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Knightshayes
Our visit to Knightshayes took some deliberation as to whether we should go or not, simply, for the fact that we would have to travel all the way to Tiverton, close to the M5, our future route home, to make the visit. In the end we said yes and set off early morning to visit the home of the Heathcoat Amory's. A name familiar with politics, which was confirmed by one of the volunteers in the house later during our walk around. The house is a rare example of the work of William Burges, whose name I had never encountered before, but whose works on touring the house were most interesting and distinctive.. According to the Trust, Knightshayes is the only house containing examples of Burges design, that is open to the public. Started in 1869 and eventually home to three generations of the Heathcoat Amory family, the property came into Trust control in 1972.Though a relatively new house by National Trust standards, Knightshayes still has a rich and varied history, influenced by the people who lived and worked here.
An extract from the Trusts official site: "A rich and varied history The house was built by Sir John Heathcoat Amory, the grandson of John Heathcoat, creator of the mechanised bobbin lace making machine and owner of a lace factory in Tiverton. The foundation stone was laid in 1869, but it was not until 1873 that the elaborate interior designs were completed. William Burges, designer of Knightshayes, had a rocky relationship with the family and was fired half way through the project, leaving his imaginative vision incomplete. Burges was replaced by another reputable designer, John Dibblee Crace, who turned out to be another ill-fated choice. Much of Crace's work was covered up by the family, but later restored by the Trust. The house was designed by a reknowned designer of the day, William Burges, (1827 - 1881). Burges was well known for his eccentricity, which is reflected in the Victorian Gothic masterpiece he created. Sir John Heathcoat and his family moved to Tiverton in 1816, after their lace making business in Loughborough was destroyed. It was Sir John's grandson, John Heathcoat Amory, who commissioned the building of the house."
