If you are visiting us at the Dog and Partridge, you may like to know that a five-minute car ride will take you to the beautiful National Trust owned property, Sudbury Hall, which is one of the country’s finest Restoration mansions which has Grade I listed building status.
George Vernon (1632-1702) inherited the Sudbury estate in 1660, shortly after the restoration of King Charles II. At about the same time George married lucratively to Margaret Onley, an heiress from Northamptonshire and began his life’s work of creating Sudbury Hall over the next 42 years. Described as a ‘prudent young man, sober and active’ the house celebrated his political ambition, wealth and social position.
The Hall is a magnificent example of English architecture from one of the finest periods of country house building. George kept accounts of all he spent on the house and, as there was no payment listed to an architect, it is believed that he designed the house himself.
The house has some outstandingly beautiful rooms, including a magnificent Long Gallery which is unusual to find in a Charles II house. At just over 167ft (51m) long it includes many family portraits and fans of the 1996 BBC ‘Pride and Prejudice’ adaptation will recall the room being used as the place where Elizabeth first sets eyes on Mr Darcy’s portrait.
You will also find the Museum of childhood at Sudbury Hall. Here you can walk thorough a Victorian street and enjoy playing games of a bygone era, many long forgotten by today’s children. In the Work Gallery you can experience first-hand the harsh realities of life for children employed through the ages, and children can even climb up a chimney and crawl into the darkness to get a feel for what it would have been like for these young chimney sweeps. The Victorian schoolroom is also great fun for the youngsters, not a phone or tablet in sight, only chalk and slates!
If after all that chimney climbing and nostalgia overload, you feel the need for a restorative cuppa, the Estate courtyard is now a retail shopping outlet, with a gift and homeware shop, craft studio, bespoke metalwork shop and an excellent cafe which is well worth a visit.
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