Wentworth Woodhouse

It's the numbers at Wentworth Woodhouse that are staggering - a room for every day of the year, over 1000 windows, a frontage of 616 feet, twice as wide as Buckingham Palace, and over 5 miles of corridors.

The chequered 20th century history of the owners, the Fitzwilliam family (as told in the excellent book, Black Diamonds) is staggering too and I have been longing to visit ever since reading it.  Cue a grand day out with my buddy Helen and a tour of the 23 rooms that are open for public viewing (by appointment only).  The house is badly affected by subsidence as a result of the open cast and deep mining which was ordered nearly up to the back doors of the house in the 1950s by a vindictive Manny Shinwell, Minister for Coal and the future of the house is uncertain as the 89 year old current owner, who has done so much to restore the lovely Georgian interiors, has had to admit defeat and put the house up for sale.

Our tour guide was interesting, the rooms were beautiful and opulent and the Marble Saloon, a ballroom where Anna Pavlova once danced for King George V, was simply the most stunning and incredible room I have ever seen.

We also visited the estate village of Wentworth, where all the houses are still painted in Fitzwilliam green and explored the new church and old ruined sandstone church.  I think I might have found my fantasy retirement village.