Marble Hill, Twickenham’s Palladian villa, will be reopening to the public this spring after being closed for restoration.

The historic house will be available to the public on Saturday May 21, welcoming guests into the house's newly restored interior and gardens.

English Heritage and National Lottery funded this project, making it possible for the restoration work to go ahead.

The ancient Rome inspired garden has also been reinstated.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Marble Hill will be open for free five days a week, and visitors can pre-book their visit to the house online.

While booking in advance is not essential, it will guarantee entry to the house by booking ahead.

Marble Hill was home to Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, Marble and is one of the last surviving 18th-century villas and gardens that once bordered the Thames.

The villa was intended as a retreat from crowded 18th-century London.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Detail from an engraving of Marble Hill in 1749 (Image: English Heritage)Detail from an engraving of Marble Hill in 1749 (Image: English Heritage)

Before the restoration, visits to the historic house were limited and much of the park’s historic character had been lost over the years.

English Heritage says that the restoration of the house will bring to life the story of Henrietta Howard, who they say is too often cast as ‘merely’ King George II’s mistress – and the fascinating times in which she lived.