Restoration of Horace Walpole's 'little Gothic castle' is underway.

The Strawberry Hill Trust and the Friends of Strawberry Hill are pleased to announce that they have reached the final hurdle in matching the funds offered by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Many people have been extremely generous: English Heritage, The Architectural Heritage Fund, The Wolfson Foundation, The Weston Family Foundation, The Foyle Foundation, The City Bridge Trust and the Robert W Wilson Challenge Fund in New York through the World Monuments Fund Britain have all supported the project. Local societies, US patrons and individuals have also contributed.

 Over the last two years a massive amount of research has been carried out by Inskip and Jenkins, the conservation architects, with the help of many of the Friends and Guides. Strawberry Hill is now probably one of the best documented houses in the country. We are all aware of its unique importance to the history of architecture and of literature and its significance as a local treasure.

Although we have not quite reached the £8.2 million target, we have enough funds in place for the project to begin. The Strawberry Hill Trust has appointed E.Bowman and Sons of Stamford in Lincolnshire to undertake the conservation work and they are now on site. The restored house and grounds will open to the public in early summer 2010 to coincide with an important exhibition about Horace Walpole and his collections at the V&A, curated by Michael Snodin, Chairman of the Strawberry Hill Trust.

Judith Lovelace

Chair Friends of Strawberry Hill

The Friends of Strawberry Hill gratefully acknowledge the generous support of:

The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and
Manuscript Library, Yale University, the Provost and Fellows of Eton College
and the Librarian and Staff of Eton College Library.