#Tudor manor house

[autumncottageattic]

wordyelaine

Barrington Court

[the-home]

[rherlotshadow]

Gates to Canons Ashby Manor

[richwall101]

Barrington Court (Explore) by Richard Walker Via Flickr: Barrington Court is a Tudor manor house begun around 1538 and completed in the late 1550s, situated in Barrington, near Ilminster, Somerset, England. The house is now in the ownership of The National Trust, it is an "empty" house that has no furnishing. All floors and rooms are open to the public. There are also beautiful gardens to explore and very nice restaurant..! (View Large) The house is often used for 'art' exhibitions and 'installations'

[drugstoreprincess]

Stone Exterior Inspiration for a huge timeless two-story stone house exterior remodel with a shingle roof

[thedudleywomen]

On This Day (27 Aug) in 1562, Margaret St John, Lady Russell, Countess of Bedford, died from smallpox at Woburn Abbey.

Margaret was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, the wife to Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, and mother of seven, including her eldest Anne Russell, who had also recently joined the Queen's household.

Smallpox, a highly infectious disease, transmitted by close contact, was virulent during the Elizabethan period. It was known to be fatal, especially to the vulnerable (children, elderly) and women. Early symptoms of the disease include high fever, fatigue, severe back pain, abdominal pain and vomiting, with the characteristic rash appearing 2-3 days later, initially on the face and hands.

Elizabeth I herself would contract smallpox in Oct 1562; whilst she survived this almost-fatal attack, she was left permanently scarred, as did Mary Dudley, Lady Sidney, who contracted it from the Queen from attending her.

Anne, who would go on to marry Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, did not have any children of her own. However, she took on a mothering role to her younger siblings, which included her youngest sister Margaret, later Countess of Cumberland (being only 2 years old at the time of her mother's death), as well as her nieces and nephews (including Lady Anne Clifford).

Margaret was interred in the 'Bedford Chapel' within St Michael's Church, Chenies: a chapel that had been constructed in 1556 by Anne Sapcote, the Dowager Countess of Bedford, for the place of rest for her late husband, John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. The chapel became the preferred place of burial for members of the Russell family during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Margaret's husband Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, was buried with her on his death over 20 years later, in 1585, with the couple's tomb being decorated with a effigies, lying side-by-side.

[magnicifent]

Bramall Hall in England is a Tudor manor house whose oldest parts date from the 14th century.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This home looks like a combination Tudor/Castle, but it's an Equestrian Estate and an Elizabethan style manor house with 2 caretaker homes, a carriage house with groom's quarters, a yoga studio, a 12, 000 sq. ft. stable, greenhouse and more. Built in 1860 in Pawling, New York, it has 17bds, 9.5ba., and a total of 43 rooms. $6.5M.

The grand entrance. Does the Samurai warrior convey?

Wow, look at the stone walls and wood carvings.

It's very classic- a sitting room with rich wood paneled walls, beamed ceilings and leaded glass windows.

Wow, this is some dining room with an interesting fireplace, wainscoting, and ceiling. That's a table for 14. Geez.

Beautiful huge sun porch with views of the grounds.

Don't know what this little sitting area is, but it sure is fancy.

Gets more modern in here.

This is cute, a little sunroom.

Like the kitchen- look at the old water heater in the corner and the vintage stove. This is such a classic vintage French country kitchen, I wonder if they'll leave the map of France.

The primary bedroom has a full size sitting room.

This bedroom has a full-size living room and a dining alcove.

Looks like all the bedrooms have sitting areas.

Like the ceilings in the upper floor bedrooms. So cozy.

Nice family room. Love the castle look.

Look at this, it has a chapel.

Nice billiard room with built-in seating, book shelves and a fireplace.

This is the children's wing with creepy circus murals on the hallway walls.

Love the vintage baths.

They have antique cars in carriage house.

Must be the stables.

The barn and horse buildings look like they need some work.

The property is 25.5 acres. Actually $6.5M isn't that bad for all of this.

[vox-anglosphere]

The new owners of Wraxall Manor have maintained its Tudor decor

Source

[ginandoldlace]

If you have plans to visit Cheshire this year, why not make a stop at the its most wonky house! Little Moreton Hall-is a black and white timbered Tudor Manor House that was built over the 15th and 16th Centuries by 3 generations of the Moreton family, who were powerful landowners in the area. . It has a fairy-tale appearance, surrounded by a moat, that was more likely there to impress the neighbours than protect the house. . The carpenters set out to use every trick at their disposal, embellishing it with delicate carvings in the Medieval style. More than 11,000 pieces of glass were fitted into the windows. . When long galleries became fashionable, one was built on top of the original house and over time, the weight caused distortion to the building. With its crooked walls and uneven floors, it looks like a pack of cards about to fall down!”

[simmervlogs]

Wentworth Manor

Hello Simmers, get ready for a game of Beer Pong at the Wentworth Manor . A former family home converted into a Fraternity. This is a requested build which I was so excited to do! I would also like to say a massive thank you to all you guys for your support- we just hit 8k on Tiktok!

Fraternities have been impacted by the increase of off-campus housing starts in recent years. The Wentworth's examined their existing house and determined that for them to remain competitive, they needed to upgrade and increase their common amenity space.

In this area, most houses were built in the 1920s and early ’30s, affording a certain unity in design and volume, although many were altered in the post-war years. Most followed one of two architectural styles of the period—Collegiate Tudor/Gothic or Georgian Revival. This property includes a spacious foyer, 5 bedrooms, large bathroom, traditional kitchen, entertainment room, library and a casual living and dinning room. Th backyard also accommodates for a pool and deck for outdoor cooking. While majority of the features have been maintained by the Wentworth's, each student is more than free to decorate their own spaces as they see fit.

Would also like to say thank you to @alexissimsblog for her idea and name!

Please note almost everything is CC and the items were not created by me! Please do support and directly download from all the creators mentioned! I have attached the CC folders convenience ONLY.

Laundry Day, High School Years, Discover University and Bust the Dust kit required for items I have included from the game, CC as well as some recolors included in the folder (function as a frat house).

There are CC items which are not included- please download these separately!

Utopya- Pool table

Bbygyal123- Martini, corkboard

Joyce- Simple living (all), Forever autumn (all), Summer garden (all)

Sixam- Home office (all), Private school (all), Lavant bathroom (all), Rustin Art studio (all), Home improvement (all)

AFS- all (alcohol décor)

Taurus Design- Judith living room (all)

Harrie- Coastal (all), Country (all), Spoons (all), Octave (all), Brownstone (all), Shop the look (all), Halycon (all), Kichen 2.0 (all), Orjanic (all)

House of Harlix- Jardane (all), Livin Rum, Harluxe (all), Baysic (all)

Felixandre- Grove (all), Colonial (all), Goth revival (all), Berlin (all), Florence (all), Shop the look (all), Chateau (all), Georgian (all), Fayun (terrain), Soho (all), Paris (all)

Valia- Baker's collection (all)

Tuds- Cross (all), Ind (all), NCTR (all)

Awingedllama - Boho living

CharlyPancakes- Sleepyhead (all), Soak (all), Smol (all), Lighthouse (all), Lavish (all)

Myshunosun- Art room (all),Garden stories Patio (all), Simmify Guitar, Dawn living

Max20- Garden at home, Southern Bedroom

Peacemaker- Hinterlands (all), Hudson bathroom (all)

Pierisim- Stefan (all), Tidying up (all), Pantry Party (all), Domaine Du Clos (all), MCM (all), Coldbrew (all), Auntie Vera Bathroom (all), Oak house (all), Woodland Ranch (all), Combles (all), David's apartment (all), Winter Garden (all), Unfold (all), The office (all), Outside (all), Precious Promise (all)

SYB- Highschool (all), Cheap & Chipped (all), Alaferme (all), Happy Stairways (all), Oh la la (all), Loce is in the air (all), Attic (all), Painter Studio (all), Plouf (all), Loft (all), Life Bathroom

Dust Bunny- Laundry (all)

ClassicPixels -Ralph Lauren Throw pillows

Lilli's Place- Folklore (all)

MROLKAN- Pool recolours

Do check out my Tiktok, live almost everyday building!

INSTRUCTIONS

Please directly move all the files in CC zip folder to your Mods folder.

Please move  Tray files (Tray files folder) to your Tray folder (enable bb.moveobjects on).

Gallery ID-  SimmerVlogs (Enable CC)

TikTok- simmervlogs

Note-  I have placed this down in Brindleton Bay (40x40 lot)

Thank you once again to all CC creators!

DOWNLOAD (Patreon)

[strugglingwriterwattpad]

walter deville teaser

In the magnificent ballroom of a majestic Tudor manor, a spellbinding scene unfolds. Bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, a mysterious woman glided across the polished floor, her movements as graceful as a swan. The haunting melody that filled the air seemed to possess her, guiding her every step between each guest. In the depths of the shadows, a figure stood, his presence both alluring and enigmatic. His face remained concealed, adding an air of intrigue to his already captivating aura. Their eyes locked, two souls drawn together by an invisible force, and the world around them faded into insignificance.

As the music swelled, reaching its crescendo, the stranger took a bold step forward. His voice, filled with a whisper of longing, broke the silence, confessing a love that seems to transcend time itself. “you have no idea how much I love you, Miss Stoker.” The woman's heart raced, her breath catching in her throat, as she was swept away by the intensity of his words.

In the moment frozen in time, their lips finally met in a passionate kiss. It was a collision of desire and longing, a union of souls that defied explanation. But as their embrace deepened, a peculiar taste lingered on the woman's tongue, a metallic tang that sent a shiver down her spine. Suddenly, a surge of curiosity mixed with a hint of fear flooded her heart. The taste of blood upon his lips was unmistakable, a jarring contrast to the tender moment they shared. Questions swirled in her mind, like whispers in the wind. Who was this faceless man? “(Y/N)?” he whispered. “(Y/N)?”

With a sudden jolt, the woman catapulted out of her seat, causing Evie to quickly reach for her pills. "We've landed," Evie whispered, handing her boss a pill with a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry about it," she added, noticing the beads of sweat on her forehead. "Oliver's waiting for us, let's go!" with a nod of her head (Y/N) slowly stood from her seat.

“So, who lives here again?” Evie asked as (Y/N) sat in the car, cruising along the secluded roads on the outskirts of Whitby, she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. The ever-changing weather, a characteristic she had missed dearly, played its whimsical game once again. One moment, the sky was a brilliant canvas of blue, devoid of any clouds, and the next, it transformed into a murky grey, with gusts of wind that seemed to dance through the air. “The De Ville family.” As they continued their journey, (Y/N)'s gaze was drawn to the enchanting woodland that enveloped their family estate. It was as if nature had painted a masterpiece, with emerald green shades blending seamlessly into fern green's vibrant hues. The lushness of the trees and foliage created a mesmerizing tapestry, inviting her to explore its hidden secrets. “But our family will be staying the weekend for the festivities.”

“Holy shit. are they royalty or something?” as the manor came into view (Y/N) felt a sense of familiarity. Nestled amidst a sprawling landscape, stood an opulent white brick mansion exuding an aura of wealth and influence. Its majesty matched only by the pristine gardens that surrounded it, meticulously manicured to perfection. Every corner of the magnificent abode reflected the abundance of riches it houses, while the walls remained untouched by even the tiniest speck of dirt. “No, it's just old money. England's full of it.” the artist knew something felt strange about the manor. It felt like home to her, and she couldn’t tell if she liked it or not.

“Welcome to New Carfax Abbey. Let me find our host.” As Oliver wandered off to find the owner (Y/N) also started to wander around the outside of the beautiful building. As she approached the entrance, the pillar carvings beckoned to her with an irresistible allure. Intricate and mesmerizing, they depicted a whimsical dance of enchanting forest creatures, each one brought to life in the bleached stone. These were no ordinary animals; they were the very same majestic beings she had encountered in her adventures. The sight filled her with an overwhelming sense of wonder and curiosity, igniting a fire within her. She yearned for the owner's permission to document every intricate detail, to capture the essence of this extraordinary building. Her excitement surged through her veins, as her mind raced with a flood of ideas, eager to be transformed into words on paper.

“I hope you don’t mind I brought a friend with me, Lord Deville,” Evie spoke pointing towards (Y/N) as she traced the pillar with her manicured nails. “(Y/N).” She called out but the girl seemed to ignore her. evie and the lord watched her closely, the rich gentleman listened to her breathing slow down as if slipping into a trance. “(Y/N)!” Evie called once again but still no reply. As the man gracefully approached the mesmerized woman, his presence seemed to cast a spell of intrigue. With a gentle touch, his large hand found its place on her shoulder, as if to guide her deeper into the enchanting world of his home. And there she stood, lost in a trance, her gaze fixated on the captivating artwork that adorned the brick. “miss are you alright.” His voice as smooth as milk snapped her from her brain her twinkling eyes locking with his stormy ones. The two matched their gaze smiling lightly at the sense of familiarity of each other.

“I'm sorry were you both calling me?” she stuttered looking towards Evie was an embarrassed look. “don’t worry (Y/N) your probably jet lagged.” She laughed picking up the poor girl's bag from the ground. “Walter, this is (Y/N). the artist I was telling you about.” The man now known as Walter stared back at (Y/N) his storm eyes now swapped with a flash of light of excitement. “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stoker. I am a very big fan of your work. obviously.” The sun-kissed hue of his skin suddenly blushed with a fiery red, as if caught off guard by his own rambling. It was almost endearing to witness him in such a vulnerable state as if his emotions were laid bare for all to see. But there was no denying the transformative power of the new face that had entered his life, for it had swiftly altered his entire demeanour. “I'm glad you enjoyed them Mr Deville and thank you for the generous donation to the gallery I can assure you there are big plans for it.” his smile couldn’t get any bigger, but it did. The sound of her voice lulled his heart into a stuttering beat as if it had been out of service for many moons.

“come let me show you around the manor. I hope you like how I've displayed your art.” His cotton-covered arm poked out to her as an invitation to his home. She slowly slipped her arm into his feeling a familiar spark ignite in their touch. His smell was so calming and alluring sending her into a high, her doing the same to him. Walter held her small hand in a comfortable tightness not wanting her to slip from him again.

[vox-anglosphere]

Barrington Court embodies the transcendence of Tudor architecture

Source: wordyelaine

[joshsindigostreak]

O, Pioneers

Chapter One

“We, a curious trio, picking, wandering on our way.” - Walt Whitman

Sam Kiszka x F!OC

What started out as a series of emails snowballed into Sam Kiszka having the one person in his field he could not stand to staying in his house for a few days. It’s only for a few days. Can he survive having her around him 24/7 or will Natasha Delaney end up being the one to foil all of his plans?

Authors Note: Hey y’all!! Sorry for leaving you hanging so long with this story I wanted to get the other three stories established before I got back to this just for consistency sake. But I do hope you like Sam’s story. I have so much planned for it ❤️ if you need to catch up on the Prologue you can read it here!

Disclaimer: *Set in the months prior to ISHIYE, so in the same universe but can be read independently. It’ll crossover the most with Running Through the Garden and there will be references to the other fics but not to the point of confusion. Enjoy!

Word Count: 2,793

Warnings: Some swearing but that’s it for now.

The Kiszka Estate as it was often referred to was truly a sight to behold. The grounds weren’t massive, but the Manor itself was a four-story English Tudor that danced the line of being over the top while reeking of Olde Money. The family had been living on this property for generations, and depending on what you thought of them it was either referred to as the Manor or the Compound.

Natasha stood in the circular driveway, her luggage sitting idly beside her as the Uber drove off, leaving her alone outside. She could tell whoever designed the house intended it to be visually intimidating, but it wasn’t working on her. 

Of course the mother fucker couldn’t actually pick me up from the airport, she growsed in her head. He did however, set up her Uber for her, so she didn’t have to pay for it, but it was the principle of it all. She squared her shoulders and picked up her bags, listening to the gravel crunch under her shoes as she approached the front door. 

As she ascended the steps to the Manor, the massive front door swung open to reveal Sam Kiszka. Natasha stopped in her tracks as she took him in. The Sam before her was significantly different than the last time she saw him on graduation day. His hair was still long, but looked like a professional had finally started cutting it, his forehead was frustratingly blemish free, and those Sanpaku eyes stared right through her as they always did. But the biggest difference was the surprising amount of facial hair on him. He couldn’t grow a thing on his face back in college, and any attempts were so patchy and thin that it was never worth it to even try. But now? Now there was a thick mustache sitting on his top lip, accompanied by an equally thick tuft of hair sprouting from his chin. The way his chin hair was creeping up his jawline, it was clear he was letting it do its own thing and not actively trimming it to stay in one spot. He wasn’t as willowy as he was either, having finally started to fill out. He looked so different yet so…Sam at the same time. He looked goo-

“I thought you said your flight was coming in at two, Nat?” 

Mood ruined. That smart ass tone was still ever present in his voice. 

“It did,” she replied flatly. 

“It's nearly 4:30 PM.” 

“I’m glad you can tell time, Kiszka,” she rolled her eyes and continued towards the doorway. He scoffed under his breath as she walked past him and into the house. 

“I’m just saying that keeping someone waiting like this is rude,” he remarked as he shut the door behind them. 

“Well it’s not my fault that it takes well over an hour to get from the airport to these…hallowed grounds,” Natasha gave him an irritated look over her shoulder, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. 

Sam rolled his eyes back at her, and the conversation he had had with his best friend Daniel a few days prior ran through his mind.  

“Just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be having a guest at the house this weekend, she’ll be flying in around 2:00 PM,” Sam threw out before taking a bite out of his bagel. 

Danny stared at him from across the little table they were sitting at. Every few days they’d have breakfast together before going their separate ways for the day, and on this particular Wednesday morning, Danny was taken aback by what Sam had just said. 

He leaned forward towards Sam and rested his elbows on the table, “you’re having a guest…at your house?” 

“Mmmhmm,” Sam replied, still chewing. 

“...and this guest is a girl?” Danny tried to not smile but his eyes twinkled anyway, “is there someone I don’t know about?” 

Sam finally swallowed and looked up at him, realizing how he made this sound, “Oh don’t get that look on your face this is strictly for professional reasons. She won’t be here for very long.” 

“Professional reasons,” the skepticism clouded Danny’s voice. 

“Yes. You know her anyway,” he added before drinking more of his coffee. 

Now Danny was even more curious, “I do?”

“Yeah. It's Nat Delaney.” 

The Wolf blinked several times at Sam before answering, “Delaney is staying…at your house?”

“Yeah it’s just for some of her own research. There’s an artifact she needs to get her hands on and I refused to risk it through the shitty mail system so she came to me instead,” at this Sam had finished his meal and sat back in his own seat. 

Natasha was a frequent subject between the two of them in college. She was the only student at that university to get better grades than Sam, which pissed him off to no end. Danny had no issue with her, as she was always nice to him and her exceptional grades didn’t matter to him. Even though his best friend bitched about it constantly, they were both still the top of their class. He also thought that a little competition for Sam was good for him. It wouldn’t keep him humble by any means, but it would keep him on his toes. 

“How did this happen?”

“We exchanged some professional emails and she explained her dire situation and I, just happened to be the solution to her problem,” Sam didn’t even try to hide the smug look on his face. 

The two friends stared at each other for a few minutes, but with entirely different trains of thought. 

“So is she just going to stay in one of the guest-”

“I’ve already got the corner room cleaned up for the most part, just have to get some of Jake’s shit out of it.” 

Danny had been wandering the halls of Sam’s house since he was 14 years old, and he knew exactly what room Sam was referring to. The ‘corner room’ was what they called one of the many rooms that was intended to be for guests, but over the years each of the kids started using it as a storage room given its proximity to their bedrooms. The proper guest rooms were on the first floor, just off the kitchen. The corner room was also a literal description, as it was at the end of the hall on the second floor. The corner room was also directly across from Sam’s. 

“Why that room?” Danny asked, his eyes twinkling again in curiosity. 

“It was the closest room I’d need to clean out and the rooms downstairs and who wants to stay in the rooms downstairs that my parents' weird friends use?” 

“Ok,” Danny said, elongating the letters and not believing a word that came out of Sam’s mouth but playing along anyway. “Are you going to put a chocolate on her pillow?” 

Sam gave him a look, “totally and I have so much of it around the house since you can’t eat it.” 

Danny frowned in offense, “I can eat chocolate, Sam and you know it.” It was a common stereotype that since Wolves were in fact, Wolves, that they couldn’t have chocolate like regular canines couldn’t. It also had been at the center of an incident where Sam’s mom had brownies left out on the counter and Danny dove in and shoved a corner piece into his mouth, and Sam panicked that he was going to get sick from it. But no, the young Wolf was fine. After that it became a running joke between the two friends.

“Anyway, she should only be here for a few days max and then she’ll be off to whatever it is she’s been doing,” 

“I’m definitely swinging by. I’m not going to miss the two of you kill each other.”

“I can assure you, Daniel, that she won’t be there long enough for that to happen.”

“Sure. I believe that. You couldn’t even go five minutes in Professor Reid’s class without snapping and correcting each other. Or all the times you started arguing in the library and nearly got kicked out for being loud. Or when you’d fight over that one bench under the will-“

Danny. It’ll be fine.” 

Sam was snapped out of his memory by Natasha’s voice. She had walked into the main corridor of the house, right next to the grand wooden stairs and the archway into the formal living room.

“So where in this palace am I going to be staying? How many bedrooms is there? Eleven? An even dozen?” 

“Seven. And your room is upstairs.”

She looked up the stairs to her left, noting the carpet that ran down the middle of the steps, the solid wood rail and banisters. The whole manor was the definition of ‘they don’t make them like this anymore.’ The family clearly spared no expense preserving the integrity of the architecture over the decades. 

“Lead the way, Kiszka.” 

She stepped back to let Sam get in front of her and before she could reach for her bags, long slender fingers curled around the handles. Sam didn’t say a word and began up the stairs, taking her heaviest bag with him. She stared at him momentarily, surprised by the gesture, but quickly recovered with the rationale that it was the least he could do at this point. 

At the top of the stairs Sam took a right down the open hallway that led down a corridor that split off in two opposite directions. He took a right and Natasha counted three doors on either side of the hall before Sam stopped at a final fourth door on the right. There was a door at the very end of the hallway, right between the final two doors on either side. 

Sam used his free hand to twist the doorknob, revealing the room behind it. 

The first thing Natasha  noticed were two nearly floor to ceiling windows on the wall that was opposite the doorway, flanking a large four poster bed. She followed Sam into the room and spotted another door on the far wall on the right, which she guessed was for a closet. There were antique-looking amber lamps on both nightstands, and as she turned to view the wall next to the door, she saw one of the most beautiful rolltop  desks she had ever seen, pushed up into the corner with a few bookshelves on the right of the desk leading back to the doorframe. 

It was another antique, and the craftsmanship and details in the wood was so intricate that it had to have been done by hand. She wanted to run over and push the lid back to reveal the actual writing surface and the little drawers for writing supplies. 

Sam's voice cut through your thoughts, “it’s not much but it’ll work while you’re here.” 

Natasha turned around and gawked at him, it nearly irritated her how privileged he sounded, “Sam this is a beautiful room.” 

He blinked at her, not used to hearing her verbalize positive sentiments. After a few moments of eye contact he looked around the room and asked, “so, where do you want me to put your stuff?” 

She pointed to the foot of the bed, where a small bench sat just in front of the frame, “there is fine.” 

As he situated the bags, she turned to walk over to the large windows. The view was almost better than the room itself. The lush lawn stretched out on the grounds below, a thick blanket of trees stood off in the distance, fencing in the grass. She looked to the right of the window and her eyes went wide at the sight of what appeared to be a small but ambitious garden. Several raised beds were lined up in neat little rows, along with a few ground-level beds off to the side. 

She looked over her shoulder at Sam who was still standing there with his hands in his pockets, “is that your garden?” Maybe the light was playing tricks on her but she could’ve sworn that Sam’s cheeks reddened at the question. 

“Yes.”

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, “you garden?” 

“That’s typically what one does in a garden, Nat.” 

Her brows fell at his tone, there was the Sam she knew. 

“I was just surprised because you never took any of the horticulture classes at Lakewood, at least from what I remember.” 

He shrugged, “I didn’t really get into it until after we graduated.” 

The image of Sam Kiszka gardening was an image that would remain locked in her head. Nope, no one was going to know about the way she instantly envisioned Sam of all people gently watering a tomato plant. 

“Well, hobbies are good,” she said lamely. What the fuck, Delaney? Hobbies are good? You simpleton.  Desperately needing to change the subject, she turned on her heel and pointed over to the roll top desk in the corner, “that’s really pretty.”

Sam looked over at the antique, he wouldn’t tell her that he spent the better part of an hour the day before dusting and polishing the wood. He wouldn’t tell her that he was on the floor making sure to get all the nooks and crannies of the legs, clearing out any cobweb he saw. There was no way he was going to let any piece of furniture be the subject of her scrutiny. Natasha Delaney, knowing he had a dusty house? That would be humiliating. Right? 

Right? 

“Oh, yeah, that was my great-grandmother’s. It was a present from my great-grandfather to make up for him being stuck in France for a lot longer than he intended because of a hunting job.”

Natasha nodded in response and walked over to the desk. She turned back to Sam, “can I…”

“Go right ahead,” he replied while walking over towards his rival. 

She smiled and turned around to lift the roll top, but it didn’t budge. She tentatively tried again, but it would not lift at all. Well shit. 

Sam saw her struggle and reached around her to help, their arms brushing against each other. 

“Sorry it gets stuck sometimes,” he mentally cursed himself by not double checking before she got there. His large hand nearly wrapped around hers to get a grip on the small handle. Her wine-colored nails stood out to him. The undertone of the polish complimented her skin perfectly. The same skin that felt so soft in comparison to his. The image of Natasha meticulously painting her nails flashed in his mind but he quickly shook it away by focusing back on the desk. In slight frustration he jerked at the handle one final time and it immediately slid up and into place, revealing the rest of the desk. 

A small gasp left Natasha’s lips as she saw the gorgeous inlays on the writing surface. 

Sam refused to acknowledge the physical reaction he had at the sound, or where on his body it happened. It didn’t happen. Nothing to see here. 

“This is so pretty! It had to be done by hand given the time period and the attention to detail. A machine could never do this,” she explained while lightly dragging her index finger along the edge of the main inlay in the center of the desk. She didn’t even realize she was rambling because of the proximity to Sam. He was still bent at the waist next to her, leaning his one hand on the desk. If she just turned her head to her right, ever so slightly, their cheeks would touch. 

The two rivals stood there, rooted in the spot, waiting to see who was going to blink first in this standoff. Sam did not want to acknowledge how the loose spiral of blonde hair in front of her ear was just barely touching his face. He didn’t want to acknowledge how his lips could brush that same ear if he turned to his left just so. The silence was deafening. 

They were so distracted that they didn’t even hear one of the doors downstairs open and shut. 

They didn’t hear the footsteps on the stairs. 

They didn’t-

“Natasha-fucking-Delaney,” a familiar and deep voice called warmly from the doorway. The sudden noise started them both and caused them to jump and spin around. Sam couldn’t even focus on the second sharp gasp that his house guest made so close to him. She had already taken off to envelope Danny in a hug. Sam stood there in front of that roll top desk, suddenly by himself.

For the first time since he was fourteen, Sam was disappointed at the sight of his best friend.

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[avelera]

Sir Robert Gadlen of Shere, Surrey?

So at one point for Giving Sanctuary and writing Hob in fics in general, I was looking for historical towns where he could have lived at various points in his life. Mostly (and to my increasing regret in Come live with me) I just eschew names entirely BUT there was one research rabbit hole I went down that was rather fun and made a good case for where Hob could have lived in 1589-roughly 1629.

In particular, I was looking for towns that were a workable distance from London, that is, close enough that one could reach the city for special occasions in a day or two using pre-modern travel but was far enough outside where one could have a sprawling estate. I wanted a town that was known for having Tudor mansions and, critically, I wanted it to be a town that had a river running through it for Hob's infamous drowning as a witch. Since I'm US not UK, all of this was educated guesses and I'm sure a native would find something laughable about my choice, but I eventually happened upon the town of Shere, in Surrey.

I had several reasons for why Shere in particular seemed a good fit for Hob's late 1500-early 1600s estate location:

The town is 25 mi/40 km outside London. Given the average cart speed was 4 mph/6 kmh especially when taking into account pre-modern roads. With a good horse you could do it in about a day's ride, with slower a more comfortable pace and breaks for water, half a day if you were in a hurry. It seemed the proper distance for a man on the rise in society like Hob would want to be, able to make frequent trips while still being landed with a country estate.

In the Medieval era the area was noted as being "one of the wildest in Surrey: sheep-stealers, smugglers, and poachers found a refuge in these remote hills. Some of the cottages have, still existing, very large cellars (excavated easily in the sandy hill), stated by H.E. Malden to have been "far too large for any honest purpose, and were no doubt made for storing smuggled goods till they could be conveniently taken on to London" (Source) - I was charmed by the idea that Hob would have known the area from his banditry days and that he in turn would be tickled by the idea of coming back to the site of his former ne'er-do-well stomping grounds, now with a purchased knighthood. Also couldn't hurt to know the area like the back of your hand (especially when on the run from witch hunters).

Shere is noted in the Domesday Book of 1086 which makes it old enough for Hob to have lived there then AND to this day it is known for its Tudor manors to this day which make it a popular filming location, with several Tudor estates and manor houses, one of which I like to imagine was Hob's during the days of his knighthood.

Here's a fun detail! "Shere has often been called one of the most beautiful villages in England; certainly few can surpass it in Surrey for a combination of those qualities that go to make up the ideal village… Shere is, therefore, the haunt of painters, many of them residents in and around, and samples of their handiwork may be inspected in the ancient Black Horse Inn." (Source) You can't tell me Hob wouldn't consider the town just because it has a Black Horse Inn, he would be giggle himself sick over that.

The River Tillingbourne runs through the center of the village. Particularly in Giving Sanctuary this was important to me because I imagined Hob being dragged from his estate into the center of town for his trial and drowning, for maximum dramatic effect, so I needed one close by that was deep enough to drown a man and sweep him away.

Now, there's one problem with Shere, which is that no witch trials happened there during James I's reign, which is when Hob would have been drowned...

... EXCEPT ONE:

"Despite James I's interest in witchcraft, just one case was brought before the Surrey Assizes in his reign, the outcome of which is unknown. There were probably others brought before the lesser court of Quarter Sessions, but the records for this period have not survived." (Source)

Perhaps since Surrey had no other witch trials, it was all the more reason for Hob to be "overconfident" that he had nothing to worry about? After all, what were the odds? And an unknown outcome, hmm, sure sounds like an excellent opportunity to fictionalize this as because Hob went back later and destroyed the records.

Anyway, this is the one town that fit all my requirements but in the end, I never ended up using the name (at least, not yet) in any of my fics. But I thought others might enjoy the outcome of my search!

[vox-anglosphere]

The ghost of Anne Boleyn is rumoured to haunt its mediaeval halls

The Daffodils have started blooming at Hever Castle, Kent.

Spring will soon be here.