Full English
17 November 2021
Photos
There is always a lot to see and a lot to love in England. The English countryside is as surprising as it is beautiful – and often, preconceptions and expectations are defied by an environment determined to one up every thought you might have. Not to mention some serious history that cross the footpaths from time to time. This stately manor house represents a specific kind of England. Downton Abbey, perhaps, introduced parts of that world to modern audiences, who may still not fully grasp that world as well as the think they do. The devastation of two world wars changed the entire globe from a place that was before, to a place that was after. And the place after was no longer the same, and the great families and manor houses would never again be what they once were. The world ran a certain way. And then it ran a different way. And every generation instinctively feels and knows that theirs is the epitome of wisdom, understanding and development… until the next laughs at their folly.
That time, is over.
But then, again, you go for a walk, look at some unbelievable gardens, and turn a corner – and a reality that defies everything you think you’ve learned materializes… and there, in front of you, is a real, working, well-kept, current manor house.

Peter van der Walt is a fiction author, although you may find some non-fiction and the odd essay out there. Fans can find his newsletter, posts, updates and developments at petervanderwalt.com. Currently, he is hard at work on his next story. When not writing, he has far too many interests to reasonably keep up with. He lives with his partner in Devon, England.