Gothic in literature is not uncommon and not at all new. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Bram Stoker’s Dracula are all Gothic classics that everyone would have heard once, if not more, in their lifetime.
To explore the theme of Gothic in literature further, City of London Freemens offered a field trip to Strawberry Hill House. Strawberry Hillhouse is a Gothic castle built by Horace Walpole in 1747. Its original purpose was of a summer villa, a getaway from the busy, filthy London during moist and warm summer days. Its architectural structure had drawn inspiration from the Gothic European cathedrals. This movement of revival of the Gothic genre in architecture is seen spread widely in the 18th and 19th century.
So, what is the significance of Strawberry Hill House except for its outstanding and breathtaking architecture? In fact, the owner holds much significance within literature. Walpole was the author of “The Castle of Otranto”, famously considered as the first Gothic novel in English literature. It tells the story of Manfred, the prince of Otranto, and how his house leaps into life with moving Medieval armors and even an appearance of his dead grandfather as a ghost!
The story is believed to be based on Walpole’s own summer villa, with wild twists and turns within the building designed to trick and confuse visitors. During the visit, the tour guide invited us to open the door to the library, and to our surprise, it was a weirdly angled door after the one we have opened that finally led to the library.
The experience at Strawberry Hill house definitely enhanced the knowledge of the theme of Gothic in both literature and in architecture. It was a fulfilling experience and the house was mesmerizing to look at – both before and after the significance of the house was revealed.
