This was not a National Trust house -- I think it is owned by English
Heritage. They provided a free audiotaped tour with information given
by actors pretending to be housemaids, butlers, etc. -- something that
I imagine the National Trust would think was beneath itself, but I thought
was great fun to wander in the ruins while the actors evoked scenes of
what life was like in the house's heyday. Apparently all sorts of
misbehaviour occurred when the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) came
to visit. I also liked the story about the Christmas tree bedecked
with jewels, from which female houseguests at the holidays were invited
to select "a little something."
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At left, a wing of the house and the connected
church (with small dome). The church is decorated with elaborate
ceiling murals, and is still in use as the parish church. At right,
the conservatory. Tiny bits of the original glass can still be found
in the stone window-frames. Period photographs at various places
show how the rooms looked during the house's heyday.