Montacute House was built in about 1598 by Sir Edward Phelips, whose family had lived in the Montacute area since at least 1460, first as yeomen farmers before rising in status.^[6] The site was bought from the Cluniac Montacute Priory by Thomas Phelips and passed to his grandson, also called Thomas, who started planning the house, but died before it was built and left the completion of the work to his son Edward.^[7] Edward Phelips was a lawyer who had been in Parliament since 1584. He was knighted in 1603^[8] and a year later became Speaker of the House. James I appointed him Master of the Rolls and Chancellor to his son and heir Henry, Prince of Wales.^[9] Phelips remained at the hub of English political life, and his legal skills were employed when he became opening prosecutor during the trial of the Gunpowder Plotters.^[10]

Sir Edward’s choice of architect is unknown,^[a] although it has been attributed to the mason William Arnold, who was responsible for the designs of Cranborne Manor and Wadham College, Oxford, and had worked at Dunster Castle, also in Somerset.^[12] Dunster has architectural motifs similar to those found at Montacute.^[13] Phelips chose as the site for his new mansion a spot close by the existing house, built by his father. The date work commenced is undocumented, but is generally thought to be c. 1598/9, based on dates on a fireplace and in stained glass within the house. The date 1601, engraved above a doorcase, is considered to be the date of completion.^[14]

Sir Edward Phelips died in 1614, leaving his family wealthy and landed; he was succeeded by his son, Sir Robert Phelips, who represented various West Country constituencies in Parliament. Robert Phelips has the distinction of being arrested at Montacute. A staunch Protestant, he was subsequently imprisoned in the Tower of London as a result of his opposition to the “Spanish Match” between the Prince of Wales and a Catholic Spanish Infanta.^[b]

The family’s fame and notoriety were to be short-lived. Subsequent generations settled down in Somerset to live the lives of county gentry, representing Somerset in Parliament^[c] and when necessary following occupations in the army and the church.^[d]

And mirth that has no bitter springs.

Rudyard Kipling

Swami Ramdas

After a good nights sleep we made our way downstairs for breakfast. Once in the breakfast room we found that a table for three had been set up in a prime location for stunning views over the garden towards Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Tor. The breakfast was every bit as superb as it was on our previous visit last July.

Over breakfast we, with a little help from the lady who served breakfast, we decided on our first port of call for the day; Montacute House. We arrived just as the house opened and decided to go into the house straight away. This proved to be a good choice, we missed the later queues for entry to the house and the inside the house was relatively quiet and easy to get around and appreciate. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Long Gallery which is claimed to be the longest in England.

When we had finished viewing the house, we spent time in the gardens and grounds. By the time we had finished it was time for lunch. The food options were a bit limited but once again we beat the rush and found a table so we could sit and enjoy our choices. After lunch we called in briefly at the shop and then considered our options for what to do next. There was another National Trust property nearby but were minded to do something completely different. After a little bit of research via maps and Google we decided on Kilver Court Gardens which is just 6 miles outside Wells. The garden sounded small but interesting. When we arrived there, the entrance didn’t look promising, but we bought a ticket and went into the garden. We were pleasantly surprised to find that garden, although small, was quite delightful.

After the garden visit we browsed around a bric a brac store that had some interesting gift ideas before heading back to Stoberry House. We started to explore the garden at Stoberry but the windy weather deterred us from exploring it to its full extent. We retreated to the warmth of Stoberry House where I had a nice relaxing bath and got ready for our evening meal in Goodfellows. The meal was excellent. I chose pollock with pancetta, soya beans and mixed mushrooms on a bed of mashed potato – it was delicious.

After the meal as we drove up the road from the bottom of the property to Stoberry House we were once again delayed by sheep lying across the road. We could see their breath as they exhaled in the cool night air. After some gentle persuasion, the sheep moved to the grassy area to the side of the road allowing us make our way up to Stoberry House where we enjoyed a nightcap before retiring for a good night’s sleep.