Audley End House, located in Essex, dates from the 17th century, and it is one of the best Jacobean houses in England. The existing house is only a third of its original size, and it is under management of English Heritage. It was the site of Walden Abbey monastery, and the abbey was converted into a house by Thomas Audley, who was given it by Henry VIII. Elizabeth I visited the house in 1578, and the house was demolished in place of a grander one for entertaining James I, but the cost of the building may have been stolen from the king as the family were found guilty of embezzlement. Charles II bought the house for a royal palace but gave it back to the disgraced Suffolks in 1701. I visited the house in early September.
Capability Brown sculpted the parkland and created monuments for it, and the walled garden and kitchen garden were restored in 2000 to appear as it would have done in Victorian times. It was opened by Prince Charles. The garden contains 120 apple varities of apple.
A tour of the house was first on the agenda. The house contents still belong to the last family to inherit the house, the Barons Braybrooke, and photography inside the house is not permitted. The house contains a great collection of items and paintings with a stunning great Hall. The nursery was interesting and covered with multiple rooms, and adjacent is the coal room, which is a feature that I had not seen in a mansion before. The coal was used to heat water.
After the visit to the house, I explored the formal gardens, which are beautiful.
Next to the house are a couple of working buildings: the creamery and the laundry. The creamery showed how milk was transformed into cream and butter.
The laundry mentioned how clothing would be washed. Both of these tasks are completed without too much effort in today's world, but they would have required much effort and been very manual in past ages.
The grounds at Audley End are extensive, but I did not get to explore them on this visit, sadly, but as the whole house was not yet open, I will return at some point anyway and know what to expect.
The walled garden is a short walk away from the house.
A lot of vegetables and fruits were growing and ripening during my visit, and there are some beautiful flowers.
I will definitely be visiting Audley End house at some point in the future. There is so much to see and do here, and I suggest that visitors plan half at day (at least) to make a visit.
Leave a comment