Exhibitions

House is open from 23 March to 30 September 2008.  Each year special additional exhibitions are held in the House. These are included in the admission charge.

Tales from the attic: The Earl's Collection

This personal collection, on loan from the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, contains forgotten treasures you might find in a dusty attic. There are old sketchbooks, framed prints, diaries and amateur photography. But, like many a dusty attic, it contains surprises, little gems, humour and revelation. Here, the personal, quirky and creative side of this family are revealed.

You will see tiny drawings by Van der Velde, watercolours by Nicholas Condy amongst sketches by family members. Early amateur photography reflects the influence of Fox Talbot, half brother of The Countess. Relics from a grand tour, a lock of Sir Walter Scott’s hair, a passion for Lord Byron, handwritten lists of the paintings in the house: a fascinating and unusual snapshot of Victorian life within a wealthy aristocratic family.

Time of the Tudors

Visit our costume room and go back in time to the Tudors. There is a range of clothes and hats for both children and adults to try on and be transported through the ages to the period when the house was first built. There is also a chance for you to be the subject of a Tudor portrait: Don a hat, look through the special picture frame provided and smile.