Alphabe-Thursday - H is for Hellens Manor

Joining Jenny @ off on my tangent

for

With a visit to Hellens Manor. Much Marcle.

Hellens Manor and the famous knot garden.

In 1096 Hellens Manor, a beautiful historical house, situated in the lovely Herefordshire village of Much Marcle, became the property of the de Balun family who were witnesses to the signing of the Magna Carta by King John.

In the Spring of 2011 the Senior Partner and I spent an enjoyable afternoon touring the house and gardens.

This door leads into the medieval part of the house.

This post is really all about the photo's that we took that day, with just a little bit of info gleaned from the tour guide and the brochure we were handed as the tour began.

The Stone Hall has a Minstrel's Gallery and a great fireplace which bears the crest of the Black prince.

In the 14th century the house was the property of the Earl Of Gloucester.
His nephew James, a companion to the Black Prince, rented Hellens Manor in exchange for a pair of silver spurs.
He later leased the house to Walter Helyon, who gave his name to the Manor.

The great fireplace in the Stone Hall bears the crest of the Black Prince.

His descendants have lived at Hellens ever since and it has always remained a home and not a museum.

In the 16th century Hetty Walwyn, a daughter of the house, ran away with her lover.
She returned years later, destitute apart from a diamond ring. She was imprisoned in a locked room with iron bars at the windows, for the rest of her life.
She used a small bell as her only means of communication with the rest of the household.
It is believed that she haunts the house, still ringing a bell.

This case contains the family coronet and some items said to have belonged to Anne Boleyn.

The rooms are filled with inherited paintings, furniture and decorations, most are family heirlooms.
Some belonged to Anne Boleyn, Mary Tudor, the Earl of Essex (a favourite of Elizabeth I) and Charles I.

Bloody Mary's chamber.

At great expense to the family a room was prepared for Bloody Mary and her tutor Featherstone, it is also said to be haunted.

In the early part of the 20th century Hellens passed into the hands of Lady Helena Gleichen one of Queen Victoria's neices.
Her decendants, the Munthe family, have created a charitable trust in order to keep the house running.
The richly panelled Music Room, which is used by the family when in residence, has a large stone fireplace, on the mantel above are family photographs.

I hope you've enjoyed my virtual guided tour of Hellens Manor and if you would like to learn more about Hellens then click here to go to the website.