We were so impressed by our experience that we plan to return soon with the idea of organizing our trip around these iconic buildings.
We were attracted to stay at Landmark Trust buildings for a variety of reasons:
- They provide unique accommodation and an experience which is rooted directly in the history of the nation. Imagine opening the door in a Cornwall cottage and taking an early morning walk through fields with walls dating back more than 2000 years old ... or sitting by the window of a folly with a spectacular view over England's green and pleasant land, a glass of scotch in hand, a fire glowing in the hearth ...
- The buildings are usually sited in outstanding situations.
- The restorations have been done with great care and sensitivity in order to maintain historical character of the buildings. At the same time, modern bathrooms and very well equipped kitchens have been incorporated in a way that is respectful of the original qualities of the structures.
- The cost is comparable to mid-range quality hotels when one considers that you can make your own meals. (We usually bought lunch while touring during the day.)
- The housekeeping standards are exceptional and the places are very comfortable.
- You have access to comprehensive libraries on local attractions and history contemporary to the buildings. Visitor log books provide useful hints on points of local interest - something which you cannot often find in guidebooks.
As a matter of policy, the properties do not offer WiFi. This was no issue for us as we purchased monthly cellular data plans for our iPads.
Rental periods vary. You can rent properties weekly or for shorter periods of three or four days. The practice is to make reservations on-line. It is advisable to do this months in advance of your planned trip as some popular properties (e.g. John Fowles' house in Cornwall) are snapped up quickly.
Report on Four Places (click on names to learn more)
The Tower has a romantic story: a young wife built the tower on the sly as a birthday gift for her elderly husband. As the story goes, Lord Rolle was carried to the top of the tower by servants who hefted the chair up a narrow and winding stairway.
The building is very private, situated on a hilltop and surrounded for the most part, by plantation forests. The view from the roof is stupendous. Before the scourge of old-style mono culture plantations, it would have been even better as the site was far more open when the belvedere was constructed.
There is one room per floor: the sitting room on the fourth floor and the third floor bedrooms are flooded with light. Deer and pheasant are common and we read in the log book that a pair of crows had an inordinate interest in pecking at the side mirrors on visitors' cars.
It was a delightful introduction to England ... and after four days, our legs were in great shape as a result of numerous trips up and down the staircase. Thank you, Lady Rolle.
It was a delightful introduction to England ... and after four days, our legs were in great shape as a result of numerous trips up and down the staircase. Thank you, Lady Rolle.
This place is enchanting. The "folly" was built by a local lad who made his fortune in India and returned to Cornwall to pursue a variety of commercial interests. While the manor house was demolished following a decline in the family fortunes, the Temple remains, although before its rescue by the Landmark Trust, it served as a cattle shed for a brief period.
Thankfully, this granite building has been restored. It consists of a single room fronted by three immense Georgian-style windows which present a sublime view of the rural landscape.
The place is literally hopping with rabbits and the sky is full of mobs of crows - your only neighbours in several hundred metres.
The place is literally hopping with rabbits and the sky is full of mobs of crows - your only neighbours in several hundred metres.
The Captain's House ca 1840
The house is situated in a very ancient landscape - celtic fields demarcated by walls which date back more than 2000 years. It is vintage Cornwall: rolling hills topped by moorlands, fields full of sheep and cattle, public footpaths leading to a magnificent coastline ... and lots of wind which can be ferocious at times. I went on a very early morning walk, just as the sky was starting to brighten. It was easy to imagine tin being loaded onto a Phoenician boat pulled up to a jetty in the cove shown below. (At least that's what a local farmer told me.) This is the perfect place to tour the scenic backdrop of Poldark, a quite wonderful BBC series set in the era of tin mining on the coast.
Beamsley Hospital ca 1593
Hidden into a fold of Beamsley Hill in the southern Yorkshire Dales, Beamsley Hospital was built as an almshouse, a place for indigent older women to live out their days, provided they were of good character ... and Protestant. In her wisdom, the Countess of Cumberland (see picture below) funded the operation with the annual proceeds of the rent from two farms. Amazingly, the Hospital continued in its original function until the early 1970's when its facilities were considered outdated.
The building consists of seven rooms which radiate out from a central chapel which has remained unchanged from the original. Three of the bedrooms have been changed to a kitchen, bathroom and a sitting room. There are doors everywhere as the bedrooms are accessed via the central chapel plus a few connected passages. Even after four days, we sometimes found ourselves opening doors to rooms that were not the object of our intentions.
This is one of the most interesting places we have ever stayed - and it's close to a wealth of interesting local attractions, ranging from the glories of York to great walks on the moorlands. And sometimes, it makes sense to stay put: to read on the patio in the shade of trees while enjoying the bucolic countryside or lounging by the glow of a small fireplace in the sitting room in the evening. Perfection.
Postscript
The National Trust, another UK organization focused on the preservation of noteworthy historic sites and buildings, also offers a wide range of accommodation. If we are ever in Cornwall again, we will definitely consider staying at one of the properties, Cotehele, a medieval manor house and estate. We were captivated by this place.
English Heritage is also well worth considering as it offers accommodation at several iconic properties.
Hidden into a fold of Beamsley Hill in the southern Yorkshire Dales, Beamsley Hospital was built as an almshouse, a place for indigent older women to live out their days, provided they were of good character ... and Protestant. In her wisdom, the Countess of Cumberland (see picture below) funded the operation with the annual proceeds of the rent from two farms. Amazingly, the Hospital continued in its original function until the early 1970's when its facilities were considered outdated.
The building consists of seven rooms which radiate out from a central chapel which has remained unchanged from the original. Three of the bedrooms have been changed to a kitchen, bathroom and a sitting room. There are doors everywhere as the bedrooms are accessed via the central chapel plus a few connected passages. Even after four days, we sometimes found ourselves opening doors to rooms that were not the object of our intentions.
This is one of the most interesting places we have ever stayed - and it's close to a wealth of interesting local attractions, ranging from the glories of York to great walks on the moorlands. And sometimes, it makes sense to stay put: to read on the patio in the shade of trees while enjoying the bucolic countryside or lounging by the glow of a small fireplace in the sitting room in the evening. Perfection.
Postscript
The National Trust, another UK organization focused on the preservation of noteworthy historic sites and buildings, also offers a wide range of accommodation. If we are ever in Cornwall again, we will definitely consider staying at one of the properties, Cotehele, a medieval manor house and estate. We were captivated by this place.
English Heritage is also well worth considering as it offers accommodation at several iconic properties.
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