Strawberry Hill from the garden in 2005 prior to its restoration by the Strawberry Hill Trust. This photo shows the Thames or garden front of Strawberry Hill as it was during our investigations. The exterior has now been restored to the shining white known in the eighteenth century. At the time of our stay the interiors were also in its pre-restoration state with loose architectural woodwork and layers of wallpaper.

Taking a paint sample. As we were able to gain access to the site at an early stage of the planned restoration we were able to investigate the physical fabric at a level that would now be impossible. We were able to look at the internal structure of walls, the layers of paints and wallpapers and the shapes of rooms - all of which revealed forgotten pieces in the history of how, when and why the house was put together.

Students on a field trip to Syon House. All our projects involving students include lectures, seminars and field trips alongside the on-site investigations in order that they understand the appropriate cultural contexts of the site. In the case of Strawberry Hill we visited houses of other mid to late eighteenth centuries villas in and around London to demonstrate how the uniqueness of Walpole's vision in a Classical world.