Marble Hill House London is a beautiful Palladian villa situated on the River Thames between Richmond and Twickenham. It was built in the 1720s for Henrietta Howard, mistress of King George, who was then the Prince of Wales. Howard established it as an escape from the rush of London for her group of literary scholars. Its elegant interior, with its Georgian furniture and paintings and columnar styling, has been restored and preserved.

The house is situated on 66 acres of parkland, known as Marble Hill Park. Now owned by English Heritage, Marble Hill House Twickenham is open for guided tours, and often hired out for private events.

Things to see and do

For those who are planning to visit Marble Hill House there are many things to see and do whilst you are there. Here is a list of some of the interesting things not to miss:

• Marble Hill House itself is open for guided tours from April through October. The interior features the “Great Room” on the first floor, where various forms of entertainment were held in Georgian times. The house features portraits of Henrietta Howard and other inhabitants among its many paintings, and her original Chinese wallpaper in the dining room has been recreated. Many of the original Georgian furnishings were sold in the 1800s, but rounded up again when the house was restored, from as far away as the US and Australia.

• In Marble Hill Park, you can take a walk by the river, ride a bike, or come with a picnic. The park also offers tennis courts, rugby and cricket pitches, and a play area for children. If you would like to visit the opposite shore of the River Thames in Ham, you can take Hammerton’s Ferry, a seasonal pedestrian and cyclist ferry that leaves from the Twickenham towpath in Marble Hill Park. Hammerton’s Ferry is one of only a few ferry routes across the Thames that have not been exchanged for a bridge or tunnel.

Opening Times

From April through October, Marble Hill House London is open for guided tours on weekends. On Saturdays, tours run at 10.30 a.m. and 12 p.m. On Sundays, they are offered at 10.30 a.m., 12 p.m., 2.15 p.m., and 3.30 p.m. In November and March, Marble Hill House is closed, but the park remains open during daylight hours.

How to get to Marble Hill House

By Bus:

• H22, 490 from St Margaret's rail station
• R68, R70, 490, H22 from Richmond tube station

By Train:

• From Waterloo to St Margaret's, then bus as above

By Tube:

• District Line to Richmond, then bus as above