Stately homes of the Cotswolds

Dear readers and followers,

We are almost off on our usual break at the end of June, but we thought we would complete our series about the Cotswolds with a post about the two National Trust stately homes we visited there on Easter Sunday, Newark Park and Dyrham Park.

We started the day early and arrived at Newark Park before the house opened, but we were lucky as we had a short time to enjoy the front garden without many people, to admire the peacock showing off its beautiful tail, and to play a few quick rounds of Connect Four with the giant games available on the lawn, there was also a chess set. When the volunteers opened the doors of the house, we were immediately offered the chance to book a guided tour of the basement, which we accepted. As the tour was going to start a bit later, we started exploring the main building.

The house is at the top of a hill and overlooks a huge hunting estate that can be admired from the windows on the other side to the entrance. As the building has changed considerably during the years, one of the rooms downstairs showcases a model of the building with the different parts and the volunteers are very helpful explaining the development of the structure together with the changes in ownership.

The first floor looks slightly poorer but in it you can admire the beautiful stained-glass window just on top of the stairs. Here you also have the National Trust gift shop, self-promoted as the one with the best view, not without reason. One more flight of stairs and we reach the second floor, in which refurbishment works are still ongoing. On this floor, apart from the second-hand book shop taking over one of the rooms, you can visit the bedrooms, hear about the ghost that apparently roams about them, and see the biggest amount of ladybirds ever seen walking about on a single window (only partly joking, there were countless ladybirds all over the windows, enjoying the hot, sunny weather that accompanied the Easter break).

The basement is probably the most interesting part of the visit, or at least it was for us as the volunteer talked at length about each bit of it and shared not only stories dating back to the old owners but also back to the 80s, demonstrating a long experience and a huge knowledge of the house. As the basement was the servants’ area, most of the stages of enlargement are still visible while they have been covered for aesthetic reasons in the rest of the house. It is possible to see improvements in the structure, wrong decisions taken by the owners, and to get an idea of what the life of the servants could have been.

The garden is another incredible feature of the estate, a huge park that goes down the hill and reaches an artificial lake. With a few areas to rest and have a picnic on the grass, and a summer house with two rocking chairs and countless ladybirds, this space was a great place to have a bite before heading towards our next visit in the afternoon.

Our second stop of the day was at Dyrham Park, in the southern end of the Cotswolds. We chose to visit this stately home, which is also a National Trust property, as it is reasonably close to Castle Combe which, as it is often referred to as the prettiest village in England, we just had to visit. You can read about Castle Combe and the other villages we visited in the Cotswolds in our previous post, which you can find by clicking here.

The house at Dyrham Park is a lot bigger compared to the one we had just visited at Newark Park, yet as you arrive at the car park there is absolutely no sign of it! This is due to two factors; the house sits in the middle of a huge area of grounds mostly used as a deer park, and secondly because the house was built at the bottom of a natural basin and is obscured by the trees throughout the park. Thankfully there were volunteers by the car park with maps and directions, so we were soon on our way. There is a free shuttle bus service that runs between the car park and the house, we opted for this on the way back but decided to walk to the house as it is downhill and much less strenuous.

As I said, the grounds are immense, with a variety of wooded areas and open parkland. We followed a path along the boundary of the estate, which took us past an open area before heading through a wooded section just before arriving at the house. This particular property is noted for its inhabitant deer colony, and we were lucky enough to see some of them grazing as we were walking past. Unlike most deer, they were completely unfazed by our presence, and it was possible to get quite close without causing them any distress. Of course I couldn’t resist this opportunity for some photos, a few of which you can see below.

It was only as we reached the end of the woodland part of our walk, that the house became visible as we moved back into more open surroundings. Built in the yellow Cotswold stone that we had become accustomed to already, the building seems to stretch out a long way, without being oppressive at all. The architects seem to have decided to utilise the vast expanse of grounds available, and took the decision to build outwards rather than upwards. It also appears that the house has been built in stages, with extensions and annexes added at later dates.

The entrance to the house is found through a courtyard, where you will also find the usual facilities of a National Trust property, such as toilets, gift shop, café, and a secondhand bookshop. At the other end of the courtyard, and just around the corner, is the entrance to the interior of the house. Entry is controlled to limit the number of people inside at any one time, so you may have to queue outside for a little while before being allowed in. Once inside, and having had your ticket checked, a volunteer is on hand to give a short introduction to the property, and to give instructions for making your way around. After this you are given free rein to explore the rooms at your leisure and at your own pace.

The property is currently undergoing renovations, and the staircases are some of the major areas being repaired. Due to this, access is now limited to the ground floor rooms, but there are still plenty of wonderful places to see. Some rooms have been recreated in alternative locations to give a full representation of the different areas of the house, so you can still see bedrooms, drawing rooms, the library, dining room, and kitchens. Some rooms also feature artwork that has been removed for the renovations, pieces that are too impressive to remain hidden from the public while the works are underway.

After completing the tour of the house, there is still more to be seen. The local parish church has been engulfed by the estate and is now part of the National Trust property, and it is also the burial site for the house’s original inhabitants. The gardens at the back of the house also make a pleasant place for a stroll if the weather is kind, and the view of the house from the far end of the gardens is very impressive indeed. After all this, and once you are ready to return to your car, the shuttle bus picks up from just outside the courtyard if, like us, you are too tired or just don’t fancy the long climb back up the hill.

So that about sums up our visits on our second day in the Cotswolds. We hope you have enjoyed reading about our Easter break, we’ll be back soon with our travels from the next bank holiday!

Happy travels and stay tuned,

Mr Wander & Ms Lust

Charlecote Park

Dear readers and followers,

As spring seems to be kicking in, we are starting to explore our neighbouring area again and this time we want to take you around the last stately home we visited, which is Charlecote Park, a Victorian home in Warwickshire.

It is part of the National Trust circuit and it is a great choice for a few hours or for a whole day. The parking is on the grounds just across the road and there you can scan your membership card and get one of the passes to enter the house as the access to the main part of the building is granted for specific times and you will need a dedicated pass.

 

Across the road, the first thing you will see is a gate in which you will find information about the family. The house is in wonderful condition and only part of it is open to visitors as the family still lives in one of the wings and the old servants’ quarters are rented for holiday stays.

The house was initially built in Tudor style and the adapted through the years. The entrance is through the Great Hall, a room not as big as the name would make you think, but a space that will welcome you with a sober elegance and will leave you surprised by the marble floor and table, and with the paintings of the Lucy family members that decorate the walls.

The tour continues in the dining room, where the table is prepared for a meal. The next room is the library, a magnificent space divided in two parts, with the piano on one side, and a bureau and two sofa chairs on the other, next to the fireplace.

All along the walls, the bookcases contain precious books that are constantly taken care of by the volunteers because they are fragile and resent the proximity of the river. This is probably the most beautiful room in my opinion but it is followed closely by the billiards room just next to it. The visit continues upstairs where you can appreciate the bedrooms.

One of the most interesting parts is outside, where it is still possible to witness partly what the life of the servants might have looked like back in the day. The kitchen seemed alive and it probably is because it usually is, although we were not lucky enough to see it used. When there are enough volunteers, some of them are dressed with costumes and they prepare typical Victorian dishes. Just in front of the kitchen are the laundry, the brewery, and the carriage room, all with interesting explanations of their use.

The grounds of the property are quite big and they are perfect for a stroll or a picnic. There are plenty of deer, so you are requested to stay on the paths, but you can still enjoy them from a close distance nonetheless.

On the left of the entrance you have more grounds and also a small church that hosts the tombs of the Lucy’s family, a nice pipe organ, and a beautifully decorated font.

If you are as lucky as we were to have a sunny day, you will definitely enjoy this visit. The only word of advice is to plan your lunch because the food in the cafe is nice but the queue was quite long when we visited and you might have to work that around your timed ticket if you want to make the most of your visit. As I said, a picnic is a splendid option if the weather is nice.

Drop us a comment if you have visited this stately home or if you have some questions.

Happy travels and stay tuned,

Mr Wander & Ms Lust

Historic Royal Palaces

Dear readers and followers,

This year we treated ourselves to the membership for the Historic Royal Palaces and, after a slow beginning, we are trying to make the most of it. For £80 you can have a joint membership (see more details here) for a year and have free access to the palaces and exhibitions, special member tours, and several discounts for events and shopping. The membership gives you access to six palaces for a whole year: Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Tower of London, Banqueting House, Kew Palace, and Hillsborough Castle. Our first visit was to Hampton Court Palace this summer.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

This mansion is mostly known as Henry VIII’s residence, but there is much more to it and it has been used as a residence until very recently. Started as a country house, Cardinal Wolsey decided to transform it in a palace which quickly caught the King’s eye. When the Cardinal’s fall started as he couldn’t obtain the annulment of the marriage between the King and Catherine of Aragon, the Wolsey willingly (or not) decided to give the palace to Henry VIII, who lived there with his wives. The palace has also been used to film the recent movie The Favourite.

The palace has been used by the monarchs until the first half of the XVIII century, when the King decided to grant residence in the palace to the grace and favour residents, mainly widows of men who served him. This has been happening until the 1960s with a few residents still living there at present. The palace can be visited since 1838, when Queen Victoria decided to allow the public in.

We joined a New Members’ Tour and we had a lot of insight from our guide. One of the most impressive room is definitely The Great Hall, a room with high ceiling reminding of the nave of a Gothic Cathedral. The cypher of Anne Boleyn can be seen in the decorations and the walls are covered with tapestries representing the Story of Abraham. The tapestries have been restored recently and now we can imagine what the room would look like when the King and Queen were entertaining. The long history of the Great Hall also include a performance from Shakespeare’s Company. As you enter, on the left, a small doorway leads to a room with some informative videos. On top of this little doorway we can still admire a decoration that recalls Catherine of Aragon’s symbol, the pomegranate.

The next room is majestic, covered in tapestry again and with a ceiling with several coat of arms, mostly refurbished but three of the originals can still be seen. At one end of the room is a beautiful stained glass window as tall as the room.

The Chapel Royal is another room that won’t disappoint, with a beautifully decorated vault ceiling that was commissioned by Henry VIII and looks like a starry night. Henry VIII used to attend the functions on a pew on the first floor and this space is still accessible and hosts a replica of the crown the King would wear for attending the mass. Everyone can still attend functions at the Chapel, which is always open to the public, check their website if you are interested. The Chapel was initially decorated with stained glass windows but it was remodelled in the XVIII century. As it was when the King used to attend the religious functions, the Chapel can still be reached through the Processional Route, also known as the Haunted Gallery, a corridor that is now decorated with portraits of the Tudors.

The kitchen is also part of the oldest side of the palace and there are several activities to show how it would be used during Henry VIII’s times and what food was prepared.

The route for the visit is clearly divided in two parts, with the second part of the palace dedicated to the time when the building was occupied by William III. The rooms are also richly decorated, including one with the walls covered with weapons, a bit overwhelming to be honest, but an interesting insight on the time. The other rooms include two bedrooms and two chambers for private audience featuring a throne in each. The palace is quite interactive and one of the following rooms includes games such as cards and ludo.

This area also includes a painting exhibition in what were Wolsey’s apartments. The masterpieces on display, in my opinion, are several Caravaggios and a beautiful self-portrait of Artemisia Gentileschi but you can also see several landscape paintings, some oriental porcelain, and a painting of the Queen by Andy Warhol among others.

Not to miss despite it being a bit out of the main route is Caesar’s triumph by Andrea Mantegna, on display on a separate room across the garden.

We visited again for the Festive Fayre, a weekend in which the courts are taken over by the Christmas markets, read more here.

KENSINGTON PALACE

As you know, the palace is also the residence of the Dukes of Cambridge and, for a while, of the Dukes of Sussex; as such, it is not all open for visits. Nonetheless, the area that can visited is quite big and it makes for the perfect complement of a stroll in Hyde Park if the weather is good, or an even more pleasant break on a rainy day.

The visit includes three separate parts, starting with an exhibition dedicated to Queen Victoria, from her childhood to the long reign. It was on only until today. The tour starts with the room where Victoria, just named Queen, met her ministers to give her first speech. The table has several inscriptions partly from her speech and partly from descriptions of the Princess, and it is quite interactive as you can sit on the high chair and wear the coats on. When we visited, Andrea was on duty and she was extremely friendly and helpful, and she went along with our game of photos, encouraging another couple and then us to take a fake formal picture pretending we were actually Victoria and her minister.

The other rooms give us a picture of the young princess, both as a child, with her toys and the clothes that belonged to her, but also the presents from her beloved Albert and from her to him, including a beautiful piano and a song the prince wrote for her. The last few rooms are a bit of a mix, starting with the gloomy sadness of the years that followed the death of Albert and the consequent withdrawal of the Queen from public life. The final part of the tour, though, shows pictures and a footage of the Diamond Jubilee, and includes some of the jewels that belonged to Victoria and were then passed to the daughters.

The other exhibition, on until February, is the one dedicated to Diana as a fashion icon and it is sponsored by Estée Lauder, read more here. To tell the truth, I was expecting it to include more dresses, but the evolution it describes is extremely interesting. As it is to imagine, most of the dresses on display are fairly well known and you will recognise them immediately, although part of their beauty was given by Diana’s own elegance and they feel a bit less just standing there. Two of them really surprised me for different reasons. The first one is probably one of my favourite of all her wardrobe, the long, black dress she wore when she danced with John Travolta, and what surprised me is that I hadn’t realised it was silk velvet, for all these years I was convinced it was just silk. The second one is the tartan dress that she personalised with white collar and cuffs, because I had a dress in a similar fashion when I was a kid, I actually had many tartan items and I hated them with all my heart, but now I see why this fixation with the pattern in the 80s. The one that disappointed me the most is the famous Versace blue silk dress, probably because I am not a fan of jewels and stones, but also because it is the perfect example of how much a good light and a professional photo can change the appearance of something.

The last part of the visit, and probably the main one, is the actual palace with the rooms that were used by the monarchs, mainly the King and Queen’s apartments. for The King’s staircase is as majestic as you can imagine and the Queen’s State apartments are the rooms used by William III and Mari II when they were crowned. Several items on display tell the history of the rooms and their use, including legends and rumours about the monarchs.

We were hoping to have afternoon tea at the Pavillion café but we left our planning a bit for the last minute and we didn’t book. When we arrived, we were told that it shouldn’t be a problem as the café is pretty big, but we were turned down as it was all booked. We still managed to have a bite at the café that is together with the gift shop, but plan your journey well and book in advance if you want to enjoy a relaxed moment at the Pavillion or if you want to have a special treat while you are there.

TOWER OF LONDON

The Tower of London, famous for its use as a prison and execution site, has a much longer and varied history than you might imagine. Constructed by the order of William the Conqueror, over 900 years ago, it was originally built as a defensive castle to guard over the important port and city of London. Since then it has been also used as a royal palace, dungeons, and as its present use as a museum. It is also home to possibly the most famous treasures in the world, the Crown Jewels of the British monarchy.

The oldest part is the White Tower, the castle keep that was built following the Norman conquest of Britain. During the centuries that followed, many other defensive structures and walls were added, turning it into the huge fortress that we can see today. It is possible to walk around the whole site, and most of the buildings are open to the public, many of which contain exhibitions. The topics of these include armour and weaponry, torture, and life at the Tower. The White Tower houses a large exhibition of medieval armour and weapons, and the small chapel inside is definitely worth seeing. It is also worth taking some time to admire the views of London and the River Thames as you make your way between buildings along the battlements, and you will soon see why this spot was chosen to defend the city from attack.

The Crown Jewels are housed in a separate building, easily identifiable by the large queue of people waiting to go in! It starts with some videos and ceremonial artefacts on display, such as swords and sceptres from various monarchs. The main jewels are displayed along a corridor with travelators either side. This is because you are not allowed to stop in this area, and photographs are also strictly forbidden. But don’t worry if you forget, the supervising staff will quite forcibly remind you if you do!

The last thing that is a must-see during your visit is the most important residents of the Tower of London, the ravens. Legend says the kingdom will fall if the ravens leave the Tower, and this is why they now have their wings clipped and are caged at night to protect them from predators. The size of these birds is quite surprising as they are simply huge, much bigger than their cousin, the crow. The cages are located in the grounds, where you are certain to see a few of the ravens, you may be lucky enough to see some in other parts of the Tower as well.

We have visited the Tower of London twice now, both times for special tours. The first of these was the Ceremony of the Keys, the daily ritual of the locking of the gates. This is free to attend, however the waiting list is very long and you will need to book about a year in advance. Although you won’t visit inside any of the buildings, the tour explains the history of the ceremony and the Tower and you will get to see some historical features. The most famous of these is Traitors‘ Gate, the area where those suspected of treason were brought into the Tower of London from the River Thames. Also featured is the Bloody Tower, from where two princes mysteriously disappeared in suspicious circumstances one night in 1483.

We also went on a new members tour of the Tower of London, which also occurred after normal opening hours. This meant that this tour also did not include the inside of any of the buildings, with the exception of one. That was the Church of St Peter ad Vincula, a chapel built within the walls of the Tower. As it is a Chapel Royal, this church can only be visited as part of a tour or for the weekly Sunday service, and photography is not allowed inside. The most interesting part of this church’s history is that is was the burial place for traitors after their execution. After the beheading, the heads were taken to be placed upon spikes along London Bridge. The bodies were then buried in unmarked graves under the church floor. The only graves that have been marked are those of the three English queens to have been executed here, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey, all of whom are buried behind the altar. During restorations ordered by Queen Victoria, the headless skeletons were uncovered and subsequently moved to a mass grave at the back of the church, which is now marked with a plague bearing all of their names.

BANQUETING HOUSE

Situated in Whitehall, London, and something of a hidden gem, Banqueting House is a wonderful building with a great deal of history. It was originally built by the order of King James I, and designed by the architect Inigo Jones, to replace its predecessor which had been destroyed by fire. Jones had recently been travelling through Italy, and had been impressed by the Renaissance style architecture he had seen there. This greatly influenced the design of Banqueting House, which is evident from the columned façade which faces the street. It was designed to be a grand hall to be used for state banquets and for receiving foreign dignitaries, and as such it had to be incredibly ornate and lavish to signify the power and wealth of the King.

After King James I passed away, it then became his son’s, King Charles I, for which to hold extravagant banquets and plays, as well as becoming the site of his execution following the Civil War. Luckily, for reasons unknown, it was spared destruction by the Parliamentarians, and was still used by Oliver Cromwell to welcome foreign ambassadors. Banqueting House miraculously survived the fire that destroyed almost all of Whitehall Palace in 1698, but it subsequently became less and less used, eventually being turned into a military chapel in 1808, and then a military museum in 1895. It wasn’t until it was given to Historic Royal Palaces in the 1960s that it was then restored to its former glory.

As you go inside the building, there are really only two rooms which can be visited. The first is the Undercroft, down some steps to the right, which currently houses a small auditorium showing a video that explains the history of Banqueting House. Originally this was used as a drinking den for James I to hold parties in, and then was turned into something similar to a gambling den following his death. The whole area is full of arches, which provides plenty of dark areas and hiding spaces for deeds to go unnoticed.

After this you will head up the stairs on the left, to the main attraction, the Banqueting Hall. This really is a sight to behold, and your breath will be taken away as you step into the room. It is a huge hall, with columns running down both sides, supporting on overlooking balcony. At the far end is a throne, where the monarch would have sat to receive visitors. But dominating all of this is the ceiling, which is completely covered by huge paintings that have been mounted in the most ornate fashion. These paintings are the work of a Dutch painter called Rubens, and were commissioned by King Charles I in honour of his father. There are three main paintings which depict the divine right of the monarch to rule, accompanied with smaller paintings surrounding them. It really is worth taking time to appreciate not only the beauty of the paintings, but also the skill and decoration of the mounting. You would have been given an audio guide as you entered Banqueting House, which describes in even more detail the history of the building and this magnificent ceiling. There are also many large bean bags that have been placed around the Banqueting Hall, the perfect place to relax and take in the surroundings and the history lesson!

Stay tuned,

Mr Wander & Ms Lust

Delapré Abbey

Dear travellers,After a little break, we are back with a quick tour of one of the most iconic buildings in our local area, Delapré Abbey. For those of you who love history, Northampton and the abbey may immediately ring a bell and recall the War of the Roses. Originally a nunnery, this place has seen a lot of changes and is now a building that is celebrating its 900 years of history. The most surprising part of the visit is how interactive it is, you can imagine how much we enjoyed that. If you go with kids or if you like enjoying the different activities, you will love it.

After a little break, we are back with a quick tour of one of the most iconic buildings in our local area, Delapré Abbey. For those of you who love history, Northampton and the abbey may immediately ring a bell and recall the War of the Roses. Originally a nunnery, this place has seen a lot of changes and is now a building that is celebrating its 900 years of history. The most surprising part of the visit is how interactive it is, you can imagine how much we enjoyed that. If you go with kids or if you like enjoying the different activities, you will love it.

For the first 400 years, the place was a monastery that hosted nuns belonging to the Cluniac order and was not actually called an abbey as it depended on another abbey nearby. Records about that period show some intense activity related to prayer and monastic activities, but there are also some different records that relate to a more dissolute life led by some nuns as some women did not choose the monastery freely.

The rests of the nunnery were almost destroyed along with the rest of the religious buildings during the Reformation, but some parts of the building were still standing when the family who owned it decided to build a stately home. The house then belonged to two families for 400 more years and then passed to what is now Northampton Council and, after a short time when it was threatened with demolition to make space for housing estates, it was then used as offices and it is now a listed building that is undergoing a serious renovation to show all its glory. Although the works are still ongoing, Delapré Abbey opened to the public in March this year and it is definitely worth a visit. In the morning you can enjoy a guided tour, as we did today, and the volunteers are extremely knowledgeable and will share the history of the building and their personal experience during the restoration process, which is an interesting insight. Thank you to David for accompanying us today. In the afternoon you have a free flow policy and you can enjoy the different parts of the house, including the Nine Rooms, which exhibit relics of the nine centuries of history.

An adult ticket costs £7 and the free visit starts from the upper level of the stables, where a set of games and a show will help you understand the battle that happened just outside the abbey. Going out and in again, you will then visit the main building, starting with the library. There, you can take the books and sit down to read them or play a bit more with a game of skittles. On the other side of the entrance, in the living room, a few objects will activate recordings to explain some features of the room. The map will then take you upstairs to The Nine Rooms. The free tour then finishes downstairs in The Medieval Rooms, where you can learn a bit more about the monastic life of the building up to when it was confiscated. The guided tour, instead, takes you outside for a brief introduction and then inside again near the main staircase for more details of the building itself and the history of the different parts of it, including details of the monastic life and of the families who owned the place.

As I have already said, the nunnery played a role in the Battle of Northampton, which is remembered every year in July with a reenactment. This is a whole day of medieval tents with souvenirs in the period’s style, a display of the different firearms used, and the reenactment itself in the afternoon. If you are in the area, it is worth popping in, the people taking part in it are extremely knowledgeable about life in that period and they will explain a lot related to their character. We had a long talk with a knight and his squire while they were dressing for the battle.

Part of the rooms are now used for the Orangery Café. The place is extremely warm, even in cold days, as it has a huge skylight that makes it feel a bit like a greenhouse. The food is extremely nice and the portions more than generous, and you have gluten free options available for most of the plates on the menu. Today we had lunch there and, despite the queue and how busy it was, we didn’t wait too much for our food. It is also renowned for its afternoon tea, which looked particularly nice when we saw it passing by, but we still have to try it. Both the afternoon tea and the Sunday Roast must be booked in advance and are served in one of the two rooms, called The Billiard Room.

There is a lot more about the history of Delapré Abbey, and also many events organised during the year, so we hope you enjoyed our post and will want to visit and support the restoration of this building.

Stay tuned,

Ms Lust

Stately homes and castles – part 2

Dear travellers,

Although the main season of Stately Homes sees many of them closing for the winter season, many stay open all year, especially those who are part of the National Trust circuit. We have done our best to fit as many as we could in the summer months and we are planning to visit more of those that stay open over the winter.

You may have read our previous post dedicated to the beginning of our tour. If not, or if you would like to refresh it, here is the link. Today, we are going to take you on another tour, I hope you are ready!

Hinchingbrooke House

Similar to Kimbolton Castle (featured in part one) this stately home is now owned by and used as a school. Hinchingbrooke House is open more often though, and visits are possible on most weekends throughout the school summer holidays. Also like Kimbolton Castle, its current primary use means that most of the rooms have been redecorated and re-furnished, yet the house’s history has still been well maintained. The library is still kept in its original state, including the stained glass windows (although one has been damaged by an errant cricket ball, which is the reason ball games have now been banned!), and it is probably the most elegant exam room I have ever seen! The drawing room has also been maintained in its original state, which is where you will be served your complimentary tea or coffee and cake at the end of your tour.

As for the rooms that have been converted into classrooms, some original features have been retained and preserved. A fireplace with graffiti from dates throughout the house’s history stood proudly in one classroom, while in another an original window that had been discovered during renovations is framed as would be any wonderful work of art. The building has had many previous uses, and started out as a nunnery. There has also been many modifications and additions made to the building at various points during its history, and it is very interesting to be able to see where one style finishes and another starts.

This was one of the most enjoyable tours I have had of a stately home, entirely thanks to the volunteers that provide them. £5 a head for a guided tour from an enthusiastic former student with a real passion for the house and its history, with tea and cake at the end, really was a bargain and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

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This is a small stately home that we have seen so many times on our way to our regular food shopping and never really paid attention to. When we finally looked it up, we realised that it is now a school but that it opens to visits on Sundays during the summer school holidays.

The building is a mix of Tudor style and earlier architecture that belonged to a nunnery dating back to the XIII century. The entrance leads immediately to a former banquet hall with a fireplace showing the crest of the family. The Montagues were in the navy and the crest represents this activity with the motto Post tot naufragia, portum (after so many shipwrecks, a haven).

The house belonged to the Cromwell family before passing to the Montagues but it was with the Montagues that it started being the centre of British naval history, as the Earl was not only an admiral himself, but he was also patron to James Cook. Hinchingbrooke House is said to have hosted the first recorded barbecue in history when one of the guests was a Polynesian man, Omai, who roasted mutton on heated stones in the grounds as it was traditional in his land.

Another food related story is the one about the creation of the sandwich. The Montagues were the Earls of Sandwich and the Fourth Earl, John, used to have salt beef between two slices of bread when he was on admiralty duties and this food then took the name of sandwich from him.

Apart from the legends, also including some ghost stories, the building itself is in incredible shape and I was surprised to see that the furniture and paintings are very well kept despite the fact that the house is in constant use for the school. There is a clear distinction between the part that belongs to the nunnery, with narrow spaces, and the Tudor part, more open and with straight walls.

The library is beautiful, with bookshelves all around the room and big, bright, tall windows decorated with stained glass. The grounds are not extremely big but very nice, and you can enjoy a tea and cake there, as you have them included in your ticket at the end of the tour.

Highclere Castle

This house is probably the most famous as, for those of you that haven’t watched the series, Highclere Castle is the stately home featured in Downton Abbey. Naturally this makes it a very popular place to visit, and therefore tickets must be prebooked well in advance. We managed to secure tickets for the bank holiday in August, and endured the months of waiting for the day of our visit to arrive.

Save for the first episode (which Ms Lust made me watch so I would recognise the main parts of the house) I have never watched Downton Abbey, so the link between the two was a little lost on me. I was clearly in the minority however, and it seems that Highclere Castle has tried possibly a bit too hard to try and appeal to its popular fan base. Almost every room contained large prints of previous filming taking place in it, along with many other photos and artefacts from the series dotted around the house. This spoiled it a bit for me, as I wasn’t interested in Downton Abbey and would have much preferred to have seen Highclere Castle as it was originally intended.

The house itself is very impressive from the outside, and one of the largest stately homes that we have visited. The rooms inside are still very beautiful and adorned with many extravagant paintings and ornaments, once you can see beyond the more recent paraphernalia. I was particularly impressed with the Ancient Egyptian exhibition in the basement. One of the previous owners of Highclere Castle was Lord Carnarvon, who is remembered most famously for backing Howard Carter’s excavations in The Valley of the Kings, namely those that led to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Naturally this features heavily throughout the house, and is the reason for the exhibition. The first room contains actual artefacts recovered from digs in The Valley of the Kings, including jewelry items and an almost complete sarcophagus. The following rooms use replicas to recreate scenes from inside Tutankhamun’s tomb, with a burial chamber and a room built to allow visitors to see what Howard Carter’s first glimpse of the treasures buried inside would have been like. I found the whole exhibition really interesting and actually enjoyed that more than the tour of the house, it almost even made up for not having visited the tomb when we were in Luxor earlier in the year (click here for our post about that trip).

Tickets are allocated for morning or afternoon entry to the house, and as we were driving down just for the day we opted for an afternoon ticket. Arriving a little early, this gave us time both before and after the tour of the house to explore the grounds. Compared to a lot of the stately homes we have visited, the grounds at Highclere Castle were a bit plain and disappointing. There is a small temple which offered great views of the house, yet unfortunately this seemed to be a popular place for picnics and it was full of people for most of the day. The gardens were well kept, if not a bit disorganised and poorly planned, but for the most part the grounds seemed to be nothing more than open fields. All in all I’m glad we went, not for anything to do with Downton Abbey but for the Ancient Egyptian exhibition and the house’s connection to one of the greatest discoveries in modern history. But in saying that, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to return.

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This castle is probably more famous as Downton Abbey as it has been used as Lord Grantham’s mansion in the TV series. Despite this, the castle has its own history that has little to envy of the fictional story. The property belongs to the Carnarvon family and part of the basement is dedicated to the Egyptian expedition that discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Remember our post about Luxor? That same one! Anyway, let’s go back to the castle for now. The visits are not usually scheduled on weekends but you have access on Bank Holidays. Due to the fame of the place, I recommend you book before you go. You can choose the morning or the afternoon visit and decide to include or not the Egyptian exhibition.

The castle from the outside is a lot less majestic and impressive that you may expect from the TV series but the grounds are extremely pleasant. Photography is not permitted inside, which makes it a wonderful experience, as otherwise it would all be crammed with people trying to take pictures with the characters’ life-size reproductions. The visit follows a one-way path and is extremely enjoyable, both for Downton Abbey’s fans and not, as the rooms are lively and it can be seen that the current Lord and Lady Carnarvon still use the house to entertain despite usually living in a nearby cottage. Check out her blog about real life in Downton Abbey.

Lanhydrock

During our trip to Cornwall (our post can be found here) we stopped in at a National Trust property on the way back, Lanhydrock Estate. Situated just south of Bodmin Moor, this stately home boasts huge expanses of outside space as well as the home itself. From the carpark, a short walk down a tree-lined avenue brings you to the gatehouse, now used as a ticket booth and information point. Passing through this imposing and impressive structure brings you to a wonderful view of the house entrance and the pathway and grounds leading to it.

Once inside, as with many National Trust properties, the rooms have been furnished using items from the same period as the house, if not having been left with the house as well. In this case, the decor is mainly from the Victorian period, and each room shows obvious signs of this. I’ve always found the Victorian style of artwork and decorating to be slightly disturbing, with harsh features and a sort of dark quality about it. Here was no different, with most of the rooms containing stuffed animals as hunting trophies and eerie cardboard cutouts of the long-departed residents. Nevertheless the rooms were still impressive, I particularly enjoyed the library and long gallery, and every area of the house is open to visitors, right down to the servants quarters and the kitchen.

Back outside we had a quick look around the sculptured gardens surrounding the house, which are wonderfully understated. They are by no means grand or extravagant, yet they are very well taken care of and a nice place for a short stroll. At the back of the gardens is St Hydroc’s Church, a small parish church that serves the estate and the local community. The church is situated very close to, and is the focus of the views from many rooms in the house. There is nothing particularly grand or spectacular about the church, it is much like any other small parish church in England, but there are some connections between the church and Lanhydrock’s residents that are nice to discover. We didn’t have time to explore the grounds outside of the gatehouse, all I will say is that they seemed very extensive and well-maintained. That was the end of our visit here, as we had to continue our journey home, and I would definitely be keen to return, if we are in the area again, in order to explore further.

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You have already seen some images in our previous post about Cornwall but we still have to tell you almost everything about this visit. The house was destroyed in a fire at the end of the XIX century and it was rebuilt as a family home. Some of the rooms really show this aspect, especially the kids’ rooms with all their toys.

The access to the house is granted by a gatehouse that looks more like the ones you expect with a drawbridge, but the garden inside and the house are very different. The Drawing Room is very peculiar, looking immense from one side thanks to the big window at the end, on the opposite wall; if you just stand in front of the window, though, the optical illusion disappears and the room just becomes a big room divided in two by some folding screens and too full of pieces of furniture and decorations to feel homely and comfortable.

The library definitely is my favourite space, as usual. The room is big, with books covering all the walls and an empty central space that, together with the wooden walls and the majestic plaster ceiling, makes it feel peaceful and embracing. Some of the most important books are kept in glass displays covered by thick fabrics embroidered with literary quotes. They are beautiful to see, and one of the main features of the library is a book that belonged to Henry VIII and helped him obtain the annulment of his marriage.

Probably the most disturbing aspect of the house is that it is filled floor to ceiling with examples of taxidermy, a very common practice in the past centuries. The rooms are decorated with carpets made out of tigers, head trophies, and full dioramas with stuffed animals and gives you a strange feeling of oppression in some rooms.

The servants’ quarters and the kitchens are probably among the most interesting I have visited to date, with plenty of rooms dedicated to different functions and real objects and food to clearly explain the use of each space. The fridges and freezers were a big advance at the time and you can admire how they would keep their food fresh, you can see cakes, jellies, cheese and butter on the table ready to be taken upstairs, the oven and the utensils to prepare the bread, the sugar and the spices in their storage place, and plenty more.

The estate includes the grounds and a chapel just on the the side. The grounds are famous for their colours and decorations, with the perfectly shaped trees and the carefully kept flowerbeds.

Wimpole Estate

Wimpole Hall is one of our local National Trust sites, and one that had been on the wish list since we first joined. When we heard that there was to be a local produce fair held in the grounds, it seemed like the perfect excuse to finally tick it off the list! And we were certainly glad that we did as it turned out to be a delightful place to visit. The house is not as big or as extravagant as some that we have visited, but it has been incredibly well preserved both by the National Trust and the previous owner. A lot of the furnishings are not original as the contents were once sold off separately to the house, yet a lot of them have been recovered and, where that hasn’t been possible, replacements from the same period have been used.

The tour of the house gives a full impression of what life would have been like here in its heyday, with all areas of the house open to the public. The tour begins in the reception rooms, with the Yellow Drawing Room being the main attraction. This huge room was a late addition to the house, but instead of an extension being butted onto the building, walls and ceilings were ripped out to create a space for this wonderful room. In total seven rooms were destroyed to make enough space available, and Queen Victoria was suitably impressed when she was received here on her visit to the estate.

As you work your way around the house, you will come to the largest library owned by the National Trust. Visitors aren’t allowed to enter the library fully, but you can step inside the doorway and view the vast collection of books. The reading room just at the entrance to the library is accessible, where some of the collection can be seen a lot closer. My other favourite rooms were the gallery and the chapel, the latter of which you can catch a glimpse of at the entrance to the house. The gallery is not as long as those we had seen before, but that made it no less impressive and the grand piano is always a welcome sight in my eyes. The chapel is ornate, but not oppressively so, with fantastic artwork covering the walls and ceiling.

I have to say that I found all the rooms at Wimpole very charming, and a nice change from the usual style found in stately homes. They aren’t filled to bursting point with ornaments, paintings, and statues in order to show off the wealth and taste of the owners. They are all decorated, still with very fine and expensive things, in a much more restrained style, with the decorations used to enhance the features of the room rather than as focal points themselves. This for me is more impressive, as it shows a more sensible and less egotistical approach, and I found it much more enjoyable. It may just be because a lot of the contents of the house have yet to be recovered or replaced, but in my opinion it is all the better for it.

After finishing the tour of the bedrooms and reception rooms, it is also possible to explore the lower levels and the real working rooms of the house. The kitchen, larder, and preparation rooms are all open for viewing, along with the produce and artefacts that would have been used. Also the servants quarters have been preserved and are free to walk around, giving a real insight into how life would have been for them. Wimpole Hall really felt like we were in a grand home that was still in use, but the family were on holiday and had taken their staff with them. A lot of stately homes feel more like museums, with the collections that the house contains being the main draw. Here was completely different, and it was obvious that the National Trust had wanted to showcase the way of life rather than the treasures they had obtained, and they have done a wonderful job of just that.

Near the end of the tour, just before entering the servants areas, was a real surprise, a bath house that had been built into the house rather than as a separate building. At the end of a small, plain corridor was this huge room made completely from marble, yet painted in parts to look convincingly like wood, and the huge bathing pool seemed to come out of nowhere. Using state of the art technology to heat the water and even to run a heated shower, this really must have been the talk of the town! I thoroughly enjoyed walking around Wimpole Hall and I can’t wait to go back nearer Christmas when the house is turned into a Victorian Christmas setting. We also didn’t explore the grounds too much due to the weather, so I’m sure we’ll be back there very soon.

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Another building managed by the National Trust, this home seems to be the favourite of the neighbourhood as it was full of families that seem to know the estate pretty well. I have to admit, the estate seems a place that offers something for every age, more than some others.

The last owner of the estate before the National Trust was Elsie Bambridge, Rudyard Kipling’s daughter, and probably this literary background is part of the magic I found in this house. The library is a dream for any booklover, with the only downside that you cannot walk around it but only admire it from the door. Apparently, the library was bought by the Bambridges with the estate from the previous owners, while most of the furniture and decorations were added in style at the end of the XIX century by the Bambridges.

The bedrooms are quite modern compared to other stately homes, with an adjacent bathroom for both main rooms. Yes, the lord and the lady of the house preferred to have separate bathrooms, we can but support their choice! Despite having a fully functional bathroom, though, the lady of the house seemed to prefer to bathe in front of the fireplace in her bedroom. I can’t understand this, but I guess old habits are hard to die.

The estate is vast and in front of the house is a 2.5 m long parkland that looks like an immense driveway. It is not something that was not completed, it was created like that to offer a long, undisturbed view from the house.

We went the week of one of the produce fairs and I would suggest you do that if you can, as you can find local produce of extremely good quality and the price is ridiculously cheap. The estate also includes a farm and the folly in the distance. Having grown up in the countryside, the farm is not interesting at all for me, but the folly seemed nice to explore, although the rain prevented us from doing so.

Hatfield House

Hatfield House was our most recent visit and, with it being just around the corner from my workplace, one that we had overlooked for quite some time. This is the house that Queen Elizabeth I had stayed at during her sister’s reign (Queen Mary I) and it was where she was informed of the death of her sister and her own ascension to the throne. This was obviously a reason to visit in itself, but we’ll get back to that later. The estate consists of many buildings, with the visitor centre, ticket office, gift shop, and restaurants being housed in what appeared to be the old stables. These are all gated off from the main part of the estate, and it isn’t until you proceed through the gates that the house comes into view.

Rather than the stone façades that most stately homes exhibit, Hatfield House is built from red brick and more reminiscent of Hampton Court Palace (understandable as they both were built at a similar time). A long driveway leads up to a large fountain in front of the house, which at the time had been replaced by a modern sculpture that I hope is not a permanent feature (it would be wonderful in a more suitable setting). The house itself is very grand and this continues to the interior as well, which is evident from the very first room. The walls are filled with portraits and other fine artworks, mostly of royalty and nobles from the Tudor and Stuart periods, and grand, old staircases ferry visitors between the different areas of the house. There are a few dining rooms along the way, each presented as if an extravagant meal will be forthcoming, and the usual bedrooms and drawing rooms which are all filled with wonderful artworks, statues, and furniture. This house also has a fantastic and extensive library, brimming to the rafters with ancient books on all manner of subjects. Whenever we go into a room like this, I always wish I could cosy up in one of the fine armchairs for a few hours with a book from the shelves, unfortunately I think this may be frowned upon!

On this visit we had more time to explore the grounds after touring the house, and we were also fortunate to have fairly decent weather. The gardens surrounding the house make for a nice stroll, with fountains and statues dotted amongst the flower beds. A part of the gardens was not accessible due to a wedding at the time of our visit, yet we could still see into the garden if not actually enter it. After this came the main reason for our trip, the spot where Queen Elizabeth I is reported to have been told that she was now queen. This is a short walk from the house, along the tree-lined driveway, where the gardens give way to more open parkland. The original tree is no longer there, but the spot is still marked by a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1985.

There are a number of walking paths around the grounds, and we chose to continue our walk and see what else we could discover. We first came across a castle folly, built on the bank of the river. It isn’t possible to go inside the folly, however there are no doors, just gates, and it is still possible to see what it is like inside (fairly spartan to be honest, it didn’t look like it gets much use anymore). Then we walked down to the river bank and walked along for a short while, which was a really pleasant place for a walk despite the motorway noise in the background. By this point the path swings back round to begin heading back towards the house and, starting to feel a little tired, we took its advice and decided to return also. A small French market being held in the grounds provided us with some well earned treats to enjoy, and with that we went back to the car contented and having thoroughly enjoyed our day at Hatfield House.

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This beautiful mansion just closed for the season and is probably one of my favourites. It is part of the Treasure Houses circuit and you won’t be disappointed. Don’t forget that you have a 2×1 voucher for your next visit to another house of the circuit and that the entry to the house is free for the whole season after the first time. It is famous for having been the place where Queen Elizabeth I was residing when Mary died and she was proclaimed Queen of England.

Parking is a slow process but there is plenty of space. A little train takes you around the farm and crosses the parking area. Before arriving to the house, you have to cross the food court. The entrance to the church is also under an arch before this area. When we visited, part of the grounds were occupied by the French produce market and I have to admit that you find products of very high quality, it is worth a stop. The garden this year also hosted an exhibition of big top hats that were decorated by local groups.

In front of the main entrance there is a contemporary water sculpture by Angela Conner. The house is majestic outside and inside, with wooden stairs and decorations. The Marble Hall welcomes you with its marbles, of course, and a beautiful wooden balcony. In this room you can already guess the incredible amount of art that will await you in the rest of the house. At the end of the room is the famous Rainbow portrait in which Queen Elizabeth I holds a rainbow in her hands. The tapestries are slightly damaged by the passing of time but the paintings and furniture pieces are incredible. Another famous portrait of Queen Elizabeth I is on display in King James Drawing Room along with many other precious paintings and a life-size sculpture of King James I. This portrait is called the Ermine portrait, as it features a little ermine on the queen’s sleeve.

The Winter Dining Room is another impressive room with four tapestries representing the four seasons. As for the library, you already know my love for them and this picture can explain to you a little how much I loved this one.

On the ground floor you can admire several examples of weapons and armours along the armoury and then enjoy the sight of a full working kitchen on the lower level.

The grounds are quite vast, as it is to imagine, with the oak tree under which it is said Elizabeth received the announcement. It is not the original tree, but one that Queen Elizabeth II planted in 1985 to commemorate the event, but it is the same spot. Further along you can see the folly (with the highest amount of ladybirds ever seen by human eyes… well, by me!) and apparently the vineyard. We could not find it but we still enjoyed a good stroll through the woods.

* Bonus feature – Twilight at Burghley House*

Burghley House featured in our first Stately Homes post, as it was one of the first homes that we visited. On hearing about their Twilight Tour evenings, held over a long weekend in October, we couldn’t resist a return visit. This turned out to be a spectacular way to see the house and the organisers did a superb job. As usual, we entered through the kitchen and the change in atmosphere was immediately apparent. The low level lighting and quieter, more relaxed ambience was the perfect start to the tour, as we enjoyed our welcome drinks before moving on to the main body of the house.

The bedrooms and reception rooms were even more impressive, as the light dimmed further and seemed to enhance the beauty of all the exquisite furniture and artwork. A even nicer touch were the musicians that were playing in some of the rooms, really making it feel like we were a guest there for a night of fine dining and entertainment. It was definitely worth the return visit, not only for the change in ambience and mood, but also for a second chance to see the little details that we may have missed on our first visit.

They saved the very best until last, and the final room definitely left us with some very happy memories. This was a large hall, possibly a banqueting hall, that had been completely cleared to make a huge open room. The large fireplace at the far end of the room had been lit, and it was the perfect environment in which to enjoy another drink while listening to the harpist playing beautiful music. It was a wonderful experience and one which I am incredibly grateful that we decided to try. The evenings have finished now for this year, but if you live in the area I would highly recommend going for an evening during next year’s event.

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You probably have read everything about Burghley House on our previous post about stately homes but, if you want to catch up, you can find it here.

The house offers a twilight event for a few nights and you can enjoy the house in dim light and with live music and readings in different rooms. The tour starts with a glass of prosecco to enjoy in the kitchen before heading to the upper level. The staff are available in the rooms to help you exactly as during the day but you have no audio guides. The connection is not the best but you may still be able to access the website and check out some of the paintings as they are all listed in there.

Among the live activities, I have particularly enjoyed the Baroque Choir in the Pagoda Room and the harp music by Soraya Vermeulen. Check her out, she is amazing and really lovely to talk to, you should keep this in mind if you want to hire someone for your event!

The Twilight events are over for this season but you still have some events for Christmas in the grounds. The house itself will close to the public on 29 October, so you still have a few weeks to visit if you want. We may go back, but we still have a few more houses to visit. Stay tuned!

Mr Wander & Ms Lust

Stately homes and castles – part 1

Dear travellers,

We were planning this post for a while, but we were not sure how to shape it. As we have several visits still planned and we didn’t want to cramp too much information all in one post, we decided to split it into a series and to post as we go so to say.

I guess you have already seen our general post with the links to all the openings. I have to admit that we didn’t go to any of the first openings as these usually are very crowded, and also we have been busy on other trips for most of the spring, so we are now trying to fit in as much as we can before some of the homes close for winter. But let’s go back to our main subject and start with our first visit, for this post we will have little paragraphs divided as usual in two points of view. Please, follow us in our tour!

Kimbolton Castle

We’ll start with the closest to home, which for us is Buckden Towers, located in Buckden, Cambridgeshire. Replacing a previous wooden structure from the 12th century, the current brick building dates from as far back as 1475 although some parts have been added more recently. Looking like a cross somewhere between a castle and a stately home, it must have been a formidable fortress when it still had its original moat.

There have been many notable visitors to this site, many monarchs included, and this area has a lot of connections with Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. This is where she was first held during their famous divorce before being moved to nearby Kimbolton Castle, which we will get to shortly. Unfortunately the building is not open to the public, however the grounds are open every day during daylight hours and it is free to enter. The coaching inn next door, The Lion Inn, dates from a similar period and it is entirely possible that King Henry VIII may have stopped here for a drink during one of his stays at Buckden Towers! Still providing accommodation and refreshment to travellers and locals alike, I would highly recommend The Lion Inn for lunch, dinner, or just a drink if you are in the area.

Kimbolton Castle, Catherine of Aragon’s next and final home, is unfortunately not as accessible. Currently owned and used by Kimbolton School, the building is only open to the public on two open days held during the year, usually one in March and the other in November. As it spends the vast majority of the year as a school, the interior of the building is understandably lacking in the fine art and treasures that you would normally expect to find in an English stately home. However that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a visit, as the volunteers that organise the open days provide some very interesting insights into the history of the house, both through guided mini-tours and informative displays. Some of the rooms of the house also warrant a visit even without any artefacts to bolster their appeal, most notably the chapel, the courtyard, and the Headmaster’s Office (originally the room that Catherine of Aragon was kept in). Unfortunately the weather wasn’t being too kind when we visited, and we weren’t able to fully explore the grounds without risking an unexpected shower. I’m sure we’ll be back for another one of their open days to finish off the tour!

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This stately home, as many of them do, has an interesting history. It was originally built as a Norman castle but nothing of that remains today. The actual town of Kimbolton was built as a marketplace for the castle and still thrives. The Tudor castle that was built afterwards had some famous guests, Catherine of Aragon being probably the most known. The current building partly saved the building the queen lived in but has mainly been rebuilt and is now a school. It usually opens a couple of times a year and the volunteers are eager to tell you everything about the history and the ghosts!

On the left of the entrance, where is now the Headmaster’s office, were Catherine of Aragon’s chambers. The Queen, who was married to Henry VIII for 24 years, never accepted to be called “Dowager Princess of Wales”, the only title that the King would accept for her as his brother’s widow. Before being confined to Kimbolton, she stayed a few months in another building very near to us, Buckden Towers.

Going back to Kimbolton, as I said, the building is quite modern and keeps evolving with the times in order to provide an adequate environment for the students, and several of the rooms have been modified. The old servants area still presents some of the old features, including some old windows, although some that were external are now part of the internal walls due to the extensions added to the building. In the internal court, some of the hooks for the buckets used to extinguish fires are still visible but are now just part of the decorations.

Do not miss one of the next opening days:

Sunday 5 November 2017, 1-4pm

Sunday 4 March 2018, 1-4pm

Burghley House

The first true stately home that we visited, Burghley House is a grand mansion just north of Peterborough. Built during the Elizabethan period of the 16th century, it is a very good example of the large homes of this period. The house is still lived in today by the Cecil family, so not all of it is open to the public however there is still a large number of rooms that can be viewed. The tour of the house starts in the kitchen, which has been recreated into a scene of life in Tudor times. From here you are taken upstairs and through the main body of the house. The rooms that are open to the public are mainly state rooms used by guests, most notably the rooms that Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria used on their visits to the estate. As would be expected, the rooms are furnished beautifully and filled with many fine artworks and artefacts, although it has a more functional atmosphere than more extravagant places such as Waddesdon Manor.

The tour of the house didn’t take as long as expected, as not all of it is accessible, and we then went to explore the grounds. Originally designed by Capability Brown, a famous landscape designer of the time, the grounds are extremely vast and impressive. The highlight for me was the river and bridge at the rear of the grounds, a very pleasant setting which would have been perfect for a picnic. We didn’t explore the grounds as much as we would have liked, so we’re already planning a return visit! Fortunately a ticket for here is valid for the calendar year, so it gives plenty of opportunities for visits.

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One of the most incredible examples of an Elizabethan house is definitely Burghley House. Built in the XVI century, it still conserves its original exterior. The family who built it, the Cecils, still live in the house but a big part of it is accessible for the visit. While you walk through the rooms, called by their colours, you can learn about the famous visitors who stayed in them, including Queen Victoria, both when still a princess and after her coronation, and Queen Elizabeth I.

The works of art in the house are incredible: Hundreds of paintings by great European masters such as Caravaggio just to name one, frescos that cover entire rooms floor to ceiling, ornaments, furniture, everything has an inestimable value. What I can say, and you can understand by looking at the pictures, is that it feels quite cramped, as if the room were to fall on the visitor. Of course, I had that impression especially in the kitchen, which is full of copper tins everywhere and, after living in my Sardinian home, I am immediately disturbed by these objects. The fact that there was a real-size copper turtle as well definitely didn’t help.

One thing that I definitely loved was to see all the bells for the servants. As a big fan of Downton Abbey (we will come back to that soon), I can’t help but remember the opening every time I see the panels with all the wires and bells. They are not just in Burghley House, of course, but they were in such a peculiar position in this case that they stay in my memory as iconic. Walking out of the kitchen, we are soon in a small, dark room that then leads upstairs; the walls are covered with wood panels, and the bells run all around the walls just over the wood. Standing under there makes you feel amazed and trapped at once, as if they could start ringing and you were forced to start your day of work. A few flights of stairs, the first one still covered with wooden panels and then more elegant, all stone and with round arches, take you to the chapel and then all the main rooms.

As one who doesn’t like gardens, I have to admit that Burghley House’s gardens are beautiful. Not just walking along them to see the beauty of the building from outside, but the gardens themselves. there is a river along them and they are immense. They were originally built by Capability Brown, an eminence of the time, and now include also the Garden of Surprises with fountains, sculptures, water shows, and a little maze. They are something not to miss.

The ticket gives you access to the House for the whole year and a 50% discount on some other listed buildings, which is not bad. The Christmas market is very famous, so we are looking forward to go back again a few times before the end of the year!

Hedingham Castle

This one is slightly different to the places above, as the purpose of our visit was not for exploring. My cousin had her wedding here in the spring, and in my mind she couldn’t have chosen a better, or more interesting venue. The most well-preserved Norman keep in England, it is the embodiment of all those castles we used to draw when we were kids. Four square walls with some battlements on top, this is a true castle that was built for function rather than show. Still a formidable fortress to this day, it’s easy to see how it has managed to survive for so long.

As I said, the exterior is fairly plain. The few windows it has are small and give little insight into the goings-on inside, and the only real feature is the steps up to the entrance. Once inside however, it is a completely different story. Obviously it has been dressed up a bit for the wedding, yet I could see how it would have been impressive nonetheless. With the exception of a few modern amenities such as flushing toilets and a bar, it still feels like a Norman castle inside as well. There are three floors that are still accessible to the public, each containing a large, singular room. We would be using all three during the course of the day, much to our delight! The first room you enter is the reception room, which is the middle room of the three. This is where we found the modern creature comforts, the other two floors are purely medieval. A large room with chandeliers and a few artefacts here and there, it is a good introduction for what is to come. For the ceremony we went upstairs to the Great Hall, which is like something out of a movie. A huge fireplace, a balcony at the rear (from which the ring-bearing barn owls came from), and ancient weaponry on the walls, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Robin Hood himself had gatecrashed proceedings! It really is a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony, but my favourite room was yet to come.

After the ceremony, we made our way down to the bottom floor which is home to the banqueting room. This room is everything you would expect a medieval banqueting room to be, right down to the metal goblets provided for our drinks. There was none of the usual round tables dotted around a room found at most weddings, here there are three long tables stretching the length of the room. As such there is no head table either, and it was a really nice touch for my cousin and the rest of the wedding party to be seated in the very centre of the room. The darkness caused by the small, high windows only added to the atmosphere, and I’m glad that the artificial lighting was also kept low. Again, I couldn’t think of a better place for a wedding, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first medieval banquet (of many I hope!!).

The castle isn’t just used for weddings, and it is possible to visit when there isn’t a function being held here. I would thoroughly recommend it, especially when one of their many medieval-themed events are taking place.

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A bit of a different experience has been our time in Hedingham Castle, as we were invited there for a wedding. The difference in this experience is not just due to my personal opinion on wedding ceremonies, although it is part of it. This castle is a private property that is owned by the heirs of the family that bought it in the XVIII century. The family lives in the country house also in the grounds and the keep is the only surviving part of the castle that was built in the XII century. Visits are limited, on their website it seems like they open on Wednesday and Sundays or, as in our case, you have access when the building is hired for events. These help financing the building maintenance, which is not supported by any institutions and it is paid for by the owners.

Going back to the building, it is surrounded by wonderful gardens and a lake. The tower has four levels:

– The lower level, where the banqueting hall was installed in this case. This part has access from one side of the tower through a huge portal which made it easy for the catering to install the marquee and reach us at the tables. In the case of the wedding, all the table was dressed in style, with metal goblets and Venetian style masks, which was a detail that completed the picture.

– The two levels above were probably the Guardroom and the Great Hall. An external staircase grants you access to the Guardroom, where seats and the bar were installed. From here, access to both the lower and the upper levels is granted by my nemesis, the spiral staircase, which is even less loved when wearing a tight dress and 10 cm high heels. I guess I am glad I didn’t drink too much!

– The Great Hall is dominated by a majestic chimney. Although all the rooms follow the same plan, the fireplace in the Great Hall, with a cuirass and two axes over it, is quite a sight. A balcony runs along the sides of the rooms at another level granting a privileged position to those looking down at the Hall. In our case, the ceremony was officiated in this room and we had the plus of a bird of prey diving into the hall to entrust the rings to the best man. It was a perfect fit to the surrounding and an incredible surprise.

The location is impressive, definitely worth a visit, and we wish we had more time and more comfortable shoes in order to wander around the gardens, but the ceremony added some details that made the visit quite exquisite, definitely not what I was expecting by a wedding. Due to the restrictions on visiting days, plan your visit wisely but definitely give it a shot!

Lyveden

Ah, the stately home that could have been! The dream of Sir Thomas Tresham, Lyveden New Bield was designed as a summerhouse for entertaining his guests. Unfortunately the construction was hindered by his poor financial credentials, and the fact that he spent a lot of time in prison due to this. However construction continued until Sir Thomas’s death when, realising that they would now never be paid, the workers downed tools and the estate has been left in this unfinished state ever since. This makes this building rather unique in that in original inspection it would appear to be ruins, however it doesn’t take long to realise that the building is actually in very good condition despite never being completed. This was the first National Trust home that we visited, and I have to say that they have done an incredible job preserving this site. Every single thing about the house and the grounds is in such good condition, it feels like the workers stopped work only a few days prior to your visit. It really is incredible that this building has remained so intact despite not even having a roof or floors, and that it has stood for so long without damage. Most complete stately homes and castles of this age aren’t in such good condition!

As I mentioned, the construction was halted before walls had been completed, and the roof and floors had yet to be started. From the outside it is easy to see how the house would have looked if it had been completed, but it is a different story once you head inside. Entering through what would have been the servants’ entrance (the main entrance required steps which hadn’t been built yet), it is hard to imagine where you are and what each room was designed for. The house was designed in a cross shape which means that a lot of the rooms are very similar to each other, and their lack of furniture or other adornments means their functions are not obvious (with the exception of the kitchen where the fireplace and larder were obvious features). This is why I would highly recommend the audio tour that the National Trust provide as part of the entrance fee. Highly informative, it gives a fantastic insight into the history of the house and explains what each room was intended for. This makes it a whole lot easier to imagine how it would have looked if completed, and Sir Thomas’s dream starts to come alive.

After exploring the house, it was time for a walk around the grounds. Again these have been preserved to the exact state that the workmen would have left them in. Seemingly closer to completion than the house, yet there are still obvious signs that it was abandoned. The most obvious of these is the moat. Three sides of the moat had been finished, which then ends abruptly where the fourth side should have been. Strolling through the grounds, with the help of the audio guide, really gives an insight into the mentality of Sir Thomas Tresham and the motives behind his dream. As with all stately homes, it was driven by ego and showmanship. The summerhouse was to be his masterpiece, and every aspect of the grounds had been designed to showcase the house for his guests’ admiration.

I really enjoyed exploring Lyveden New Bield, as it gives you the chance to admire the building rather than being overwhelmed with all the treasures inside. It was really interesting to find out the story behind it as well, and to be able to see Sir Thomas’s vision. If you do visit here, make sure to bring your imagination with you! Oh, and also leave some time for a cream tea at the National Trust café on-site, you won’t regret it!

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The start of our National Trust membership in June was celebrated with a hike in the Peak District and a visit to Lyveden New Bield. This building is unfinished and yet the visit is extremely interesting. Not too far from us in Northamptonshire, the estate was the dream and ruin of the Tresham family. Ruined by the taxes requested from the followers of the Catholic faith and by the participation of some members of the family to the Gunpowder plot, the Treshams never finished the construction of this home.

Although inside it was never completed, the external walls are still perfectly standing as they workers left them when they abandoned the project after hearing of their employer’s death and understanding that they were never going to be paid for the job. The audio guide takes you through the rooms and makes you imagine what is missing and how the house, once completed, would have hosted guests and parties.

The walk through the grounds is both interesting and pleasing, with the guide explaining the projects of the original owner through the messages to his workers. The National Trust has recreated what was in the original design, planting the same fruit trees and keeping alive the decorations that were thought for the amusement of the guests. We went on an extremely hot afternoon and some comfortable shoes and insect repellent are a good idea, but even with ballerinas you can enjoy the visit without struggling.

Two highlights of the visit: The red kite flying over us during our visit and the National Trust café. They seem two bizarre things to list together, but it was a sweet sight to see the bird of prey cutting through the perfectly blue sky while we were enjoying our cream tea in the garden surrounded by little finches that were trying to make the most of all the crumbs left on the tables by the scrumptious scones. After this visit, we already thought that our membership had paid off, and we still are on the same page!

Waddesdon Manor

The most recent of our visits was to the National Trust owned Waddesdon Manor, a Rothschild family home which is truly unique. Commissioned and built in the late 19th century, it was purposefully designed to be reminiscent of a French château. Perched on top of a hill in the Buckinghamshire countryside, it manages to look completely out of place yet perfectly presented all at once. This really sets it apart from all the other stately homes in the UK, most likely the reason why it is one of the most visited National Trust properties. It is recommended that you book in advance as tickets are numbered, and each is allocated a specific entrance time to the house. We only booked a day or two in advance and there was plenty of time slots left to choose from, but I would suggest booking as far in advance as you can to avoid disappointment.

The house is on top of a fairly steep hill, with the visitor car park situated at the bottom. There is the option to take a free shuttle bus up to the house, or to take a walk along one of the many walking tracks through the grounds. We opted for the sensible option, and decided to take the bus up and then to take the downhill walk back! The shuttle bus drops visitors off at the North Fountain, with an incredible view of the house through the grounds. We had arrived a little early to enter the house, so we took a short walk around the grounds and discovered the aviary. This building is more reminiscent of the period in which it was built, a very Victorian style structure housing many species of birds that I had never heard of before. The most famous of these is the Rothschild’s Mynah, named after Lord Rothschild. Most of the species here are critically endangered and some are even extinct in the wild, and although it isn’t ideal for them to be in captivity it is reassuring to know that the birds here are being used in breeding programmes to help reintroduce them to the wild.

After our short walk it was time to enter the house, and it doesn’t take long for the decadence of this place to be apparent. Starting in the Oval Hall, there are three options for which route to take. There are volunteers to help lost visitors and to keep everyone heading in the same direction, and fortunately we had an audio guide to direct us as well. The audio guide can be purchased with the tickets, or it can be downloaded for free onto a smartphone (although it would seem that it does need to be smarter than my phone!). Every single room is chocked full of treasures in the form of artwork, fine furniture, pottery, and many other very expensive artefacts. Most of the furniture and collections are from the French Renaissance period while the artwork is mostly of English origin, combining in what has become known as the Rothschild style. As the house is no longer lived in, the vast majority of the rooms are open to the public. There are many drawing rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms, all filled with precious items. This was a place built solely for entertaining and as a showcase of their wealth, and this is evident everywhere you look. The house is so extravagant that Queen Victoria actually requested to stay here on numerous occasions. She was also taken by the fact that Waddesdon Manor was quick to install an electricity supply, and she was fascinated by the electric lighting in the house.

After exploring the rooms, including those favoured by Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, and other notable guests, it was time to head back outside to continue exploring. There are a couple of other buildings that are open to the public and included in the entry ticket, the stables and the powerhouse. The stables feature a courtyard with a cafe and ice cream stall, and at the time of our visit part of the stables were open for an art exhibition. The powerhouse was originally used to control the electricity supply of the house, and the original equipment is still in place along with the small electric elevator that had also been installed in the house. Now the building is also used to show short videos explaining the background of the property, worth ten minutes or so to view them if you have time. After this our explorations were finished and it was time to head back to the car park. As we had walked quite a long way around the house and through the grounds, our original plan was abandoned and we opted to take the bus back to the car park. They are very frequent, and just too convenient!

On the way to Waddesdon Manor we had noticed signs for a number of other National Trust properties nearby, so we decided to try and fit one more in while we were in the area. The perfect choice seemed to be Ascott House, a Tudor building that had also been a Rothschild family home. Unfortunately we didn’t quite make it in time to enter the house, but we were able to view it from the outside and to explore the grounds. Certainly not as grand as Waddesdon Manor, Ascott House has a more homely feel to it. Reminiscent of all those houses we imagine from Shakespearean plays, it is also very well-preserved. The grounds are large, yet not grand with only a few sculptures and fountains located in hidden gardens around the periphery. The main area of the grounds is a large open space more familiar to parklands rather than stately homes. I would love to be able to tell you more about it, but you’ll just have to wait until we can go for a more timely visit, or visit for yourself!

Well, that’s all the visits we’ve managed so far, but you can be assured they will be plenty more in the best future. So stay tuned for part two!

Happy travels,

Mr Wander

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Another beauty in the list of the National Trust, Waddesdon Manor has a completely different story. This building was created from scratch at the end of the XIX century by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild who wanted his own French château in the middle of the British countryside. Thought to be a showcase for his art collection, the manor grew with the times, both with additions to his original plan and with improvements to adapt with modern times, being one of the first places to install electricity (for great amusement of Queen Victoria when she visited) and to have a lift. The collection keeps growing with more additions in the present time, and Waddesdon Manor goes through deep cleaning every winter when closed, a cleaning that follows the rules established by the Baron’s sister.

The tours follows a very organised path and is easy to follow, and when you buy your tickets online you are suggested to download the app with the audio guide. We followed the suggestion and it is a great idea, you can choose what you listen to and see the images and videos on your phone in a very handy app with lots of extras. The furniture is incredible, with real art pieces in every room. The care for the objects is extreme and many pieces of furniture and fabrics in general are covered with fine nets to preserve them from further deterioration. The paintings and the clocks, in particular the big musical clock in the conservatory and the elephant clock, are definitely the most beautiful objects in the collection for my taste, but you can find many fine porcelain objects and full sets of plates that will astonish you as well.

The gardens around the manor are definitely reminiscent of the ones in Versailles, often cited as an example. In the grounds you also have a few interesting diversions. First of all, the Aviary, with cages with different birds, all set in a semi-circle with a fountain in the middle. Another interesting part is the Power House, a small building with a screen with information about the activities such as the wine nights and the foundation activities, the old power units and the original lift. About the wine nights, the manor produces some fine wines and organises dinners and wine tastings for all tastes and prices, have a look at their website for the dates scheduled up to the end of the year. Further away in the grounds are the Stables. You know my issue with horses, but this place is not used as stables anymore, it is instead partly a café and partly a small exhibition centre for modern art. I fell in love with these dresses showcased there!

The carpark is located at a certain distance from the manor but shuttle buses run every 7-8 minutes to take you to two stops, the actual building and the stables. You can also choose to walk back, but you will have a fair share of walking in the actual house and in between places through the woods if you want. That’s what we did and we were glad for the bus there and back.

Near Waddesdon there is another National Trust place, Ascott House, a Tudor house with extensive artistic grounds. Unfortunately, we arrived late for the last entry (or on time to be more precise) and we didn’t get in, but we had a walk around the grounds to enjoy the views and the fountains. I guess we should plan a wine and cheese escape to Waddesdon Manor soon and combine it with this visit.

There are so many other splendid buildings in the UK, symbols of luxury and squanders of the old times, but many of them are living a second golden age thanks to foundations and trusts and are actually working in different ways for the community. This second half of the summer should be pretty busy again and we can’t wait to tell you more about our next visits, we have some special ones already booked, stay tuned!

Ms Lust