Montacute House

Sir Edward Phelips, a member of Parliament and then Speaker of the Houses of Commons, had this house built in 1601 as a statement of his power and wealth. This is one of the best examples of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture in England,

The original front of the house was on the East side. In 1787, a later Edward Phelips took an ornamental facade from another local 16th century house, and added it to the West side. This made a new front with a corridor inside, so rooms could have their own doors. Before this family and visitors would have to go through each other’s rooms to get from one side of the house to the other.Läs mer