Marble Hill is a Georgian Palladian villa set in 66 acres of riverside parkland on the banks of the Thames in Twickenham, managed by English Heritage. General admission to the house and park is free, though paid guided tours are also available. This 2026 visitor guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical tips to help you plan your visit.
This guide was last updated in March 2026 to reflect the 2026/27 season, which begins on 28 March 2026. Admission prices and opening hours were cross-checked against the official English Heritage website.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Richmond Road, Twickenham, London TW1 2NL |
| Admission | Free (general); paid guided tours available |
| House opening | Wed–Sun & bank holidays, 28 Mar–24 Oct; closed Nov–Mar |
| Park opening | Daily 7am–dusk, year-round |
| Café opening | Daily from 8am, year-round (closing times vary by season) |
| Nearest train | St Margarets (15-minute walk); Twickenham (25-minute walk) |
| Nearest tube | Richmond (District line / London Overground; ~25-minute walk or short bus) |
| Parking | On-site paid car park (free for English Heritage members); 76 spaces including 3 disabled |
Marble Hill opening hours
Marble Hill has three separate sets of opening hours: one for the house, one for the café, and one for the park. All three differ.
House
The house is closed from November to late March. Outside that closure period, it opens Wednesday to Sunday and on bank holidays.
- 28 March – 24 October: Wed–Sun and bank holidays, 10am–5pm
- 25 October – 1 November: Wed–Sun, 10am–4pm
- 2 November – 27 March: Closed
The house is also closed on 24–26 December. It reopens fully for the 2026/27 season on 28 March 2026.
Park
The park is open every day of the year from 7am to dusk. There are no admission charges for the park.
Café
The café is open daily throughout the year, with seasonal closing times:
- 28 March – 1 November: 8am–5pm
- 2–30 November: 8am–4pm
- 1 December – 1 February: 8am–3:30pm
- 2 February – 16 March: 8am–4pm
Note that the café sits in the park grounds and remains open even when the house is closed for winter.
Marble Hill admission prices
General admission to the house and park is free. Paid guided tours are available at the prices below.
House and Park Tour
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £22.70 |
| Concession | £20.90 |
| Child | £11.30 |
Concession prices apply to visitors aged 65 and over, students with a valid student ID card, and jobseekers showing relevant ID. English Heritage members and Art Fund members enter free of charge, including for the guided tour.
Groups of 15 or more paying visitors receive a 10% discount on tour prices. Exclusive pre-booked group access to the house is available on Tuesdays, when the house is otherwise closed to general visitors.
Admission prices are valid from 28 March 2026 to 16 March 2027.
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How to get to Marble Hill
Marble Hill is located on Richmond Road in Twickenham, roughly midway between Richmond and Twickenham town centres. The entrance is off Richmond Road; parking is accessed via the same road.
By train: The nearest station is St Margarets (South Western Railway), approximately a 15-minute walk. Twickenham is around 25 minutes on foot. Services run from London Waterloo to both stations.
By tube: Richmond station (District line and London Overground) is approximately one mile away — walkable in around 25 minutes along the Thames Path, or a short bus journey on routes 33, 490, R68, or R70, which all stop at the Marble Hill Park / Crown Road stop directly outside the house.
By bus: Routes 33, 490, R68, and R70 all stop at Marble Hill Park/Crown Road. The R68 runs from Kew and the R70 from Hampton, both terminating at Richmond.
By ferry: Between March and October, Hammerton’s Ferry operates daily across the Thames between the north bank near Marble Hill and the south bank near Ham House. It is a convenient option for those combining both sites.
By cycle: The National Cycle Network runs close to the park.
By car: Marble Hill falls within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Check that your vehicle meets the required emissions standard before driving in; if not, a daily charge applies. See TfL’s website for current ULEZ boundaries and exemptions.
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Parking at Marble Hill
There is a paid on-site car park accessible from Richmond Road with 76 spaces, including three designated accessible spaces. Parking is free for English Heritage members; charges apply to all other visitors.
Disabled visitors who cannot use the main car park may arrange to be set down outside the entrance by prior arrangement — contact English Heritage in advance of your visit.
Is it worth paying for English Heritage membership?
Entry prices for English Heritage sites, including Dover Castle, Stonehenge and Tintagel Castle, can seem extremely expensive. This is clearly a deliberate ploy to push visitors towards taking out annual English Heritage membership.
Membership gives free access to more than 400 sites across the country, and costs £82. That is, unless you get a special deal – there was a 25%-off Black Friday deal in November 2025, for example.
Whether that £82 is worth it depends on how many sites are near you (there are lots in the south of the country, not so many near me in Yorkshire). And, critically, whether you’re going to visit them with children.
Each member can take up to six children with them free of charge. Given the steep one-time entry fees, an adult member with two children is likely to recoup the cost of their membership by visiting just two or three sites within the year.
For an individual without children, I’d say English Heritage membership is worth it only if you’re planning to blitz a few sites in one year. For an individual with children, membership is a smart investment that will likely pay itself back within one school holiday. To me, it’s a no-brainer.
The real question is whether it’s worth renewing English Heritage membership after a year. That’s debatable, as you’re unlikely to go to many of these sites twice. I eventually renewed after I was offered 20% off the price. I’ll probably recoup the membership price visiting two sites in summer next year, even if I’ve ticked off most of the best ones near me.
If you buy membership through this link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How long to spend at Marble Hill
The combination of the house, gardens, and park makes Marble Hill a half-day or full-day destination depending on how you use it. The house itself takes around 45–60 minutes to tour. A leisurely walk around the full 66-acre park and down to the Thames Path adds another hour or more. Allow additional time if visiting the café, playground, or grotto, or if combining with a ferry trip to Ham House.
In winter, when the house is closed, the park and café alone are worth an hour or two for a riverside walk.
Accessibility at Marble Hill
The park has level, surfaced paths suitable for wheelchairs and mobility aids. Inside the house, the ground floor and most main rooms are step-free. Accessible toilets are available on site.
The upper floors of the house were previously accessible by lift, but as of mid-2025 the lift was out of service; verify the current situation with English Heritage before visiting if upper-floor access is important to your group. The upper floors are otherwise accessible only by staircase.
Disabled visitors can be set down at the entrance by prior arrangement (see the Parking section above). Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the site. Dogs are welcome in the park but are not permitted inside the house.
Inside Marble Hill: what to see
Marble Hill was built between 1724 and 1729 for Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk and mistress of King George II when he was Prince of Wales. This English Heritage site is the last fully intact survivor of the grand Georgian villas that once lined this stretch of the Thames, and the house and grounds have been subject to a substantial restoration in recent years.
Inside the house, the centrepiece is the Great Room on the first floor, a Palladian double-cube space where Henrietta Howard entertained guests including the poet Alexander Pope and the satirist Jonathan Swift. The interiors have been carefully restored, and several original furnishings and artworks have been returned to the house from collections as far afield as Philadelphia and Melbourne. New displays tell the story of Henrietta Howard’s life and social world.
In the park, the landscape has been restored to something closer to its 18th-century design, with reinstated formal gardens near the house, a woodland area, and a nine-pin bowling alley. A grotto and a restored kitchen garden are also part of the grounds. The park slopes gently down to the Thames Path, which connects Marble Hill to Twickenham to the east and Richmond to the west.
There is a playground for children, and the house runs a family trail with the dog Fop as well as interactive activities including trying on historical hats in Henrietta’s dressing room and playing Georgian games in the garden. Seasonal events and themed workshops are also held throughout the year.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Free admission | General entry to the house and park is free; no ticket purchase is required unless you want a guided tour. |
| Tuesdays for groups | The house is closed on Tuesdays to general visitors, but exclusive pre-booked group access is available — useful for school and coach groups wanting a quieter visit. |
| Winter visits | The park and café are open year-round. A visit in winter is still worthwhile for a Thames Path walk, even though the house is closed. |
| Hammerton’s Ferry | Between March and October, Hammerton’s Ferry links Marble Hill with Ham House on the south bank, making a combined visit to both sites easy without returning to Richmond. |
| ULEZ charges | Marble Hill is within the ULEZ. Check TfL’s website to confirm whether your vehicle qualifies before driving. |
| EH membership | English Heritage members park free and are admitted free to the guided tour. Membership is also valid at Ham House (National Trust), which is across the river. |
| Dogs in the park | Dogs are welcome in the park on leads, but are not permitted inside the house. |
| Book tours in advance | The paid House and Park Tour should be booked via the English Heritage website. |
Frequently asked questions about Marble Hill
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Marble Hill free to visit? | Yes. General admission to the house and park is free. A paid guided tour is available separately. |
| What days is Marble Hill House open? | Wednesday to Sunday, and on bank holidays, from late March to early November. The house is closed November to March, though the park and café remain open daily. |
| Is the park at Marble Hill free? | Yes. The park is free and open daily from 7am to dusk, year-round. |
| How far is Marble Hill from Richmond? | The park entrance is approximately one mile from Richmond station — around 25 minutes on foot, or a short bus ride on routes 33, 490, R68, or R70. |
| Can you walk to Marble Hill from Richmond? | Yes. The Thames Path runs between Richmond and Marble Hill; it is a scenic riverside walk of around 25 minutes. |
| Is Marble Hill accessible for wheelchair users? | The park and house ground floor are step-free. The upper floors were only accessible by lift; the lift was out of service as of mid-2025 — check current status with English Heritage before visiting. |
| Are dogs allowed at Marble Hill? | Dogs are welcome in the park but are not permitted inside the house. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout. |
| Is there parking at Marble Hill? | Yes. There is an on-site car park with 76 spaces off Richmond Road. Parking is free for English Heritage members; charges apply to other visitors. |
| Can you visit Ham House from Marble Hill? | Yes. Between March and October, Hammerton’s Ferry crosses the Thames between the two sites. Ham House is managed by the National Trust. |
| Is Marble Hill open on Mondays? | Not for the house. Monday is a closed day (as is Tuesday, except for pre-booked groups). The park and café are open daily including Mondays. |
Things to do near Marble Hill
Marble Hill is situated along a particularly rich stretch of the Thames for historic sites and green spaces.
Ham House (National Trust), a 17th-century mansion with formal gardens, is on the south bank of the Thames directly across from Marble Hill — accessible by Hammerton’s Ferry between March and October, or by driving around via Twickenham Bridge. Orleans House Gallery is a short walk east along the river in Twickenham and is free to enter. Richmond Park (Royal Parks) is a short bus or cycle ride away and is free. Hampton Court Palace (Historic Royal Palaces) is approximately 4 miles west along the Thames Path or river. Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens) is across the river and a short journey via the R68 bus. Twickenham Stadium and its associated World Rugby Museum are a 15-minute walk.
More London travel
Other London travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Plan a visit to the Golden Hinde and Tate Modern in Bankside, London.
- Explore the Charles Dickens Museum and Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury, London.
- What to know before visiting Sir John Soane’s Museum and the Hunterian Museum in Holborn, London.
- How to ride the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum in London.
- Plan your visit to Jewel Tower in Westminster.
