Strawberry Hill, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Strawberry Hill |
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 Strawberry Hill
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| OS grid reference | TQ155725 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TWICKENHAM |
| Postcode district | TW1, TW2 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Strawberry Hill is a cool area in Twickenham, part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It's about 10 miles (16 km) west of central London, a nice suburban spot. You'll find homes and a small area with shops. These include a pharmacy, a post office, and a grocery store.
Getting around is easy with Strawberry Hill railway station. Trains from here can take you to London Waterloo.
St Mary's University, Twickenham is located here on Waldegrave Road. It's the oldest Roman Catholic university in the country. Its sports fields were even used for training during the 2012 Olympics!
Did you know the folk-rock band called the Strawbs started here? They were first known as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band members were students at St. Mary's. They liked the name because they played bluegrass music, which often has "hill" in band names.
Strawberry Hill House: A Gothic Castle!
The area gets its name from a special house called "Strawberry Hill." This amazing Gothic Revival villa was designed by a famous writer, Horace Walpole. He worked on it between 1749 and 1776.
It started as a small house in the 1600s, almost like a cottage. It only had about 5 acres of land. But Walpole transformed it into a "little Gothic castle" with 46 acres! The first owner called it "Chopped Straw Hall." Walpole wanted a unique name. He found an old paper that mentioned his land as "Strawberry Hill Shot," so he chose "Strawberry Hill."
After a huge £9 million restoration that took two years, Strawberry Hill House opened again in October 2010. Many famous writers from the 1700s, like Alexander Pope and Horace Walpole himself, visited this house.
Fun Things to Do in Strawberry Hill
There are other cool places to visit in Strawberry Hill:
- St Mary's University, Twickenham: You can explore the campus of this historic university.
- Radnor Gardens: A lovely park where you can relax and enjoy nature.
- Strawberry Hill railway station: This station was built in 1873. It's a great example of how railway buildings looked during the Victorian era.
- Strawberry Hill Golf Course: Opened in 1900, this course was designed by JH Taylor, a golf champion.
Learning in Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill has several schools for young people. You can find more details about them in the main article about schools in Richmond upon Thames.
