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Your vote could save Walpole’s historic castle
Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham's crumbling Gothic mansion, has been thrown a lifeline with the chance to win a multi-million-pound refurbishment on the BBC2 Restoration programme this Sunday.
And we are appealing to Surrey Comet readers to cast their vote to help save this irreplaceable piece of local history.
If it were not for the 18th century grade I listed mansion, set in the grounds of St Mary's College, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula and more recently the novels of Stephen King and the films of Alfred Hitchcock would not be around today.
Its creator Horace Walpole, the son of Britain's first prime minister Robert Walpole, bought the modest home in 1747 and spent the rest of his life transforming it into the spectacular mansion, which he famously referred to as his "little Gothic castle".
The jutting arched windows, stained glass doors and magnificent turrets inspired Walpole to write the world's first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, which invented the gothic literary genre still popular today.
But although obsessed with fashion and architecture, Walpole was less concerned about the longevity of his designs. Many of the features are surprisingly frail, made with papier mch and wood, which have begun to rot away.
The mansion will compete against Severndroog Castle in Greenwich and Archbishop's Palace in Charing, Kent, in the south-east regional final on Sunday's programme.
If Strawberry Hill wins, it will be pitted against the finalists from seven other regions around the UK in the live final broadcast from Hampton Court Palace on August 8.
The Friends of Strawberry Hill has been battling to raise the £5.5million needed to refurbish the home for years.
Spokeswoman Judith Lovelace said: "Strawberry Hill is very important to local, national and world history as it is the only remaining Gothic revival building from the 18th century.
"It is now in serious need of conservation. The paintwork is damaged, plaster- work cracked and wall hangings are frayed, and its building materials of wood, stucco and papier mch are all extremely fragile.
"Please would you all vote as often as you can between the programme and midnight on Monday."
Richmond Council leader Tony Arbour has also thrown his weight behind the appeal, and urged Richmond residents to vote.
Don't miss the chance to visit this hidden gem on your doorstep on Sundays between 2pm and 5pm for £4.75. Call 020 8240 4224 for recorded details.
q Don't forget watch Restoration on Sunday at 9pm on BBC Two.
Call 09011 332222 to vote to save Strawberry Hill from 2am on Sunday morning to midnight on Monday.
For just 50p per call (34p of which will go towards restoring the winning building) you can vote to keep this spectacular house. If you do nothing, the house could be lost forever.
cdutton@london.newsquest.co.uk
10:35am Friday 16th July 2004
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