The Victorian Strollers will be accompanying Queen Victoria on a royal visit to Dimbola on Thursday 31st July. Dimbola will be coming alive with a host of Victorian characters you’ll be able to meet as you explore the house (normal admission fees apply).

The Queen will be arriving at 10.45 to take a tour of Julia’s house, learn more about her pioneering photography and then have her own likeness captured on a Wet Collodion glass plate. There’ll be an opportunity for visitors to have a portrait taken too, using the highly specialist and characterful Wet Collodion process. Drop in between 1 and 4pm to have your image captured and get a completely unique photographic plate to take away for just £35.

Families can also enjoy our Victorian dressing up room and our brand new activity room where they can make a thaumatrope or ‘wonder turner’, a Victorian optical toy, and play Victorian childhood games.

At 7pm there will be a talk from Peter J. Goodall on Victorian Prisons and another talk about Julia Margaret Cameron who lived and worked at Dimbola. These talks are free but spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.