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Celebrate World Goth Day in the house that gave birth to the Gothic imagination.Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill House inspired his groundbreaking novel The Castle of Otranto (1764), widely regarded as the first Gothic novel and the beginning of the Gothic literary tradition.
On 22 May, the house will be open as usual for daytime visits, offering the chance to explore Walpole’s extraordinary Gothic villa at your own pace.
Visitors are encouraged to dress in black or Gothic-inspired costume to fully embrace the atmosphere of the house.
From 10am–4pm, you can even have your portrait taken on site by Teddington Tintype using a specially built Strawberry Hill–inspired camera to provide a unique keepsake of your visit (from £40). Portraits will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Alongside general admission (select 22nd May), visitors can also choose two special ways to explore:
During the day, a guided tour will reveal how Walpole transformed his villa into a theatrical setting for Gothic storytelling — uncovering the medieval fantasies, supernatural elements and dramatic architecture that inspired The Castle of Otranto.
In the evening, the house reopens for a candlelit Gothic late, where you can explore the villa after dark while harpist Katie Sherratt performs a haunting Gothic soundscape — from My Chemical Romance and Evanescence to the cinematic world of Tim Burton.
Choose your Gothic adventure…
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268, Waldegrave Road, TW1 4ST Twickenham, United Kingdom, 268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4ST, United Kingdom
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