In the 18th century, nestled in the verdant countryside of Twickenham, stood the impressive Gothic Revival villa of Strawberry Hill. This villa was the home of affluent author and politician, Horace Walpole. Amidst the tranquillity and beauty of this hamlet, an eerie story emerged that continues to capture the imaginations of locals and visitors alike. Walpole, a man with a taste for the macabre, purportedly had a supernatural encounter, leading to a tale that seeped into the local folklore. According to stories, one frosty Christmas Eve, as he walked along the lane near his villa, a spectral horse and rider hurtled past him, leaving a trail of flaming hoofprints behind. This horse, as local whispers have it, was Beware Chalk Pit, a malevolent blaze-black steed cursed to eternally haunt the lanes around Strawberry Hill. Its spectral rider, a local drunkard named Tom Rogers, had tragically fallen into a chalk pit while riding home intoxicated one night and broke his neck. As legend has it, just before his wayward ride, Rogers declared, ‘Beware Chalk Pit!’ His fateful words became etched into local lore, as much as the flaming hoofprints leapt into terrifying reality. Today, on nights when a cold chill rides the air, locals claim that the ghostly hoofprints still appear in the area, a blazing reminder of the spirit ridden by poor Tom. Horace Walpole, both intrigued and horrified by this spectral phenomenon, allegedly incorporated his supernatural experience into his pioneering Gothic novel, ‘The Castle of Otranto’. A nocturnal walk around Strawberry Hill might thus offer more than just scenic beauty!