In 1747 Horace Walpole, historian, collector, bibliophile and a man of letters who left behind a journal and some correspondence, bought a modest cottage surrounded by a great deal of land with an attractive view over the Thames. From 1748 to 1792, Walpole transformed and extended his house, adding crenellations, a round tower, a turret, a cloister and the gallery. The Gothic revival was born. The interior is particularly fantastic and is inspired by medieval sources.