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A HEARTFELT plea for residents to vote to save a fine example of heritage in the borough, Strawberry Hill House, has been made.

The house will be one of a number of buildings at risk featured on the Restoration programme on BBC2 on Sunday and viewers will be asked to choose their favourite.

A public vote will decide which property goes through to the grand final when the overall winner will receive £3m towards the cost of repair.

Richmond upon Thames Council, local organisations and even children of Trafalgar School in Twickenham have joined the quest to rescue the house.

Strawberry Hill is a fine example of Georgian Gothic architecture and interior decoration in Britain but it desperately needs cash to help restore it.

Cllr David Marlow, Richmond council's cabinet member for environment and planning, said: "The building is a beloved but crumbling treasure and this programme gives the public a wonderful opportunity to register their support in an effort to return it to its former splendour.

"So, please do vote. It could make all the difference."

Horace Walpole, who built it, was a major 18th century writer and connoisseur and, with Strawberry Hill, started a new fashion adopting the decorative rather than structural aspects of Gothic architecture.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Martin Elengorn said: "I hope residents will watch as many as possible of these fascinating programmes about the many important examples of our national heritage that need restoring and, finally, conclude that Strawberry Hill is the most deserving."

The pupils of Trafalgar School visited the building on Monday and were greeted by guides who led them on a tour of the house to make them more aware of its importance. Judith Lovelace, of the Friends of Strawberry Hill House, said: "It was wonderful. They told the children about the bid for restoration and we wanted to get through to the younger generation. They don't normally invite children on the tours so it was an interesting experiment."

12:28pm Friday 16th July 2004

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