Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire was the home of the famous, some might say infamous, poet Lord Byron.  Who Dara Joy fans will recall from Rejar.  If you are not sure what I meant by that it means you didn't arrive here through my books site so just ignore it.

The Abbey and grounds are open to the public.

Although the most famous images of the Abbey, such as the one at the top of this page, show the ruins there is in fact a lot to see within the building itself as well as the extensive grounds.

Founded as a priory in the late 12th century Newstead Abbey was closed by Henry VIII in 1539.  It was acquired from the king the following year by Sir John Byron of Colwick.  It remained in the Byron family until 1817 when the Abbey's most famous owner, the poet, sold the property to Colonel Thomas Wildman because of financial difficulties. 

It is Wildman who is responsible for much of the restoration of the Abbey and who we can thank today for bringing the building back to something of its former glory.  Although of course, much of the building is a ruin which is unlikely to be restored in the foreseeable future.

Today the Abbey is the care of the City of Nottingham having been presented to the Nottingham Corporation in 1931 by it's then owner Sir Julien Cahn, the property having exchanged hands several times following the death of Colonel Wildman.

On arriving at the house today you can take the tour through the various rooms that are open to the public.  There are various rooms to go through but be warned that they are on various levels and be prepared for a lot of stairs to be tackled in order to progress through the entire property.

The rooms that are open to the public vary and include both the grand and impressive and the more mundane. 

Most interesting to many visitors to the property are the rooms of the poet Lord Byron which have been restored so show just what they would have been like when he was living there himself.

When touring the property, if you are so inclined you can try on a few items of clothing from another era.  An interesting opportunity which is not often available at historic properties.

There are also numerous displays and lots of information available with regard to the various owners of the Abbey and their various travels around the world.

Newstead Abbey also has an interesting number of ghosts, although not surprisingly I once again failed to spot even one of the spectral residents. 

And after you have seen everything inside the Abbey there are extensive grounds to walk through, including the Rose Garden and Spanish Gardens pictured on this page and numerous others throughout the grounds.