The Vyne

My parents had decided to pay us a visit and my husband, keen to avoid several hours of small-talk, reached for the National Trust handbook and stated that since we had given them National Trust membership for Christmas we may as well help them make use of it. Flicking to the map pages he decided we'd take them to The Vyne, a 16th century house and estate near Basingstoke. First Impressions Getting to The Vyne was easy by car as it was well-signposted from the main road. However, it was in a slightly rural location so I think reaching it by pubic transport may have been problematic. Away from the main road we swung into a field that doubled ...  Read the complete review

I am very fortunate to live within a stones throw of this magnificent old manor house. The Vyne, at Sherborne St John near Basingstoke is a beautiful old Elizabethan manor house steeped in history. It was built in the early part of the 16th century for Henry V111's Lord Chamberlain, Lord Sandys. Much has happened to it since then, and it is now in the possession of the National Trust. The house passed through several generations of the Sandys family. One of the most notable was William Sandys who was a friend of Elizabeth the First. It was whilst staying at the Vyne that she ordered the arrest and subsequent execution of her cousin, Mary Queen of ...  Read the complete review