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Burghley

Burghley is perhaps the grandest of all the great sixteenth century Elizabethan houses, capturing the drama and other-worldly spirit of the age. Its building and design were directed by Lord Burghley, William Cecil, Treasurer to Elizabeth the First, and her most influential advisor. I tend to look at a house and imagine the personality behind it. Looking at Burghley I might imagine some extravagant billionaire with a taste for the dramatic, a cross between Bill Gates and Freddie Mercury. But William Cecil was not like the house he created. The man who built the dreamy towers and spires of Burghley was the ultimate "safe pair of hands." He came up with no revolutionary policies or ideas. His contribution was to steer a steady middle course through the treacherous sixteenth century shoals of religious division, between the Catholics on one side and the Puritans on the other. He did what needed to be done to keep the country together, and he did this very well. Queen Elizabeth came to rely on Cecil like no other of her advisors. In architecture Cecil typically avoided the revolutionary and the different. His grand house is like others of the period, Longleat or Wollaton Hall for example, except Burghley just had more of everything. In fact it may claim to be the definitive grand house of late Tudor England. Fancy towers and dreamy spires were the in thing, so that's what he had. And he had them bigger and taller and dreamier. Cecil reminds me of my youth when people used to dress in outrageous clothes to fit in with their group who also dressed in outrageous clothes; and the most outrageous of all were in a way trying to fit in the most completely. The towers of Burghley were the towers of a sensible man, who didn't have time to indulge in silly dreams or schemes. In Burghley the dream came back down to earth.

Burghley, like most great properties, housed lavish collections of art and valuable objects. Collections such as this were the forerunners of modern museums. Guided tours of the house are available, and there are talks on many aspects of the art on show at Burghley. Lady Victoria Leatham, the present owner and a descendent of Cecil, is well known as one of the presenters of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow. There is also a varied calendar of events, ranging from craft fairs, and interior decorating exhibitions, to horse shows and open air opera. The house is set in beautiful parklands landscaped by Capability Brown. There is a restaurant, a shop and a garden shop.

There is an educational programme for schools, related to studies of the Tudors

Opening Times: Burghley is open daily, except Fridays from the 21st March to the 30th October 2008. Opening hours are 11am to 5pm, last admission 4:30pm. The Park is open all year. Dogs are welcome on leads.

Directions: Burghley is in Lincolnshire, close to the A1, one mile north of Stamford on the B1443. Click here for an interactive map centred on Burghley.

Access: parking is available close to the house, and there are adapted toilet facilities. Access in the house is fairly good, but the lifts cannot take wheelchairs, and visitors will have to be able to move into and out of a chair. It is recommended that visitors ring ahead to discuss their requirements.

Contact:

phone: 01780 752451

e-mail: burghley@burghley.co.uk

web: http://www.burghley.co.uk/