I used to cycle this way as a child, sandwiches and water stowed away in the tartan stow-away over my back wheel, to paddle in the nearby brook. Strangely, I had never actually been into the grounds or the main building of this mansion, so it was great to actually see the place properly last week.
Local art group
Built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, this place was once left to ruin as a local farmer who had bought the estate simply wanted the land, not the building.
Mind you, it must take some keeping up; the gardens are wonderful.
I was lucky enough to be invited in the house, tours are taken every hour and are constructed around the main part of the building; the other part still being inhabited by the family.
Despite all the media talk of living in lawless times, it seems we have never had it so good! Certainly Elizabethan times were not a safe time to be around. I don't know of a bed which id made with a hole in the top for valuables so thieves have to climb over a sleeper today!
Special doors, peep-holes and listening masks feature heavily in this building. Great to see now, but not so good if they must be used.
For me, the finishing touch was the pretty church and this fabulous window. It really sums the place up. Magic.
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