built between 1746 and 1749 to the design of Francis Cartwright of Blandford in Dorset. An archaeological investigation found evidence of what has been described as a bowling alley next to the house in 2017. However, it is likely that game resembled boules as much as bowling and the "alley" (better described as a depression in the ground) does not resemble the modern concept of a bowling alley. The main evidence that the area was used for some sort of bowling rests on contemporary plans. The house is now owned by English Heritage, which acquired it in 1986 following the abolition of the Greater London Council. Its extensive grounds are known as Marble Hill Park and provide many leisure facilities including rugby and hockey pitches, a cricket pitch and nets, tennis courts, and a children's play area. In 2015, English Heritage won a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to develop Marble Hill House and its park in order to improve its presentation and the associated leisure facilities. As part of this project Historic England made a range of landscape investigations, including geophysical surveys, aerial photography and lidar mapping, analytical earthwork survey, coring and vegetation analysis to create a clear picture of the development of the Marble Hill landscape from the 17th century onwards. Restoration work on the house included the reinstatement of Georgian colour schemes and renovation of the furnishings and pictures. The works took seven years to complete and cost £8M. The director of English Heritage, Kate Mavor, described the restored house as “one of the forgotten gems of Georgian London”. In popular culture Marble Hill House is used as a stand-in for a plantation house in the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire. See also Marble Hill Park Yelverton Lodge – a hunting lodge across Richmond Road Notes and references Sources Bryant, Julius (1988). Chinoiserie: the Rosemary and Monty Lazenby bequest presented through the National Art-Collections Fund to Marble Hill House. Marble Hill House (London: English Heritage) Bryant, Julius (1993). London's country house collections (London: Scala Books in association with English Heritage) Bryant, Julius (2002). Marble Hill (London: English Heritage) External links English Heritage: Marble Hill House information for visitors English Heritage: Teachers' resource kit for Marble Hill House 1729 establishments in England Buildings and structures on the River Thames Country houses in London English Heritage sites in London Georgian architecture in London Grade I listed buildings in the