3734 x 5614 px | 31,6 x 47,5 cm | 12,4 x 18,7 inches | 300dpi
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f first impressions hold any credence at all, sight of the magnificent gatehouse at Burton Agnes Hall does not fail to fulfil the expectations of splendour that await the unsuspecting visitor. This is a grand Elizabethan house, full of treasures both old and modern, legends and stories wrapped in its walls, gardens full of interest and surprises, and a history going back to Norman times. More than this, Burton Agnes is a much-loved and lived in family home, whose tangible warmth embraces all who set foot inside the welcoming property. Perhaps this was not always the case. When Roger de Stuteville first built his Norman manor house on the site in 1173 it would have presented an austere and gloomy picture of practical, sturdy architecture. Thought to have been named after Roger's daughter, Agnes, the remains of his original vaulted chamber, and the later addition of the 15th century great hall, present a vivid contrast to the modern house. One of the remarkable facts about Burton Agnes is that from the time of its Norman origins, the estate has never been sold on the open market, all successive owners being descendants of some branch of the family. The glorious symmetrical façade of Sir Henry Griffith's new house survives as an outstanding example of Robert Smithson's work. As Master Mason to Queen Elizabeth I, Smithson was well used to designing and building homes of quality and distinction. At the beginning of the 17th century this sumptuously decorated home began to take shape, and it is still essentially an Elizabethan showpiece. Tragically for young Anne Griffith, one of Sir Henry's daughters, she never lived to enjoy the delights of her 'beautiful home'. Every waking moment her mind was filled with images of her lovely new house, and she never stopped talking about it. Just before it was finally completed, she was brutishly attacked, her injuries so severe that she died within a few days. During bouts of consciousness she made her sisters promise to cut off
