The Mansion House, Bramshill

This is the third most haunted place in the country! The original house here was 14th century but much of that has gone and what remains is the Jacobean mansion house that was built between 1605 and 1625 by Lord Edward Zouche. He was an interesting character and the only one of the commission on Mary Queen of Scott's to dissent from the decision to execute her. Later on James I made him warden of the Cinque Ports which meant that his riches came from piracy and enabled the building of this remarkale Jacobean pile.

There are some interesting features inside the house: upstairs there are some fine decorative strapwork ceilings in the style of Inigo Jones, said to be the finest of their kind. Much of the design feels Palladian in style with a certain amount of symmetry and formality. There are tapestries to be found adorning walls - some based on cartoons by Rubens, others are stunning green verdure tapestries, featuring foliage, greenery and birds in decorative art style. Edward Zouche was also a keen horticulturalist and there are some fine horticultural paintings in one of the rooms; and he laid out beautiful extensive formal gardens. Further afield there are rare white fallow deer in the grounds.

This is a tremendous pile, but only rarely open to the public.