A FAMOUS MANSION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 77, 11 January 1928, Page 6

A FAMOUS MANSION.

TO BECOME A TRAINING COWiEfITE: One of England' 9 stately Hamas,, j Strawberry Hill,, Twickenham,, famous! as the former residence of Horace Wal-I pole, was openerj. recently by Cardinal! Bonnie as a Roman Catholic training! college for teachers (states the "Dailyj Chronicle"). It is to be calledi S'tJ Mary's College, and will be started bed 20 priests of the Congregation' of SL Vincent de Paul. There is accommodation for 200 men students. The* original college was founded by Cardinal Wiseman, first ASfchbishop of Westminster, •at Brook Given, 75 years ago. "During years the;* demand! for 'admission ifo the college has far exceeded tho> accommodation,"'one of tbe priests said at the opening-. "We pur-! chased Strawberry Hill two years ago, and sold,' our old college to Messrs J. Lyons ajxd Co., who wanted mare room for Cadbv Hall." mansion l}as. ~h*&n left intact, but a new wtfig containing lecture fooms, dormitj)i)i*es, and a chapel lias fteon added, at. a loct of £600,000. '-Every effort ha.* been made to preserve the mansion, as a national moniv mwnt," the priest added. "In the no»:wing the old Gothic architecture has (jeen followed. We have already *e~ eeived visitor*, from all over ijhe world."

Strawberry Hill wa,s bought by, Walpole in 174 T-. The interior decorations and enlargements carried out by him were chureMike in appearanee. Some of the mantelpieces are replicas of tombs; another is of inlaid marble, which was worth £3OO even in the 18th century. One ceiling is, an extraordinarily fine copy of that in Henry VII. 'S Clnipel in Westminster Abbey. The mansion afterwards passed into the possession of the Waldergrove family. The Fast owner was "Lord Michelham, and the Roman Catholics bought the man-. sion from Lady Michelham. Therg j\ry 30 acres? of beautiful gardens,