plan and balanced look.
Its design was copied a lot after 1750. It became a standard style for country houses. Many villas in the Thames Valley and other places copied it. An early example is New Place in Devon. It was built between 1746 and 1749.
Marble Hill Park and Modern Use
Today, English Heritage owns Marble Hill House. They took over in 1986. The large grounds are called Marble Hill Park. The park offers many fun activities.
You can find pitches for rugby and hockey there. There is also a cricket pitch and nets. You can play tennis on the courts. There is even a play area for children.
Restoration Project
In 2015, English Heritage received a special grant. It was from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This money helped them improve Marble Hill House and its park. They wanted to make it look even better. They also wanted to improve the sports facilities.
As part of this project, experts studied the land. They used special tools like geophysical surveys. They also used aerial photography and lidar mapping. This helped them understand how the park changed over time.
The house itself was also restored. They brought back the original Georgian colors. The furniture and paintings were also fixed up. The work took seven years to finish. It cost about £8 million. The director of English Heritage, Kate Mavor, called the house "one of the forgotten gems of Georgian London."
See also
- Marble Hill Park
- Yelverton Lodge – a hunting lodge across Richmond Road
