Hello, dear readers! I have been decidedly neglecting my blog over the past few years. Granted, that's usually in favour of writing my books, so I don't feel too badly about it. But I do want to start sharing at least a few things from my travel. I know this helps provide helpful context on the Regency setting of my novels.
So I thought I would share two country houses sited on former abbeys. I've mentioned Rutherford Abbey (the seat of the Marquess of Stretford in the Constant Love series), but starting in book 5 it will be an actual setting, and it will play a more particular role in book 6. So it was great to see real-world examples of this, particularly how some of the fabric of the old monastic sites was incorporated into the houses.
The first house is Lacock Abbey, which I visited in 2022. If Lacock sounds familiar, it's because the village served for Meryton in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. I would already have been fond of it because of this, but it now holds a special place in my heart as it was the first place I visited in England after the pandemic.
Lacock
Lacock
The house is just outside the village, and the upper level looks much like a normal country house, showing a mixture of eras.
Lacock Abbey Great Hall
Lacock Abbey Blue Parlour
There is one particularly famous window in Lacock Abbey, which was the subject of what is commonly thought to be the first photograph. There is a great museum on the history of photography included in admission to this National Trust property, which I also enjoyed.
Lacock Abbey's famous bay window
Exterior showing the bay window
It's what lies beneath that is of particular interest to this post. Because beneath the main level, much of the former abbey remains.
Portion of the old abbey
Portion of the old abbey
Old abbey cloisters
As you can see, much is still intact and it makes for a very atmospheric space. I'll definitely be keeping it in mind when I get to book 6!
There is also a (comparably) newer service wing behind and to the side of the house, including the old brewery.
Service wing attached to main house
Brewery
Brewery
Now, let's move on to another National Trust property, Mottisfont, which I visited in 2023. The elements of the old abbey are a little less obvious than they were at Lacock Abbey, but there were still plenty of them to see.
Mottisfont exterior
The tour at Mottisfont starts on the ground level, so you get to them immediately.
Old abbey pillars
Old abbey wall niche
The particularly atmospheric old abbey cellarium
Upstairs, again, the house looks very much like a normal country house, with some lovely rooms and decorative details.
Neoclassical fireplace and bookshelf
The dining room also looks quite normal, but the room volunteer showed me something very interesting: a portion of the old abbey arches, hidden away in a cupboard!
Dining room
I thought it was so interesting that although the room and upper levels looked completely removed from the monastic building, it was still very much a part of their fabric.
Mottisfont is also famous for a few other things. One is its Whistler Room, a drawing room painted by Rex Whistler in trompe l’oeil fashion.
Whistler Room
The other famous thing is its lovely rose garden, and I'll leave you with a photo of that! I hope you've enjoyed this look at these two abbeys turned country houses.
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