Audley End House
Audley End House is an Elizabethan style mansion near Saffron Walden , Essex , 25 kilometers south of Cambridge .
history
Audley End was founded as a Benedictine abbey in the 12th century. In 1538 the estate was donated to Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden by Henry VIII for his services to the crown. The monastery was converted into a mansion and was known as the Audley Inn at the time. Thomas Howard , grandson of Sir Thomas Audley had the house torn down and rebuilt in the years 1603 to 1616 the estate the largest private house in England from, especially around here I. James entertain. When the house was built, Thomas Howard had taken over and probably also made use of the state treasury, so that he was brought to the Tower of London in 1619 and was released after ten days after paying a fine.
In 1668 the house was bought by Charles II as a country estate to reside in while attending the Newmarket races . In 1701 the house was returned to Thomas Howard's descendant, Henry Howard, 5th Earl of Suffolk. Over the next century, the house was gradually demolished until it was what it is today. Despite these demolitions, the main house was almost completely preserved in its former condition. Over the years some rooms have been completely redesigned, especially the large entrance hall. In 1948 the house was sold to the Ministry of Works by the 9th Lord Braybook, and later came into the possession of the successor organization English Heritage .
Interior
Today 32 rooms are open to the public in the manor house. Particularly noteworthy are the large hall, the Jacobean ceilings and the library. According to the English Heritage, one of the most interesting exhibits is the State Bed . This particular bed was made in 1786 in the hope that George III. would pay a visit to the house. The bed is eight feet by eight and cost £ 400 at the time. That was roughly the salary a maid could earn in 50 years.
Garden area
The present garden was laid out by Capability Brown . In 1762 he was commissioned by Sir John Griffin Griffin to rebuild the garden of the house. The original gardens came from the 17th century and consisted of a strictly formalistic system with dead straight paths, rectangular ponds and long avenues. Brown broke this formalistic order and created a garden that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. For this purpose, on the one hand, all fences and barriers were torn down to ensure an undisturbed view, and on the other hand, a green belt was planted on the horizon to strengthen the embedding in the surrounding area.
Web links
- Information on the website of the English Heritage (english)
- Garden Organic (website for organic horticulture in Audley End)
- Detailed information for teachers (english)
Coordinates: 52 ° 1 '15 " N , 0 ° 13' 14.3" E