Avebury Manor: Restoring a Historic Gem in Wiltshire, England
A grand country home, beside Avebury Henge
If you lived in Britain in the 1980s, you might remember the BBC television comedy, To The Manor Born, starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles. It was a popular show, which touched upon the British aristocracy and traditions of life in a typical British manor house.
Decades on, Penelope Keith presented ‘The Manor Reborn’ — a televised restoration project at Avebury Manor in Wiltshire, England. This 16th century manor house had fallen into disrepair, so a team of volunteers came together to restore the house and walled garden.
The garden team was led by David Howard, the former head gardener to Prince Charles at Highgrove. Volunteers were tasked with transforming the overgrown plots into a traditional Victorian garden fit for a Lord and Lady.
While the gardeners got busy outside, decorators were restoring the interiors. Nine of Avebury Manor’s rooms were redesigned in the styles of the past: Tudor, Queen Anne, Georgian, Victorian and 20th century decor.
