Jul
Saturday Salon: Regency Real Estate
Kedleston Hall. A nice little starter house for a duke
One of the best things about writing historical romance is being able to choose from all the stunning English country houses for our heroes and heroines.
Stowe in 1880: gardeners will find scope for expansion
The Marble Saloon at Stowe: perfect for intimate family gatherings
Much of The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton takes place at Mandeville House, home of the Duke and Duchess of Hampton. This mansion first appeared in The Dangerous Viscount and it will turn up again in Confessions From an Arranged Marriage (April 2012). In the course of three novels the house and grounds have evolved. When I wrote The Dangerous Viscount, I envisioned a Palladian pile, along the lines of Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, home of the Curzon family. I set it in glorious gardens filled with classical temples, inspired by Stourhead in Wiltshire. Then, while I was writing The Amorous Education, I visited Stowe in Buckinghamshire, now a private school. Geez, that’s a socking great house and the landscaping makes Stourhead look like my back yard (well, not quite). So I incorporated aspects of Stowe into Mandeville, including the great oval Marble Saloon, complete with naked statues.
Temple in Stourhead Garden: would make a great mother-in-law apartment
Stowe seen through the Corinthian Arch at the end of the great avenue. Take your morning jog in the privacy of your own grounds.
Country Life is an English magazine I adore simply for the ads: I browse it looking for my ideal house, historic beauties you can buy for a mere million or two, and most of them on a far more manageable scale than stately homes. And there’s plenty of great American real estate too, both on the web and in magazines. A girl can dream about an Upper East Side of Manhattan townhouse, a deco mansion in Palm Beach, or a ranch in Montana. And I always enjoy the descriptions realtors manage to come up with.
Here are pictures of Old Wardour and New Wardour Castles, which happen to be located near where I grew up. Try your hand at writing a real estate description to appeal to a romance character looking for a new home. If you prefer, you may use one of the other pictures in this blog, or upload your own. Hopefully Lady B. will pop by and tell us where she and Lord B. reside when the London season is over.
Jul 30, 2011
9:29 am
This is the beautiful estate ofPemberley. Located in Derbyshire, this location is just right for the young couple who need some distance from meddling relations.
The grounds are lush, perfect for walks that brighten your eyes from the exercise. There is a steam ideal for fishing if your relations wish to partake, and a lake where you can greet your significant other after he has taken a swim to cool his passions!
The rooms inside are large, tastefully appointed, and just the thing for entertaining guests with an evening of music. Learn about the history of the illustrious family who have lived there before in the portrait gallery. If you are looking for a large stately residence that still feels like home, complete with a loyal staff look no further!
Imagine, ladies, of all this you could be mistress!
Sorry-I couldn’t resist!
Jul 30, 2011
9:33 am
LOL! Fabulous, Lisa! I’m sold!
Jul 30, 2011
10:27 am
Beautifully done, Lisa. You had me at the lake. And just for the heck of it…
Jul 30, 2011
10:29 am
Lifts her lognettes
Ooh. Now *there’s* a dish. How are the legs?
Jul 30, 2011
1:19 pm
*pleasantly speechless*
Jul 30, 2011
1:53 pm
THANK YOU MIRANDA!!!!!! Like Tessa, I’m rendered a bit speechless and that’s the best I can do right now.
Jul 30, 2011
9:50 am
Love this post, Miranda, and not only because you referred to Stowe as “a socking great house.” You Brits, you’re so amusing.
Country Life is AMAZING…the perfect inspiration for books set in and around the British countryside. I can also recommend This book, The Regency Country House, from the Archives of Country Life for anyone who is looking for a great research tool on these enormous estates.
But! Onto more pressing concerns! The house for me! I (unfortunately for my characters) am particularly fond of the dilapidated estate. The one that needs a great deal of work. Luckily, I’m not the only one…Matthew Beckett has a fabulous blog called Lost Heritage, where he’s catalogued the lost country houses of Britain. Warning. You WILL lose a day at this website.
My favorite changes…but the current one is Blackborough Hall in Devon, which is a fabulous starter estate, and a cosy fixer upper…and what luck that it requires a gut renovation! You’ll be able to build the Country House of your dreams!
Blackborough is on the market now for a *steal* at 1 million pounds. It won’t last long! Or, maybe it will, as sadly, the fixing up will cost nearly twice that.
I’m going to need to sell a *lot* more books. Stat.
Jul 30, 2011
10:39 am
“Socking” was the only word that came to mind, Sarah. I’m going to resist Lost Heritage until after I finish my revisions, otherwise Mandeville may acquire another wing. I love a fixer-upper. Sebastian’s house in The Dangerous Viscount, while structurally sound, was in crying need of a decorator. Diana and I had a great time doing it, having unlimited access to the best period resources.
Hey peeps! Buy lots of Sarah’s books so she can buy Blackborough Hall and perhaps she’ll have me to stay.
Jul 30, 2011
12:29 pm
LOL! If you all buy enough books for me to buy Blackborough, I’ll have an ENORMOUS garden party…you can all come!
Jul 30, 2011
2:09 pm
Oh, those pictures almost made me weep! Such a beautiful house in such disrepair. I suppose the National Trust is too strapped right now to rescue it?
Jul 30, 2011
2:46 pm
Unfortunately the National Trust rarely takes on houses that don’t come with an endowment to help with upkeep. Best hope is an internet millionaire or a bestselling romance author!
Jul 30, 2011
10:23 am
Ross and I are trying to contact the eccentric millionaire who currently lives at Arnage, a fortified house in Ellon, near Aberdeen. It’s only 550 years old, built on the site of an old keep.
Ross’s ancestor, Provost Ross of Aberdeen, bought it in the 18th century and the Leith-Ross family lived there until 1937 when his great-grandfather died.
But to me, it looks like the sort of property that a Sassenach lord might end up owning as a result of an ancestor’s marriage. Perfect destination for that ill-conceived trip with a few friends and their filles-de-joie, only to discover that the light o’love you’d planned to dally with isn’t a bit of muslin at all but a BLUESTOCKING.
Jul 30, 2011
10:42 am
That’s a beauty, Magdalen! And looks like it might be key ready and in move-in condition. Perhaps the eccentric millionaire is too busy with his bluestocking bits of muslin (no reason a lady can’t be BOTH) to respond to your overtures. You may have to storm the ramparts.
Jul 30, 2011
2:06 pm
Oh, that’s lovely!
Jul 30, 2011
11:27 am
Miranda -
I love your post. When my husband and I visited England we fell in love with Winchester. When we visited the cathedral and opened the door the organ began playing (yes there was someone playing it) and the townspeople were wonderful and helpful in helping us find some local places to visit and places to eat that they personally loved.
I was just curious if there is one building or house in Winchester that you think is a must visit place to visit?
Jul 30, 2011
1:24 pm
I’ve been to Winchester, Jeanne, but I don’t know it well. Only thing I can think of about it offhand is that Jane Austen is buried in the cathedral. But just for you, here’s a picture of The Vyne, a gorgeous house in Hampshire (not that close to Winchester but not too far either).
“A Tudor mansion for the discriminating noble family. Perfect for entertaining large monarchs. Guest suites offer accommodations for multiple spouses.”
Jul 30, 2011
1:21 pm
Fabulous post, Miranda! I admit, it had me laughing, because after looking at all these gorgeous photos of your hero’s palatial home(s), I went to go dig out my inspiration for the hero’s new digs in A Night to Surrender.
Yeah, it looks like this:
Jul 30, 2011
1:27 pm
Ack! Pushed the wrong button.
EDIT: I can’t get it to work, because I think it’s too big. Oh well!
But I got so inspired looking through the photos from my trip, that I posted more castle pics on my own blog. They’re here, if anyone’s interested.
For other books, I have very much enjoyed looking up historical estates in books and online. The filmmakers of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film put those Stourhead gardens (and the temple, in particular) to excellent use. Though I adore your suggestion of making it a mother-in-law cottage. Perhaps the Darcys could put Lady Catherine there?
Jul 30, 2011
1:40 pm
Fixer-upper seems too kind for this place, picturesque as it is. Loved the pictures on your blog, Tessa. Bodiam is glorious! Inspires me to give a hero a moat, so handy for disposing of evidence, villains, dead goldfish (could have used it lately) etc.
Stourhead is one of my favorite places. There’s an excellent pub and the park makes a wonderful walk to work of the beer.
Peeps: buy lots of Tessa’s books so next time she can afford to give her hero a better mansion.
Jul 30, 2011
1:59 pm
Don’t worry! The next hero has a much grander estate. And they spend all of…eight hours, maybe?…at it.
I will never learn, will I?
Jul 30, 2011
2:47 pm
Have you got them doing it in – er – on the road again?
Jul 31, 2011
1:49 am
Both, rather.
Jul 30, 2011
2:26 pm
Miranda, this is a wonderful post and I love seeing all these houses (too small a word really but…). This made me realize that I haven’t given anyone a grand estate in quite a while. They’ve all been in town houses and rented rooms and other fly by night sort of places!
Jul 30, 2011
2:50 pm
There’s always lots of fun to be had in fly by night places, Sabrina. However, I am partial to having my characters sneak around the passages of large houses at night.
Jul 30, 2011
2:31 pm
Just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!!
Jul 30, 2011
2:41 pm
Miranda, The Vyne is truly beautiful. Do they possibly have an opening for a master mason (with all that brick and stone I’m sure there is plenty of upkeep needed) that comes with a quaint cottage for him and his family? I’m sure my husband who is a master stone and brick mason would be more than happy to apply!
Jul 30, 2011
2:48 pm
Your husband should send in his resumé immediately!
Jul 30, 2011
5:54 pm
When I was in England 8 years ago we drove thru the county of Somerset on our way west. I was struck by how similar it was to where I live in NJ in what is called the Somerset Hills. Guess that’s where the name Somerset County NJ came from. This is an area full of estates built in the late 1800′s-early 1900′s by the NY millionares as country weekend houses. I know Tommy Dorsey had a place and more recently Jackie Onassis. I’ve been in a few thru charity decorator showhouses. But they can’t hold a candle to these statley homes you all are showing , either in granduer or history. You alls books and blogs really gives me the bug to get back to England and see more of these places. Thanks for the books blogs that feed my dreams. Pictures of Colin are always appreciated too!
Jul 30, 2011
7:58 pm
That’s an excellent point about Somerset Hills. I expect some immigrant from Somerset thought it looked like home. There are some beautiful old estates in the eastern US. And most of them are a more manageable size than those English stately homes. Lyndhurst, a Gothic style mansion on the Hudson River, if a favorite of mine. It’s open to the public.
Jul 30, 2011
6:56 pm
I’d love to visit all of these places. Thank you for sharing all of this at the Ballroom.
Jul 30, 2011
7:59 pm
You’re welcome, Molly. Thanks for visiting.
Jul 31, 2011
12:00 am
I have a soft spot for Blenheim, since my favorite American heiress, Jennie Jerome, lived there during the early years of her marriage to Lord Randolph Churchill.
But my heart truly belongs to the gorgeous Waddesdon Manor, one of the many country estates owned by the Rothschild family.
Jul 31, 2011
7:59 am
Socking is definitely a word for Blenheim, Evangeline. The architect, Sir John Vanbrugh, was famous for designing on a monumental scale. Someone suggested a tongue-in-cheek epitaph for him:
“Lie heavy on him, Earth! For he
Laid many heavy loads on thee!”
In fact, Evangeline, you seem to have a taste for the monumental yourself. Waddesdon is also huge with the most over-the-top interior (mostly French furniture) I’ve ever seen. You are quite right that it deserves a visit and thank you for mentioning it.
And here’s the exterior – not at all like the average English country house!
Aug 1, 2011
4:41 am
You’re right, I do enjoy houses with a substantial presence. *g*
Jul 31, 2011
8:56 pm
All these talks of awesome houses has me wondering… A few years ago I wrote fan fiction for Pride and Prejudice, part of one story was an advertisement for the Darcy’s house. I’ll have to find it. It’s not on this computer…
For the past week I have read all of Miranda’s and most of Tessa’s books. Ok, I have been obsessed. LOVED them all.
Now I have to do in two hours what it takes two days….Gotta check out Tessa’s blog .
Jul 31, 2011
9:25 pm
If you find that Darcy ad, please come back and post it. I am so glad (and I’m sure Tessa will be too) that we’ve prevented you getting anything useful done all week. This makes a writer very happy!
Aug 1, 2011
8:37 am
Oh, my! I love these pictures, Miranda! And also the ones that others posted. I’m a visual kind of gal, so these pictures are awesome. And thanks for the picture of Firth/Darcy!!
Aug 1, 2011
9:22 am
Any excuse for a picture of Colin Firth