For most people, home represents comfort, safety, maybe family. It’s the place where you can be yourself — and where you keep all your stuff.
For the wealthy, the right home can mean status, reputation, and legacy, especially in the UK. For hundreds of years, the traditional English manor was more than simply a big house staffed with servants. It was a grand home situated on farmland owned by the family. In addition to being a showpiece, it was a responsibility.
The US equivalent is a Gilded Age mansion, minus the need to worry about the welfare of tenants. Those 20th-century robber barons could simply count their money and throw lavish dinner parties. And in Europe, the history and luxurious accommodations come in the form of palaces, chateaux, castles, palazzos, and other opulent estates.
In this episode, we explore the house -as-character in books by iconic authors, including Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Nancy Mitford, and a gaggle of Gothic writers. We also delve into the real secrets of the Winchester Mystery House and meet the various ghosts haunting British country piles. Then we recommend many books we love set in notable manor homes, including a classic whodunnit, an atmospheric post-WWII ghost story, a fresh tale inspired by a real-life Victorian court case, an all-American take on the classic Gothic novel, and a dark family story set on the edge of the Fens.
Read the full transcript of Manor House: The Fall of the House of… Almost Everyone, Really.
5 Gothic Novels That Feature Moody Houses and Haunted Heroines
5 Thrilling Manor House Novels with Modern Setting and Ties to the Past
Perhaps you’d like to listen some songs from Gosford Park while you dig into these links.
And some photos to set the scene…
Our Manor House Destination Page with tons of book recommendations, blog posts, and more.
Gilded Age! 5 of the Most Stunning Gilded Age Mansions in the US, Gilded Age Mansions You Can Still Visit Today, and Newport Mansions.
British Library: Eighteenth-century Country-house Guidebooks
The Most Splendid English Stately Homes That Everyone Needs to Visit
Historic Houses
Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s childhood residence
Chawton House, Jane Austen’s brother’s home
Haddon Hall, aka the Jane Eyre House
Statement 2: There is a manor hall in Dorset, England that is said to be haunted by an ape. The Ghost That Made Us Believe: The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall. More on Raynham Hall and Bramshill House. You can visit Athelhampton House & Garden, aka the one with the ape ghost. Here’s more on Athelhampton. Finally, 10 Spine-Tingling Facts About the Fear Frequency.
Statement 3: The Winchester Mystery House has been called America’s strangest mansion. According to legend, Sarah Winchester, heiress to the rifle fortune, kept building nonstop to appease ghosts. But there’s another possible explanation. Here’s the statement: Sarah Winchester kept the renovations going, at least in part, so she wouldn’t have to entertain houseguests. The Winchester Mystery House website and the book Captive of the Labyrinth by Mary Jo Ignoffo.
‘The Original’ by Nell Stevens
Why a Nineteenth-Century Scandal of Class and Identity Still Speaks to Us. ‘nell Stevens on the Tichborne claimant fraud and creating the possibility of a different world through fiction.’
Nell Stevens: Everything About This Book Has Felt Surprising. ‘In this interview, author Nell Stevens discusses the pendulum of mystery in her new novel The Original.’
The Tichborne Case on Wikipedia, State Library NSW, and Brighton & Hoves Museum.
‘The Little Stranger’ by Sarah Waters
‘The Cherry Robbers’ by Sarai Walker
‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie
‘Wakenhyrst’ by Michelle Paver
Michelle Paver interview: Suggestion Is Always More Powerful Than In-Your-Face Horror
Congratulations! You made it to the end. Here are your rewards:
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!
Our Substack is free and awesome. Every week, you get: Tuesday Tea, an invitation to chat about bookish topics with us and other (charming, intelligent, friendly) readers — and Friday Endnotes, a communique from Mel with behind-the-scenes and bonus goodies related to our new podcast episodes, plus her favorite book- and travel-related links of the week. Sign up here.
Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.
Subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a must-read book or thrilling destination!
If we're not available on your favorite podcast-listening platform, send us an email!
Top image courtesy of James Smith/Unsplash.
Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!
Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!
Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.
Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.
Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.
We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.
This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.
