This striking house, which incorporates remnants of an Augustinian abbey, is famous as the home of the poet Lord Byron.
Newstead Abbey, founded in the 12th century, was purchased after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by the poet's ancestor, Sir John Byron of Colwick.
Sir John's house was constructed around the the old cloister garth and incorporated many of the monastic buildings.
The splendid late-13th century west front of the church was also preserved.
Over the following centuries the Byron family made few alterations to the house but in the 18th century a magnificent landscape setting was created in front of the entrance.
This included a lake guarded by 'forts', where the 5th Lord Byron (the 'Wicked Lord') and his sailor brother, 'Fair Weather Jack' (the poet's grandfather), held mock battles.
The Wicked Lord died in 1798 leaving the house in a delapidated condition and the estate burdened with huge debts.
He was succeeded by the poet, who did little to restore the house and in 1817 was forced to sell the property.
Newstead Abbey house was purchased by Col Thomas Wildman, one of Lord Byron's school-fellows and an admirer of the poet's work. Wildman made a fortune from sugar plantations in the West Indies and in 1818 - 29 he used much of this money to restore Newstead Abbey.
The London architect John Shaw, a practioner of the 'Old English' style, was engaged to carry out this restoration work.
Following Wildman's death in 1859 Newstead Abbey was sold to William Frederick Webb, an explorer. He introduced much of the furniture now on display in the house and also made some internal alterations.
On Webb's death Newstead Abbey passed to his daughter, who created the wonderful Japanese Garden to the south of the house.
In 1925 the house and grounds were sold and six years later they were given to the City of Nottingham.
Since then more furniture has been introduced to Newstead Abbey and house, with it great literary connection, now contains large quantities of manuscripts and mementoes relating to Lord Byron.
The impressive west-facing entrance front of Newstead Abbey is formed from the façade of the priory church on the left, Sir John Byron's hall range in the centre and Shaw's office wing to the right (separated from the main house by a neo-Norman tower).
Originally, the visitor entered the house by way of a flight of stairs leading up to the Hall, which was formed from the guest quarters of the monastic buildings.
The present ground entrance was created in the 19th century by Shaw and passes through the vaulted undercroft (containing some tombs of the Bryon family removed from Colwich church) and into the medieval cloister.
At the centre of the cloister garth is a splendid early-16th century fountain. On the east side is a mid-13th century doorway which provides access to the former chapter-house. This was converted into a family chapel in the 1860s and contains stained glass by Hardman and high-Victorian stencilled decoration by C.A. Buckler.
The principal rooms on the first floor still retain the atmosphere of large 19th century country house.
These are flanked by galleries built over the cloister walks in the mid-16th century and now filled with items relating to Lord Byron.
Beginning in east range (originally the monks' dormitory) there is a range of former bedrooms. The Charles II Room has a fine ceiling with 'grotesque' decoration dated 1720. Two other rooms in the same range contain carved and painted mid-16th century overmantels, thought to have been introduced in the 18th century from Colwick Hall. Another room was decorated in Japanese style by the Webbs at the end of the 19th century.
At the south east corner of the house is the family wing which contains rooms with fine mid-19th century woodwork.
The Salon, in the south range, was built on the site of the monastic refectory and has a roof with plaster panels dated 1631 - 33. This room has a mixture of 17th and 18th century furniture and a splendid mid-18th century marble chimneypiece, possibly by Thomas Carter. On the wall is a painting by Peter Tillemans depicting Newstead Abbey in 1730.
The Hall on the west front, where Lord Byron practised pistol shooting, was completely remodelled in the 19th century by Shaw.
Only the Lord Byron's bedroom, on the second floor, remains much as the poet left it.
The room still contains Byron's four-poster bed, which has exact reproductions of the original hangings.
Newstead Abbey, set in the heart of ancient Sherwood Forest, is surrounded by over 300 acres of grounds.
To the south of the house is the famous Japanese garden, created by William Frederick Webb's daughter. Lord Byron's dog is buried near the high altar in the grassy site of the priory church.
2008: Apr-Sept: 12:00-17:00 (last entry 16:00); Grounds: daily (except last Fri in Nov and Christmas Day) 09:00-18:00 or dusk last entry 16:30.
Tel: 01623 455 900 Newstead Abbey Website
