Montacute House can be found in the picturesque village of Montacute, Yeovil, Somerset. I found it surprising to find such a large and imposing building within such a quaint little village. We explored the grounds first of all and enjoyed the parkland walk which took approximately 30 minutes. There were other longer walks, which are detailed on the visitor’s brochure we were
given, but as it was a hot day we opted for the shorter walk. There are formal gardens to either side of the house, and at the far edges of the formal garden in front of the house (East Court) we also came across a type of folly. (Two in total at opposite edges of the garden). We went inside one folly where was very cool inside, and I suspect it had once been used for housing cattle, as the door was a split design. There was a seat in the middle of the folly with a flower arch in front of the seat, affording quite a nice photo opportunity. As we had the dogs with us, we then took it in turns to explore the house. I was welcomed inside, given a brochure, and informed that Montacute House was home to a rare 15th century tapestry – the oldest owned by the National Trust.
It has recently been restored (1,300 hours of cleaning and conservation) and shows a knight in armour parading his beautifully decorated horse. I think about half the rooms were open for viewing and displayed an array of portraits, furniture and artefacts.
Jalapeno Escapes 