Anglesey Abbey, Gardens & Lode Mill

At 30 years old, the future Lord Fairhaven started to make his first home. Wanting to move and shock guests, he made a fabulous garden with planting for all seasons and a comfortable house wherein to engage. Life rotated around horse racing and shooting, and guests delighted in 1930s extravagance.

What is the history of Anglesey Abbey, Gardens & Lode Mill to the present day?

Jacobean-style house with gardens and a working watermill. In stark contrast to its original purpose as an abbey for religious worship, this Jacobean-style mansion Its owner in the 1930s was the future Lord Fairhaven and he took on the house with the intention of making it a place to entertain guests, party a lot and generally live in pre-war luxury. Thus its contents now reflect the good life, with exquisite pieces of furniture, silver and tapestries adorning the house plus a huge collection of unusual clocks.

The gardens and arboretum were landscaped to impress and have 100 pieces of sculpture, plantings for every season (the Himalayan birches are a high point) and a working 18th century mill. Families should head for the National Trust's Inspiration Station and kids will love the dressing up room when you can transform yourself into a Lord Fairhaven-type country gent. There's also a tree house from which to spot the estate's plentiful wildlife.