all about audley

While I admit I sometimes find English Heritage and National Trust properties a bit disappointing, Audley End, a Jacobean stately home run by English Heritage, is completely amazing.

One of the highlights of our visit was the recently opened Victorian service wing: kitchen, scullery, laundry, dairy, and larder. These areas were just as beautifully restored and just as interesting as the rooms in the main house, if not more so:

I just wish my washing up pile were this lovely (although I'm sure the washing up itself wasn't so lovely for the scullery maids involved):

The walled kitchen garden was another unexpected treat. When Garden Organic, the national charity for organic growing, began restoring the garden in 1999 it was semi-derelict. But you'd never know it today. The garden has been restored to look as it would have done in Victorian times, growing original fruit and vegetable varieties, all carefully labeled in beautiful copperplate script.

The vinehouse is particularly stunning. It was originally constructed around 1804, and is one of the oldest and largest in the country.

Inside the vinehouse we found wonderful citrus, including Meyer lemons and Seville oranges:

Numerous varieties of tomatoes in all shapes, sizes, and colors:

And gorgeous figs:

Out in the garden itself we wandered past row after row of espaliered apples, including quite rare heritage varieties, many of which were on sale in the on-site gift shop:

I only wish we could have returned for Apple Weekend. We've already added it to our to-do list for next year!