Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire
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A tranquil Elizabethan house set in beautiful restored 18th-century gardens, home to the Dryden family since the sixteenth century. More than a manor house but less than a grand mansion, the existing building is a complex patchwork of alterations and additions from over four centuries. Built around a 16th century farmhouse, the Dryden family extended the building and added a staircase tower using the remains of a medieval priory. The house and gardens have survived largely unaltered since 1710 and are presented as they were during the time of Sir Henry Dryden, a Victorian antiquary, passionate about the past. The warm, welcoming house features grand rooms, stunning tapestries and Jacobean plasterwork, contrasting with the domestic detail of the servants' quarters.