Located in Cambridgeshire, England, this ancient Norman Manor House is said to be one of the oldest continually inhabited homes in the British Isles.
It was built in about the year 1130 by Payn Osmundsen, tenant of Aubrey de Vere.
Records indicate that from 1256 to 1490 the property was owned by the de Grey family and then, amongst others, Richard Cromwell – Oliver Cromwell’s grandfather.
The house had been doubled in size by the early 1700s. However, the extension burnt down in 1798.
A British writer named Lucy Boston bought the house in May of 1939 and restored it as much as possible back to its Norman origins.
Author Lucy M. Boston
Lucy Boston (10 December 1892 – 25 May 1990) wrote for both children and adults, publishing her work entirely after the age of 60. She is best known for her “Green Knowe” series: six fantasy children’s novels published between 1954 and 1976. The setting for Green Knowe, an old country manor house, is actually based on Boston’s home at Hemingford Grey.
This fabulously old manor house inspired an author and allowed her to enjoy a literary career well into her golden years.
In her autobiography, Memory in a House, Lucy Boston describes her life after moving to Hemingford Grey, including the renovation of The Manor.
House Crazy Sarah must get her hands on that book!
After the restoration work on the house was complete, Ms. Boston turned her attention to transforming the grounds into whimsical topiary gardens.
Lucy’s son Peter Boston drew the book jacket for one book in the series – Yew Hall – and went on to illustrate her other children’s stories with images inspired by the real house and gardens.
Boston lived at The Manor for almost 50 years, tending to her garden, home, and writing her beloved children’s books.
Lucy Boston died at age 97 in May of 1990.
Her son Peter lived in the Manor Hemingford Grey (Green Knowe) with his wife Diana until his death in November 1999.
Diana Boston still owns the home and maintains it as an old house museum where visitors can pay to have a guided tour.
Guests to the property can also amble about in the gorgeous gardens.
You are probably eager to see the home’s interior.
So without further ado…
Despite various changes over the last 900 years, much of the original house remains intact.
In the medieval Music Room, Lucy Boston famously gave record recitals during the Second World War to military personnel from the surrounding airfields.
Today guests touring the property can hear the 1929 gramophone playing a record that was listened to by the RAF airmen during WWII.
How thrilling!
The manor features metre-thick stone walls.
Photos of the kitchen were hard to come by on the internet, but House Crazy Sarah did find these two below that may or may not be a kitchen room.
The bedrooms are situated on the upper two levels.
The attic room has been recreated as a children’s bedroom, no doubt with many of Lucy Boston’s children’s books on hand.
The Manor Hemninford Grey has seen 900 years of history.
But it is perhaps its latest chapter that is so captivating: a budding author in the later stage of life who drew endless inspiration from the house and gardens.
Her success as a writer in her later years allowed Lucy Boston to rehabilitate and preserve this historic gem that is now graciously shared with the public.
Long live the Manor Hemingford Grey!
Sources:
https://www.greenknowe.co.uk/the-house/
https://www.historichouses.org/house/the-manor-hemingford-grey/visit/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/manor-hemingford-grey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_M._Boston
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It’s fascinating..so much history. Can you explain that statue that’s outside along the wall of the house? I can’t figure it out.
It is a mystery to me Judy – I couldn’t find anything about it either, other than it is a newer addition, relatively speaking.
Those whimsical topiary gardens are so amazing! I want to stay there!