Lode CB5 9EJ, England

Country manor with its own water-powered flour mill – Reviewed 25 April 2013

Anglesea Abbey is an easy five mile drive north east of Cambridge along the A14 motorway, or a more leisurely drive on Newmarket Road to the village of Lode.

The stone house was built as a priory and traces of its religious architecture and heritage remain but when the future Lord Fairhaven bought it, aged 30, he began to transform the priory into a country house with grand public dining and drawing rooms and an impressive library.

Lord Fairhaven’s ambitions extended to the 46ha (114 acre) of grounds which he had planted as a series of separate gardens: a winter garden, extensive lawns and a rose garden, creating a beautiful environment out of what had been a desolate landscape.

From the visitors centre entry, follow the signs to the winter garden and mill. Here the mill stream drives a water-powered stone-grinding flour mill. Volunteers run the mill and explain the workings. Visitors can see how the stream drives the drive wheel which runs the grinding wheel, producing wholegrain flour. Freshly ground bags of flour are available for sale to the public.

The walk from the entry to the mill and then to the house is all wheelchair accessible but the mill has several stairs up the mill.

From the mill, a gravel pathway leads along the mill stream to the house. Tour guides take groups of visitors through the main rooms on the ground floor and then upstairs to the library and bedrooms.

The house has a large collection of antique furniture. silverware, paintings and clocks.

Cleaners and conservators dust and clean the entire house every day, and clean the antique book collection and artworks regularly using a range of natural bristled brushes. Visited December 2012