Events
House Tours
Strawberry Hill House is internationally renowned as one of the best examples of Georgian Gothic architecture. Enjoy a guided tour of Horace Walpole's architectural masterpiece exploring the history, interiors and stories of its residents.
Tours departs at 10am. Booking is essential. If you are a group of 15 persons or more you may be interested in booking a private guided tour for preferential rates. Please e-mail tours@strawberryhillhouse.org.uk
Book nowSummer Sounds at Strawberry Hill House: picnic, Pimm's and toe-tapping tunes
Enjoy a relaxing summer evening listening to talented and uplifting bands in the beautiful gardens at Strawberry Hill House. What better way to end a busy weekend than to unwind with a glass of bubbly or minty Pimm’s with family and friends whilst enjoying a picnic and music tailored to suit the mood.
The Polka Dots: Sunday 9 June
Back by popular demand, this year's Summer Sounds kicks off with a band who incapsulate the fun of Summer: The Polka Dots.
Take three smooth sassy voices, arrange a collection of toe-tapping original and cover swing songs, add sharp dance routines and on-stage chemistry, and you have The Polka Dots.
Whether it's 1940s Swing or 1950s Rockabilly, The Polka Dots are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, bringing glamour, fun and energy to every performance.
Refreshments, including Pimm's, prosecco, snacks and ice cream will be available to purchase from the Garden Café. You may like to arrive a little early to browse the unique and hand-made gifts and cards in our shop.
Event Details
Time: 4pm - 7.30pm
Gate opens at 3.45pm, with the performance starting at 4.45pm.
4.45pm - 5.30pm – first session
6pm - 6.45pm – second session
Fancy a hassle-free picnic?
You can pre-order a picnic hamper from Roots & Berries, our onsite café provider. Please contact enquiries@rootsandberries.co.uk for further details.
Come rain or shine, this event will go ahead no matter what the weather, so please come prepared with rain or sun protection. There will be no refunds made in the event of inclement weather.
Book nowSummer Sounds at Strawberry Hill House: picnic, Pimm's and toe-tapping tunes
Enjoy a relaxing summer evening listening to talented and uplifting bands in the beautiful gardens at Strawberry Hill House. What better way to end a busy weekend than to unwind with a glass of bubbly or minty Pimm’s with family and friends whilst enjoying a picnic and music tailored to suit the mood.
The Swing Ninjas: Sunday 25 August
Drawing on elements of New Orleans swing, spirituals, blues, cajun and jazz, all influenced by the UK new swing movement, The Swing Ninjas are a band you will want to dance to. Any live show is high energy, full of humour, passion and grooves that guarantee dancing across the ages.
Event Details
Time: 4pm - 7.30pm
Gate opens at 3.45pm, with the performance starting at 4.45pm.
4.45pm - 5.30pm – first session
6pm - 6.45pm – second session
Refreshments, including Pimm's, prosecco, snacks and ice cream will be available to purchase from the Garden Café. You may like to arrive a little early to browse the unique and hand-made gifts and cards in our shop.
Fancy a hassle-free picnic?
You can pre-order a picnic hamper from Roots & Berries, our onsite café provider. Please contact enquiries@rootsandberries.co.uk for further details.
Book now
Saturday 18 May 2024, 10am-4pm. Doors open at 9.50am.
Learn how to channel the aesthetic of the Dutch Masters by creating and then photographing your own floral design.
Floral artist, Leigh Chappell, and flower photographer, Janne Ford, are experts at capturing the essence of the Dutch Masters through their floral and photography collaborations.
After a private view of the two Jan Van Huysum paintings, Janne and Leigh will talk you through the flowers and techniques used to create a Dutch Master-inspired floral arrangement and will guide you through creating your own design, using fresh seasonal British flowers.
Once your floral design is complete, you will explore how the use of light and shadow is crucial to creating the aesthetic of a Dutch Master. Janne will talk you through the art of floral photography and show you how to achieve your own floral masterpiece, using one of the historic rooms at Strawberry Hill House as a backdrop.
Please bring whichever camera you are comfortable using, this could be a Smartphone or a DSLR camera - the workshop is about creating a mood in the style of a Dutch Master and looking at lighting rather than technicalities of how to use a camera. All other equipment is supplied.
Tickets price includes:
- entry to the house and private view of the Jan van Huysum paintings
- floral and photography workshops
- materials
- buffet sandwich lunch served with hot drinks
Leigh Chappell
Leigh Chappell is a floral designer who trained as a botanical illustrator before working in graphic design, and her eye for detail is apparent in her work. Leigh loves to create natural floral beauty in her designs, with sustainability at the core of her ethos. Leigh is a supporter of the British flower growing movement and had the seed of an idea for The Strawberry Hill Flower Festival as a way to exhibit the beauty of their growing skills and the art of the floral designers who use them. Leigh continues to be the co-curator of the now annual and enormously popular Flower Festival.
Janne Ford
With a background in fashion and textile design Janne has always been interested in colour, texture and composition. Working as a floral stylist and freelance photographer she loves creating beautiful floral scenes for clients. Inspired by the seasons and her own cutting garden she loves a painterly floral style, when flowers and foliage, dried grasses and fruit add interest to her designs. Janne is co-curator of the Annual Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival.
Book nowFriday 12 July 2024, 10am-12:00pm (talk starts at 10:30am, entry to view the paintings will be from 10am). Doors open at 10:00am.
Dutch fine artist, Tanja Moderscheim presents a fascinating art history lecture about the development of the flower painting as a genre in the Netherlands, culminating in Jan van Huysum’s work in the 1700s. The lecture will also discuss Tulip Mania and the painter’s palette.
Enjoy a private view of the two Jan van Huysum paintings before and after the talk. The talk starts at 10.30am, entry to view the paintings will be from 10am.
Tanja Moderscheim is a Dutch fine artist and a fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists. Her art celebrates and explores cultural heritage, in particular the 17th century Dutch Golden Age. Light and how it touches the subject is an important focus in her paintings.
Tanja stays true to the period by only using 17th century techniques and pigments.
Cultivating rare Dutch Heritage tulip cultivars in her own garden, Tanja has an extensive collection of tulip varieties to paint with, the oldest dating back to the late 16th century.
Book nowFriday 17 May 2024, Talk starts at 7pm. Arrival from 6.30pm.
Join us for a glass of prosecco and a fascinating evening with Andrew Graham-Dixon.
In his wide-ranging talk, Andrew plays the role both of biographer and detective to discuss the principles and practice of art appreciation. He will explore some of his favourite paintings from many different corners of the history of art, telling the fascinating stories that lie behind them and revealing their often-hidden meanings.
Born in London in 1960, Andrew Graham-Dixon is one of the leading art critics and presenters of arts television in the English-speaking world. He has presented numerous landmark series on art for the BBC and other independents. In the course of his career, Andrew has won numerous awards for writing and broadcasting, and his achievements have been acclaimed by many of his most distinguished peers.
Book nowSunday 26 May, 10:30am-12:00pm
Wednesday 3rd July, 10:30am-12:00pm
Join Strawberry Hill’s honorary librarian and tour guide, Carole Tucker, on this unique and fascinating garden tour. The tour begins with a private view of what Art historian, Andrew Graham-Dixon, referred to as ‘the two most brilliant and perfectly preserved paintings’ by the celebrated Dutch artist, Jan van Huysum.
Whilst Walpole never owned any the Master’s work himself, his fascination with nature, colours, surfaces and optical illusions is evident in both his garden and his art collection. Van Huysum’s compositions are indeed illusions, not only because the depicted surfaces appear almost palpable but because of the improbable representation of flowers and fruit from different seasons and climates.
Take time to immerse yourself in the crystalline light, colour and detail of van Huysum’s paintings before a tour of the gardens. The tour will explore Walpole’s suggestion that a landscape garden contained and combined many art forms: architecture, sculpture, poetry and painting.
Book nowGarden Tours
The five-acre garden at Strawberry Hill House has been, as far as possible, restored to its original appearance using Eighteenth Century maps and paintings as well as Walpole’s own writing. Enjoy a guided tour of Horace Walpole's garden created to compliment his Gothic castle.
Tours departs at 11:15am. Booking is essential. If you are a group of 15 persons or more you may be interested in booking a private guided tour for preferential rates. Please e-mail tours@strawberryhillhouse.org.uk
Book nowDate: Monday 13th May 2024, 6:30-8pm
Adult Ticket: Free
Title: Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu
Join us to discuss Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels.
In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest – the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. As Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day…
Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.
For any questions, please contact the organiser Claire Leighton: claire.leighton@strawberryhillhouse.org.uk
Book now
Tuesday 2 July. Doors open 6.45 pm, concert starts at 7.15pm
Enjoy a concert in the Impressive Waldegrave Drawing Room after a summer evening drink in the Garden
As Sir Karl Jenkins, one of the world’s most performed composers, celebrates his 80th birthday with a major UK tour, we are offering as a tribute this performance of his masterpiece, ‘the Armed Man’, a deeply felt reflection on war and peace. This evocative work, suffused with the words and melodies of a 14th century French battle song, will be brought to life with trumpet and drums. Join us as we embark on this journey to Medieval Burgundy and back.
We will conclude with something on the ‘lighter side’; a wonderful array of tunes from two favourite musicals, Oliver! and South Pacific
We are delighted to welcome back James Speakman on Piano and Josh Neale (percussion).
Tickets
Standard Adult: £16
Members / Patrons / Volunteers: £12
Book nowFriday 13th – 15th September 2024, 10am – 5pm
The Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival returns for a sixth successive year this September. This year, curators Leigh Chappell & Janne Ford have set the creative theme Nature Unbound to showcase the very best of British-grown, foam-free sustainable floristry, and the design creativity of the UK’s leading floral designers.
The beauty and opulence of Strawberry Hill House creates the perfect backdrop to showcase the work of invited florists who will share their artistry, expertise, and passion for sustainable floral design, shining a spotlight on the beauty, variety and versatility of the fresh and dried flowers and foliage cultivated by British flower farmers.
Book now