Marble Hill House & Gardens and Orleans House Gallery

 

Back view of Marble Hill House

Marble Hill House is a small Palladian villa lying between Twickenham and Richmond. St Margaret's is the nearest station. The house was built for Henrietta Howard between 1724-9 and paid for with money given by King George II (Henrietta was Mistress of the Robes to Queen Caroline). She was also the King's mistress, at least for a short time.

I arrived on a hot sunny day and my first port of call was the Stable Block where there is a nice cafe. I needed a cool drink before looking around the house and gardens. The surrounding grounds are quite extensive, with the outer parts popular with dog walkers. After refreshment, I went to investigate the gardens. Most were sheltered spots away from the heat and the gardens mainly seemed to have been split into fenced paddocks (no dogs allowed), such as The Orchard and The Grotto. 

The cafe

I had with me a book called Walking London's Parks and Gardens by Geoffrey Young, and this was the last walk in the book. Most of the other parks and gardens I have already been to, though not necessarily used the walking guides. I followed this one almost to the letter, but broke off half way to visit the house.

There were few visitors. I think the heat was keeping many away. So, I had the undivided attention of the room guides. They were very knowledgeable, and the more I learned about Henrietta Howard, the more I liked her. She lost her father at the age of eight in a duel, and at sixteen (I hope I have that right), she was married to a man who turned out to be a gambler, abusive and kept them in poverty. It was Henrietta herself who was determined to turn things around, working at court. Henrietta was also deaf, but I don't know whether that was deaf from birth or it came later in life. I was told that a surgeon reckoned he could cure her deafness and drilled a hole into her jaw. The procedure didn't work and Henrietta's hearing became worse than before. She did eventually manage to obtain what we would call a restraining order to keep her abusive husband away, though she was always on her guard that he might turn up and demand money.

Front view and entrance to the house

The Ice House

Henrietta loved entertaining, and the rooms of the house are delightful. In the dining room there is replica wallpaper of a Chinese pattern which I found adorable. The house had an entrance hall and a larger room also known as the hall. There is a main entertaining room and just off that a breakfast rom where Henrietta had breakfast with friends who bought her little china gifts. Tea was very expensive back then and locked away in a box. A table by the fire made for an intimate setting. I could quite see myself lingering over breakfast there!

The halls

Dining Room

I loved this wallpaper (above) and right is the breakfast room

Upstairs are the bedrooms and dressing rooms. I should be so lucky to have a dressing room as big as those! The rooms were interchangeable depending on who was staying.

A room to entertain in

This room has also been used as a dressing room and bedroom.

After the death of her abusive husband (who tried to alienate her from her son), Henrietta married again and this time she was very happy, but was too old to have further children. Henrietta invested money in varies companies in order to stay independent in her life. Visitors to the house included Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift and John Gay. Many of the paintings are of guests and friends who visited. One of the room guides said each had a story. One also pointed out that no one smiled in paintings. She said it was because their teeth were rotten. Sugar, in those days, didn't come in a packet or cubes. It came in a lump and you bit off the sugar with your teeth and drank your tea through it. And there was me thinking what a grumpy lot!

The house isn't huge, but it is elegant. The bedroom is very red, but it works. Red bed coverings and curtains and red walls, but brightly lit with candles. The only room I wasn't allowed to take a photo of was the Green Room as the bed was on loan from the V&A.

Bedroom

After visiting the house, I looked at more of the gardens and took the tree lined path down to the River Thames. I must have passed this way before, but it is a long time since I walked this stretch of the Thames. There is even a little ferry to cross the river to Ham House.

Path to the river

The Grotto (above & below photos). This would once have been decorated with shells.

Black walnut tree

The River Thames

Marble Hill House from the Thames Path

Ferry to Ham House

While I was nearby, I went to look at Orleans House Gallery. The actual house was demolished some years ago. Only one room remains, and what a room. It was used to entertain and I can see why. Everything, apart from the chandelier, is original. Golf leaf adorns the ceiling and walls. It must have been a beautiful house in its day. I learned, too, that Marble Hill House was once on the cards for demolition. Thank goodness organisations come along and save them. These places are our history and would have been a sad loss. Now at Orleans House is a gallery and gardens. The art is very modern and with a message, at least from the current exhibition. Musicians played in the enclosed garden, but it was too hot for sitting outside. 

Orleans House Gallery

The one surviving room

Ghost Bodies

Nice leafy path walk

Eventually, I worked my way back to the Stable Block cafe for refreshment before heading back to the station. This was a lovely visit, and believe it or not, entry to both places is free. Thanks to the wonderful guides in both places who went out of their way to chat and impart some fascinating insights into the people and places.