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History and Stories: Marble Hill
Marble Hill was built in the 1720s for Henrietta Howard, mistress of King George II when he was Prince of Wales, as a retreat from court life. Both house and garden were designed with advice from the most fashionable gentlemen of early Georgian England. Saved from destruction and development by an Act of Parliament in 1902, Marble Hill is the last complete survivor of the elegant villas and gardens that once bordered this part of the Thames.
Find out much more about Marble Hill, and how English Heritage has brought the house and Henrietta Howard’s lost garden back to life.
Key facts about Marble Hill
- Marble Hill was built in the 1720s for Henrietta Howard, who overcame a difficult childhood and disastrous first marriage to become a remarkable figure in Georgian court society.
- The villa is an important and relatively rare example of a house built for and by a woman in Georgian England.
- It’s a textbook example of Palladian architecture, the fashionable style based on classical principles and inspired by the 16th-century Italian architect Palladio.
- Henrietta and her home became a magnet for London’s cultural and political élite – including her neighbours Alexander Pope, John Gay and Horace Walpole – on a scale said to rival the royal court.
- The gardens were designed with advice from Alexander Pope and Charles Bridgeman, later royal gardener to George II.
- The house and estate were saved from development by an Act of Parliament in 1902 because they lay at the heart of the famous view from Richmond Hill. Marble Hill has been a public park ever since.
- The house now has a fine collection of early Georgian paintings, including portraits of members of Henrietta Howard’s circle.
Marble Hill’s History
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History of Marble Hill
Read a full history of this English Palladian villa and its gardens beside the Thames, from its origins in the 1720s as a retreat from court life for Henrietta Howard to the present day.
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Henrietta Howard
Though mainly known as the mistress of George II, Henrietta Howard was a remarkable woman in her own right. Read more about her extraordinary life and how she came to build Marble Hill.
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Henrietta Howard’s Garden at Marble Hill
Find out what makes the garden between the house and the river at Marble Hill so significant, and how English Heritage has restored its key elements.
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The View from Richmond Hill
See how artists have depicted the panoramic view from Richmond Hill over the centuries and find out how Marble Hill was saved thanks to a campaign to preserve this view.
Find out more
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Marble Hill Collection Highlights
Explore some of the key items from the collection at Marble Hill, which reveal Henrietta Howard’s taste and status.
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Download a plan
Download floor plans of Marble Hill as a PDF to see how the villa developed over time.
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Buy the Marble Hill Guidebook
This fully illustrated guidebook includes a tour and full history of the house and grounds, and gives many fascinating glimpses into life at Marble Hill.
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Uncovering the hidden gardens
In 2017 Historic England archaeologists explored the original layout of Henrietta Howard’s garden. Find out what they discovered.
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The Gardeners that time (ALMOST) forgot
Discover the stories of some gardeners of the past, including one of Henrietta Howard’s gardeners at Marble Hill.
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Surveying Marble Hill
Geophysical surveys in 2015 and 2016 found evidence for past landscape use from the 18th to 20th centuries. Download the full survey report.
Timeline of Marble Hill
1724Building Marble Hill
Henrietta Howard, mistress of the Prince of Wales (later George II), starts to build Marble Hill House and lay out the grounds.
1734A New Life
After 20 years’ service in the royal household and after falling out of favour with the king, Henrietta Howard – now Countess of Suffolk – retires from her role at court. Marble Hill becomes her main residence.
