View of the cabinet. Horace Walpole purchased Strawberry Hill, a follly, in 1747 and spent until 1776 expanding and redecorating it to his own specifications. He was assisted by two friends, the amateur architect, John Chute, and the draughtsman, Richard Bentley. William Robinson of the Royal Office of Works oversaw the construction. This image was taken prior to the restoration of the house between 2010 and 2015 by architects Peter Inskip and Peter Jenkins.