It was a perfect June day for the trip to Burghley House near Stamford, in Lincolnshire. The coach made swift progress and arrived in good time, just before the gates opened at 11.00 a.m.
Burghley House is set in a huge, beautiful parkland with fallow deer wandering around. Apart from the house, there are many other attractions for the visitor.
The Garden of Surprises was only opened in April when Lord Salisbury was in attendance. The present day Cecil family have a close association with the house, which was built by William Cecil, in the mid 16th Century. The Garden of Surprises is well named, as there are around fifteen features to see including a mirror maze, a fascinating Longitude Dial, statues of Roman Emperors' heads which actually move and a number of unusual water features. To exit the garden, it is necessary to pass through a curtain of water - with the chance of a soaking if it is mis-timed.
Nearby is the Sculpture Garden where interesting and varied works are to be seen, in a lovely woodland setting. Another new attraction is the Brewhouse Centre which features an audio visual show 'Ancestors in the Attic'.
And so to the house itself - rightly described as 'The largest and grandest house of the Elizabethan age'. We entered via an enormous kitchen, complete with utensils and fittings which gave some indication of the amount of work necessary to feed such a large household. This was followed by a tour of numerous, magnificent state rooms filled with very fine treasures - furniture, porcelain and some 700 paintings, collected by the family over the centuries. Particularly interesting was the Heaven Room which depicts a mythological heaven, inhabited by dozens of gods and goddesses. This was painted by Antonio Verrio who also decorated several other rooms. We descended by way of the Hell Staircase - showing Verrio's idea of the entrance to Hell - not a pleasant thought.
Exit was made through the Grand Hall , a bit of an under statement as it is really splendid, then on to the Olympic Corridor where the 6th Marquess's successful athletic career is celebrated. His performance in the Olympics was portrayed in the film 'Chariots of Fire'.
After the house tour, lunch was the order of the day, taken in the very pleasant surroundings of the Orangery Restaurant. There was much to see - a very enjoyable day - more than just a mere visit to a stately home.
Mary Cook