Marble Hill House

Marble Hill House is the last complete survivor of the elegant Thames-side villas that lined the river between Richmond and Hampton Court in the early 18th century. Built between 1724 and 1729 for Henrietta Howard, mistress of George II, it is a perfect small Palladian villa: compact, beautifully proportioned, white, and surrounded by grounds that run down to the river. English Heritage manages the house and has restored the interior to its original appearance.

The house is best visited in the context of a walk along this stretch of the Thames. Ham House is across the river (a short ferry ride from Orleans House), Richmond Park is a few minutes by foot, and Strawberry Hill is within walking distance to the west. The grounds of Marble Hill are freely accessible year-round and are popular for picnics in summer; the house itself charges admission and has seasonal opening hours.

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A story
Marble Hill was built in the 1720s for Henrietta Howard, who was simultaneously the mistress of the future King George II and one of the most intellectually accomplished women in early 18th-century England. She used her Royal income to build this perfect small Palladian villa and filled it with writers, poets, and philosophers — including her neighbours Alexander Pope and Horace Walpole. The house is a monument to a woman who navigated an impossible position with considerable skill.