Step back in time and experience what life was like in a manor house through the centuries. Touch and feel the fabrics, sit on the chairs, and poke around the kitchen at Avebury Manor.
This beautiful manor house is operated by the National Trust and is different from their other properties. Here you can lie on the beds, sit at the dining table and touch the books.
Each room in the house is decorated in a different era. The Tudor dining room is complete with tin plates, the Queen Anne bedroom has a lavish bed and crazy colors. The house is a wonderful place to visit for all ages. Friendly docents are in each room, ready to explain details of the decor and tell stories about the house.
The design of Avebury Manor was documented in a 2011 television show entitled The Manor Reborn. It seems many visitors are already familiar with the television series, but as a foreigner I had never seen it. Everything was a surprise to me. Later I went back and watched the show, fascinating! Look for excerpts on youtube.
Don’t be shy to touch everything – except the beautiful handpainted wallpaper. At first it’s difficult to remember that you can touch things in this house. We are so used to keeping our hands behind our back in museums. But Avebury Manor is so much more fun when you lie on the beds and experience what it was like. Surprisingly comfortable, I must say! I’m not sure I would have enjoyed having a servant sleeping in a drawer beside me though.
One of my favorite spaces had walls handpainted by artist Mark Sands, inspired by wallpaper found at V&A Museum (one of my favorite museums btw). The whimsical pattern has squirrels, butterflies, fruits, flowers and vines. Of course the handpainted Chinese wallpaper in the dining room is also amazing. And don’t miss the springy chair that simulates riding horseback!
Avebury Manor is surrounded by a beautiful garden that makes a lovely wander. And of course don’t miss the amazing Avebury Stone Circles and associated sites and museums. You can read more about them here.
Avebury Manor can be reached by car and is also accessible via public bus. The stop is just a short walk away. Be sure to check out the lovely church on the way, and maybe have an ice cream as well.
Avebury Manor
near Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1RF
If you like open-air museums like Avebury Manor you might also enjoy Living History Farms.
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