Burghley House

Peterborough Cathedral was a magical start to Saturday - and just up the road is one of the great Tudor treasure houses - Burghley. Built by Elizabeth I's chief minister, it is an enormous and splendid house. Altho the exterior is v. much the same as when Mr. Cecil built it, the interior has gone thru many renovations and changes by later generations. One sees high baroque painted rooms (LaGuerre), some 18th C. decor, a lot of Regency which is v. charming, and some heavy-handed 19th C. decor - all of which, more or less, lives together fairly well. Burghley is remarkable for the fact that the collection is mostly complete - the family hasn't had to sell off objets to keep the house from falling down.

A v. relaxing lunch in the Orangerie garden next to the fountain was a charming end to the visit.