If you want to understand what Georgian London was all about, visit Marble Hill House in Twickenham. This pristine Palladian villa by the Thames is a monument to 18th-century elegance, mathematical proportions and one woman’s determination to live life on her own terms.
Step inside Marble Hill House to discover how Henrietta Howard created a sanctuary of sophistication.
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My Top Tips for Visiting Marble Hill House
Henrietta Howard’s Dream Home
I know a reasonable woman,
Alexander Pope, On a Certain Lady at Court
Handsome and witty, yet a friend
Henrietta Howard (1689-1767) is my kind of historical figure: an intelligent, cultured and resourceful woman who carved her own path.
Born into the British aristocracy, she made a disastrous marriage to Charles Howard, a violent drunk who gambled away his fortune. When the couple moved to Hanover as attendants to the future George II, Henrietta caught the Prince’s eye and became his mistress.
By 1724, Henrietta had saved enough money from her royal allowance to buy land in Twickenham, with views across the Thames to Ham House and Richmond. She commissioned architect Roger Morris and the Earl of Pembroke to design a Palladian villa, and construction began in 1724.
The house became her retreat from court life. Henrietta was well-read and witty, and her salon at Marble Hill was one of the most intellectually vibrant in Georgian England.
Here, she entertained writers, poets and thinkers, including Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope and John Gay. She was close friends with Horace Walpole, united by their mutual dislike of his father, Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister.
In 1731, Henrietta’s husband finally died (no tears shed there), and she left her position at court. She married George Berkeley in 1735 and spent the rest of her life at Marble Hill, perfecting the house and gardens until she died in 1767.
After Henrietta’s death, Marble Hill passed through various hands, including the Cunliffe family and the Fitzgerald family. In 1902, it was bought by William Cunard, who left it to the London County Council. English Heritage now manages the property, which opened to the public in 1966.
Inside Marble Hill House
Armed with my curiosity and friendly pointers from the volunteer guides, I started my tour of Marble Hill House on the ground floor. Unlike many historic houses that have been gutted and refilled over centuries, Marble Hill retains much of its original architectural fabric.
With its harmonious Palladian proportions, the Entrance Hall sets the tone of the house perfectly. Henrietta’s guests usually travelled to Marble Hill by river, and they would gather in this room to play cards and dine before the creation of the dining room in 1751.
A separate Dining Parlour was a new Georgian fashion, and Henrietta created this space by combining a small room and pantry. She decorated it with exquisite, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, recreated by Chinese artists using a popular 1750s pattern.
The mahogany table is set as it might have been for one of Henrietta’s dinners, though sadly we can only imagine the witty conversation that would have flowed alongside the wine.
The Breakfast Parlour on the other side of the hall is a more intimate space with views over the gardens. This was where Henrietta would have started her day.
There’s a tray laid out for a refreshing cup of tea or coffee – a luxury in Georgian times – with blue-and-white porcelain that had become popular through England’s increasing trade with China. Henrietta amassed an impressive collection of Chinoiserie, so much so that she had to build a small two-storey cottage close to the house to store her china.
I climbed the magnificent mahogany staircase to reach the first floor, where the principal rooms are located. It’s said that George II gifted the wood.
The Great Room is Marble Hill’s showstopper. This double-cube room (33 feet by 33 feet by 16 feet high) was designed for entertaining, and the proportions are mathematically perfect according to Palladian principles.
Henrietta filled Marble Hill House with mahogany and lacquer furniture, 34 paintings and that enormous porcelain collection. However, like many of London’s stately homes, most of its contents were sold to the highest bidders some years ago.
The challenge for curators has been to refurnish rooms using inventories, engravings and detective work to recreate Henrietta Howard’s world. However, seven pieces from her original collection are displayed in this room, and the paintings are arranged exactly as they would have been in Henrietta’s time.
Look closely at the carved pine pier tables under the window, two of a set of four made for this room. These were usually placed against walls and used to showcase an expensive marble top.
They are decorated with a peacock, the symbol of the ancient Roman goddess Juno, protectress of women, suggesting that Henrietta, a woman, commissioned it. Fun fact: the one on the right is a reproduction.
In the Dressing Room, also known as the Writing Room, there are pendant portraits of Abraham Ackworth and Margaretta Ackworth by Thomas Hudson (1701-1779), painted at the time of their marriage.
But I loved The Letter Writer by Philippe Mercier (1689-1760), an important example of a style known as the Conversation Piece. It depicts a woman penning a letter to her beau, but the character looking over her shoulder means that all will not go well in love. 1725-1750
Bedchambers occupy the remaining square footage on the house’s first floor.
On the second floor, the Gallery runs the length of the house and would have been used for displaying artworks and exercising on rainy days. The windows at each end flood the space with light, and you can imagine Henrietta and her guests strolling here, deep in conversation about the latest literary sensation or political scandal.
Exploring Marble Hill House Gardens
Marble Hill Gardens were designed to complement the house perfectly. The parkland was laid out in the naturalistic style that was beginning to replace formal geometric gardens, with sweeping lawns, carefully placed tree clumps and winding paths.
Walk down to the Thames and look back at the house, like a jewel in a verdant setting. The grotto, icehouse and other garden features speak to the 18th-century passion for landscape design.
Why I Love Marble Hill
What makes Marble Hill House special to me is not just its architectural perfection, but what it represents.
This was a house built by a woman who used her intelligence and determination to create independence in an age when women had few rights. Henrietta Howard navigated the choppy waters of Georgian court life, survived an abusive marriage, and ended up with a home that reflected her elegance, intelligence and good taste.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.