Burghley House: The Grand Tudor Manor of William Cecil (Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I)
The first stop on our England adventure was Burghley House. This is a magnificent country home, dating back to the 16th century and it was built by Sir William Cecil, later 1st Baron Burghley, who was Lord High Treasuerer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1558 ~ 1587. The grounds were later laid out by Capability Brown. It has become the member of a charitable trust since 1961, and is open to the public for visiting.
When we visited, there was a school trip
Beautiful architecture
Illustration of the house during the 16th Century (each Baron modified the house slightly)
When you first begin to tour Burghley, you are greeted with an interactive exhibit, which introduces you to the house. You are given a historical overview and features of the house are highlighted for you. I though this was very clever, because this introduction is done by the "previous owners" of Burghley House. Now, I put "previous owners" in quotes because obviously, Sir William Cecil and his descendants are dead, but using actors and visual media, each generation is projected onto the walls on this entrance hall. Six generations of the Cecil family talk to each other, comparing and contrasting how the house looked in their day. Very amusing!
Top (L-R):
David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
Bottom (L-R):
9th Earl of Exeter
5th Earl of Exeter
2nd Marquess of Exeter
Panoramic shot of the courtyard
Once you conclude the introduction, you must cross the outer courtyard and then you can enter the main area of Burghley. The first stop is the kitchen, which is rather impressive. It has incredible vaulted ceilings and is big enough to host a ball (not that it would have, what with it being a kitchen). The kitchen is filled to the brim with equipment, especially copper molds --- I can just imagine the hustle and bustle of this place when it was being used!
For me, the most intriguing feature was the little part of the kitchen decorated with skulls. It took me a few minutes to realize that these are turtle skulls! During the Victorian period, turtle soup was a delicacy and an ultimate sign of wealth. Judging from this wall, I'd say it was a Burghley favorite!
My mother inspecting the skulls and the copper dishes
Copper turtle, anyone?
From the kitchen, one enters a small room, lined with bells. It was actually a little bit shocking. This is clearly where servants would pass through, to see which rooms were in need of servicing. When I say the room was lined with bells, I mean the whole top portion of the room, like a design, was outfitted with this identification bells.
(Sorry about the black area on this picture. It was rather hard to take a panorama shot of this, for some reason.)
I won't bore you by describing each room of the house. I don't think that will be fun for you and frankly, I don't remember it 100% to do that. What I will say is that the Tudor architecture of Burghley is exquisite and that each room is quite beautiful. As you will see in many manor homes, the rooms are built in a linear sequence and they are rather elaborate. The paintings that hang in the rooms of Burghley mainly depict famous individuals (Quen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther, Capability Brown, family members, etc…), but there are also really beautiful pieces of art, since the 5th Earl of Exeter was an avid art collector.
Looking into the inner courtyard of Burghley. This is off limits, as it is used by Burghley's private residents.
Gorgeous dining room
Very ornate and beautifully embroidered bed
My mother and one of the volunteers discussing the many portraits, which decorate this room
For whatever reason, my favorite part of this house is this fantastic mural called, "The Hell Painting." It's all in the name. It is a painting that depicts Hell and all Hell has to offer. I know that it's strange to like this painting and I don't what it says about me, but I couldn't stop staring at it. Perhaps I'm drawn to the boldness of the content --- I mean, this mural overlooks a major staircase that entertained guests AND it is in a residence. I don't think either circumstance is normal. I think this painting is beautifully done and I was particularly impressed by the level of detail that the artist put into this work.
I saw these mugs in the gift shop and fell in love. I also ended up buying the "Her Ladyship" one.
Before leaving Burghley (and before being kicked out since it was almost closing time) my parents and I quickly visited the "Garden of Surprises." It was a little bit tacky, but still quite cute. The Garden was lovely, but the cutsey mazes and moving statues sort of killed it for me. Still, we had fun.
The statues in this garden move.
Until we arrived at Burghley House, I wasn't even aware of its existence! What a beautiful house, and so rich with history. Looking back on our trip, I'd say that this was one of my favorite houses that we visited and I would love to go back. I would especially like to see more of the grounds!
For information on Burghley House, please click here.
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