Visit to Cothay Manor

If you didn't come on the trip to Cothay Manor you missed an absolute treat! Described as the finest example of a small medieval manor house in England, Cothay has been lovingly restored by its present owners, the Robb family, and filled with period furniture, beautiful fabrics and a varied collection of unusual nicknacks collected from their travels or inherited from previous generations. We had lunch when we arrived followed by a tour around the house with Avril who proved to be an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. She kept us entertained with some great stories and obviously loves the place. Time for tea and cake before a wander around the gorgeous gardens which cover 12 acres and include numerous "rooms" and a yew walk, cottage garden area, a riverside walk and a beautiful lake. June was an ideal month to visit the gardens and the weather was glorious. Part of the 14th century manor has been used to represent Cromwell's house for the forthcoming film of Hilary Mantel's book "Wolf Hall". Cothay is very much a family affair with three generations of the Robb family living there and we met nearly all of them during our visit. A big thank you to Jennifer for organising such a wonderful day out.