This is a house built for a Royal mistress. It is a small, beautifully proportioned and lavishly furnished Palladian villa, built for Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk as a country home - Henrietta was the mistress of George II, and together they desired a retreat away from the demands of court life.
The design of the house was by Roger Morris, whose style was greatly influenced by the taste of Lord Burlingham. The Gardens were the work of Charles Bridgman, aided by Alexander Pope.
Upon the death of Lady Suffolk in 1767, Marble Hill passed to her nephew, the 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire, he spent little time in the house and it was mostly rented out. It suffered the same fate following his death in 1793 when it passed as a life interest to a Miss Hotham, a great niece of Lady Suffolk. Amongst the several tenants at the time was Mrs. Fitzherbert who lived at Marble Hill between 1795 and 1796.
In the early part of the 19th century the entail of the estate was broken and Marble Hill was sold. It had a number of owners, amongst them the Cunard family who wanted it for redevelopment into a building estate. Strong opposition fought of the bid and the house was bought by the local council for the enjoyment of the public.
For several years the house had been neglected, now it was restored to reflect its original 18th century grandeur. There are several charming small rooms and a magnificent great room overlooking the river, this has beautiful carved and gilded ornament and a coved ceiling, it is thought to have been modelled on the cube room at Wilton.
Apart from lavish furnishings and ornamentation, visitors can see architectural paintings by Panini, a collection of early Georgian paintings, and the Lazenby Bequest Chinoiserie display.
The house is in the care of English Heritage, it is open to the public and the grounds are frequently used as a venue for atmospheric riverside concerts.
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