Burghley House is one of the grandest surviving houses from
the sixteenth century. Despite undergoing several remodelling in its long
history, the house retained its Elizabethan appearance, making it a great
example of the Elizabethan prodigy style. The house is open to the public and
displays a circuit of grand and richly furnished state apartments. Its park was
laid out by Capability Brown.
The house remains in the hands of its original owners – the Cecil
family. It was built for Sir William Cecil, later 1st Baron Burghley, who was
Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I of England, from 1555 until 1587. His descendants,
who later became earls and eventually marquesses of Exeter, have since occupied
the house. Since 1961, Burghley’s ownership was transferred to charitable trust
established by the family.
The house is home to the family’s priceless art collection,
although some of it were sold in the 1960s to cover death duties. Hundreds of
paintings were respectively acquired by the 5th and 9th earls
on their visits to Italy. The house also
boats of a number of outstanding pieces of furniture, which include the work by
celebrated 18th-century cabinet makers, Ince and Mayhew, in addition to silver,
tapestry and collections of porcelain, much of this is on public display in the
state rooms. In the Brewhouse’s "Treasury" space, changing
exhibitions are held annual, where aspects of the collections are showcased.
Burghley House is a popular choice for historical and period
filmmakers and producers, thanks to its unaltered Elizabethan façades and historic
interiors. Some of the films that were shot here included Middlemarch, The Da Vinci
Code, Pride & Prejudice, and Elizabeth:
The Golden Age.
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One of the George Rooms in the house, lavishly decorated and once occupied by Queen Victoria on her visit to Burghley House. Image from Geograph.
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Another George Room at Burghley House
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| Burghley House's Heaven Room, represent a vision of Heaven. Image from Geograph. |
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Hell's Staircase was named after Antonio Verrio's vision of hell, which was painted on the ceiling.
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Burghley House's original Elizabethan kitchen was left untouched. Fourteen skulls of turtles hang on a wall. Turtles were once kept at the kitchen and killed when required for the table. Image from Geograph.
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The State Dining Room at Burghley Hall. Image from Geograph.
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The gardens surrounding the house are too lovely to resist a
walk. Designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century, the sweeping vistas of
the parkland, the splashing in the Garden of Surprises or tranquil walks next
to the lake in the Sculpture Garden are all worth enjoying during your visit
here.
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Head image at the garden of Burghley House. Image from Wikimedia Commons
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Pacman statues at Burghley House's gardens.
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You can learn more about Burghley House on its website https://burghley.co.uk.
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