Stanford Hall, Leicestershire

Ancestral home of the Cave family from c. 1430, the hall was built in the 1690s for Sir Roger Cave, 2nd Baronet. Described by Simon Jenkins as the "perfect William and Mary house", the architect was William Smith of Warwick. In 1792 Sarah, daughter of Sir Thomas Cave Bt, inherited the Cave estate on the death of her nephew Sir Thomas Cave, 7th Baronet. She had married Henry Otway in 1790 and was created Baroness Braye in 1839. Her descendants remain in residence. (Henry Otway was High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1804). The River Avon flows through the grounds, with a weir downstream, so a small lake is formed. The aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher built some of his early gliders here in the…

Today the hall is a tourist attraction open to the public on limited days in the year. Among the attractions are guided tours of the hall and its grounds, a forge, a beautiful rose garden, a shop and tea rooms. The house has a significant collection of antique furnishings; for example, the hall has one room with original 17th-century furnishings including a refectory table and set of Charles II chairs. The grounds of the hall are used for concerts and classic car shows, including the Wartburg/Trabant/IFA Club Rally and since 1983 has hosted the annual National Mini Day for owners of Mini cars. The grounds hosted the first Stanford Hall Half Marathon and 10k running race in March 2014. Since…