Greetings from the heart of the Fenlands, in England's East Anglia. I'm here with my parents, celebrating my Mum's 80th Birthday this week. I was over in March of this year so it hasn't been too long between visits, but whenever my feet touch British soil I'm filled with inspiration for future travels.
There's not a part of this more remote region of the country that isn't packed with history — and even more thrilling, hidden history waiting to be uncovered.
Yesterday, my husband, Timo and I took a few hours to ourselves for a Monday visit to beautiful Burghley House in nearby Stamford, Lincolnshire. We walked the Garden of Surprises and the bucolic Sculpture Garden, enjoyed lunch in the elegant yet casual Orangery and toured the house itself in relative solitude given the early weekday timing,
Photos: Frances Rivetti
Docents at Burghley have been there for years, some into their third decade. There's nothing like an extraordinarily learned and enthusiastic docent to bring history alive. Given that I'm a writer and a history buff I had lots of questions, too! There are a pair of white, kid leather gloves in a case in the bedroom where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed for a couple of nights. When the glass case was opened in recent years after many decades to inspect the gloves for age damage, handwritten notes from the Prince were found tucked inside the gloves.
"There's always a surprise tucked away within these walls," said the impeccably dressed and articulate room docent. The notes, with regards to their visit, were written to then-hosts Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter and his wife Isabella, née Poyntz.
The original William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 2025 – 4 August 2025) was an English statesman and chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her life. In fact, I learned that so fond of him as a mentor she was, she spoon fed him soup at his deathbed. He was born and educated in Lincolnshire and Cambridge University and developed vast properties in England, Burghley surprisingly not the largest.
The Netflix Series The Crown airs season 5 in early November 2022 in the UK & USA. Several scenes including the 1992 fire at Windsor Castle were filmed at Burghley with the use of realistic looking fire and smoke created by an elaborate lighting set up. This new season stars the wonderful Imelda Staunton as the Queen. Elizabeth Debicki takes on the role of an older Diana and Dominic West steps in as Charles. I expect there will be a growing audience as the show approaches a period so many of us remember.
Centuries prior, Queen Elizabeth I and her entourage were the most costly guests by all accounts.
Burghley is not part of the National Trust because the family wished all of its treasures to remain within the house and not be distributed amongst any other historic properties. Home of the international Burghley Horse Trials and several seasonal special events, its a terrific spot to add to your list if you're traveling north from London.
My intrepid journalist/editor sister Kerry has launched a new travel site The British Travel List recently. She's a fountain of knowledge of top spots to visit and stay and writes for multiple international newspapers and magazines. Sign up for her newsletter if you're a fan of British travel or follow on social media.
My main focus this trip is my folks and I'll be tagging on some extra travel on the end of this visit, which I'll be posting about when I'm back home in Sonoma County. Until then, cheerio. It's tea time again!
Comments