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Strawberry Hill, London facts for kids

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Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill is located in Greater London
Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill
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
  • Twickenham
London Assembly
  • South West
List of places
UK
England
London
51°26′17″N 0°20′06″W / 51.4381°N 0.3350°W / 51.4381; -0.3350

Strawberry Hill is an affluent area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Twickenham. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles (16.7 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. It consists of a number of residential roads centred on a small development of shops and served by Strawberry Hill railway station. The area's ACORN demographic type is characterised as well-off professionals, larger houses, and converted flats. St Mary's University, Twickenham, the country's oldest Roman Catholic University, is situated on Waldegrave Road. Its sports grounds were used as a training site for the 2012 Olympics.

Strawberry Hill House

Strawberry Hill
A tower at the Strawberry Hill gothic villa

The nineteenth-century development is named after "Strawberry Hill", the fanciful Gothic Revival villa designed by author Horace Walpole between 1749 and 1776. It began as a small 17th century house "little more than a cottage", with only 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land and ended up as a "little Gothic castle" in 46 acres (190,000 m2). The original owner had named the house "Chopped Straw Hall", but Walpole wanted it to be called something more distinctive and after finding an old lease that described his land as "Strawberry Hill Shot", he adopted this name.

After a £9 million, two year restoration, Strawberry Hill House re-opened to the public in October 2010.

Other attractions

Other local attractions include:

  • St Mary's University, Twickenham
  • Radnor Gardens
  • Strawberry Hill railway station, built in 1873, is an example of the Victorian era railway building boom.

Education

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