Cash to save gothic jewel (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Cash to save gothic jewel

10:58am Wednesday 30th January 2008 in News By Daniel Knowles

A gothic revival mansion in Twickenham has received a £100,000 grant for essential work to protect it from further damage.

The money from English Heritage will be spent repairing the roof of Horace Walpole's 18th century Strawberry Hill House.

It's the first stage of work estimated to cost £8million needed to give the Grade I listed mansion a complete overhaul and restoration.

The building, which is part of St Mary's University College but is too delicate for teaching use, has been on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk Register since 1996.

English Heritage's Tim Jones said the roof repairs were desperately needed to protect the building from serious damage.

Strawberry Hill was built in 1698 as a modest house before being remodelled in the Georgian gothic revival style by Horace Walpole, son of Britain's first Prime Minister, in 1747.