History bursts to life at Burghley

Sights and sounds straddling five centuries offer an interactive link between dogs in a giant hamster wheel; a horde of turtle skulls; a billiard table made from a sunken warship and a secret desire for post Second World War Britain by Luftwaffe supremo Hermann Goering.

You might not immediately associate many of those with England’s greatest Elizabethan house, but new visitor audio guides just launched at Burghley in Lincolnshire offer a treasure trove of fascinating facts – including more than a surprise or two.

The audio guides use insights from restoration experts and House Director Miranda Rock, a direct descendant of the first Lord Burghley William Cecil, to provide new perspectives.

Among them are how the Western world’s greatest inventoried collection of early Japanese porcelain was discovered hidden away in corridors and secret cupboards; how a visit by Queen Elizabeth was thwarted by smallpox and the story of the Order of The Little Bedlam.

But there are plenty more facts, figures and interactive information available in the specially created audio guides, which cost an additional £2.50 per person, and which provide a running commentary taking visitors from room to room.

Burghley’s expert room guides are also still available throughout the house for those not using the audio guides – or to chat in more depth about any of the audio descriptions.

Covering 500 years of history and heritage, Burghley’s story features not only a very royal cast including Elizabeth 1 and Queen Victoria, but also a treasure trove of some of the world’s leading artists.

For those wondering, dogs were originally used in a contraption resembling a giant hamster wheel to turn the spit roast in the huge Elizabethan kitchen while turtle soup was a house favourite – hence the collection of skulls on display in the kitchen.

And Hermann Goering? He apparently knew the area quite well having brought the Kaiser’s grandson to study close to Burghley before the war. A keen art collector, he particularly admired Burghley and aimed to make it his residence when Germany conquered Britain.

For full details visit burghley.co.uk.