March | 2016 | Cheryl Bolen's Regency Ramblings

© By Cheryl Bolen

My copyeditor recently questioned a reference in one of my books he was editing. “Can this be?” he asked. “Over 300 rooms in this house?”

Yes, many of the British stately homes run to more than 200 rooms and some to over 300 rooms. And because I write a lot of novels about the English aristocracy (both historical and contemporary), I have made it a point to tour as many of these aristocratic homes as possible on my frequent travels to England.

Chatsworth House, home of the Dukes of Devonshire

One of my favorite of these stately homes is Chatsworth House, family seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, nestled in the foothills of Derbyshire’s Peak District. The “house” has 297 rooms! (It’s the one I use in the banner on my blog, Cheryl’s Regency Ramblings, http://www.cherylsregencyramblings.wordpress.com.)

Knole House in Kent

Knole, in Kent, is home to the Sackvilles, cousins of the first Queen Elizabeth, and was once home to the Dukes of Dorset. This rambling “house” has 356 rooms, 52 sets of stairs, and seven courtyards!

I have toured more than 30 of these homes, and I add new ones each trip my husband and I take to England. They make good fodder for the fictional homes in my 20-plus books. While none of these homes is exactly replicated in any of my novels, I do borrow from different houses I’ve had the pleasure of touring.

Hever Castle

My book which can most be identified with a particular property is probably My Lord Wicked. The abbey in which my not-so-wicked lord lived was somewhat modeled on Hever Castle, the girlhood home of Anne Boleyn. Instead of the drawbridge at Hever, my fictional abbey has a clock tower which was supposedly built to disguise the abbey’s former bell tower.

In my book, Love in the Library, my heroine lives at Number 17 Royal Crescent in Bath. Here’s a picture of me in front of one of the magnificent townhouses on Bath’s Royal Cresent in June of 2013.

Me in front of Bath’s Royal Crescent

If you’d like to see what a Georgian townhouse (of the wealthy) looked like, you can tour Number 1 Royal Crescent in Bath. Or you can see the photos of Number 1 here: https://plus.google.com/115605333815650580996/photos?hl=en

—Cheryl Bolen’s newest release, Oh What a (Wedding) Night, Brazen Brides Book 3, releases April 19.

London’s Historic Pubs, Part II

©Cheryl Bolen

The five London pubs described in this blog have all been sampled by my family, and all can be found within a two-mile radius.

Ye Olde Mitre Tavern

Ye Olde Mitre Tavern is said to be the most difficult pub to find in London. According to legend, one man worked around the corner for six years without finding it. Nowadays, it’s easy to find with the GPS on your smart phone. It’s located close to the Holburn Circus, not far from the Chancery Lane tube stop on High Holburn. Still, the guys in my family walked right by its entrance, but I was looking for a little alleyway. And do I mean little!

The entry into the tiny pedestrian lane where Ye Olde Mitre tavern is marked by this slender arch.

This is what the entrance to Ye Olde Mitre tavern looks like in daytime. (We were there at night.)

We’re so glad we found it! It’s one of the most memorable of all the London pubs we’ve patronized. You enter through a narrow pedestrian way that has likely been unchanged in centuries. The pub’s interior is comprised of tiny, low-ceilinged rooms. It’s very popular with the locals who can drink a pint near the fire on a winter’s night. Those desiring to imbibe outdoors gather around tall upside-down barrels that serve as bar tables.

The father of my children and I opted for a cozy table by the fireplace, but our sons preferred drinking outside.

Ye Olde Mitre Tavern has been on this site since 1546, but the current building was constructed in 1772. It’s said Queen Elizabeth I visited here and danced around a cherry tree that is still there. Ye Olde Mitre was originally a tavern for the servants of the Palace of the Bishops of Ely, which was once based here.

Red Lion in Westminster

Because of its prime location between Number 10 Downing Street and Parliament, The Red Lion is your best chance of seeing a real M.P. (Member of Parliament). Until Edward Heath (British Prime Minister from 1970-1974) every prime minister had visited the Red Lion.

A tavern has been at this location since 1434. A young Charles Dickens visited the Red Lion regularly. The current structure was built in 1890.

If it’s not raining, patrons love to grab a pint inside the Red Lion and drink it outside, especially after work.

The inside is more upscale traditional with dark woods and higher ceilings. Its corner location has become popular for those who take their pints outside. You’ll see lots of people in suits grabbing an after-work pint.

The Cross Keys

Those with OCD may go a little crazy in the interior of The Cross Keys, opened in 1848. Its small interior is crammed with all manner of memorabilia—and clutter. Among the bric-a-brac there’s said to be a napkin signed by Elvis.

One of my sons in front of The Cross Keys.

This Covent Garden pub’s claim to fame is attributed to the aforementioned plethora of memorabilia and to its unique facade which is a jumble of lovely greenery and flowers. It’s probably Coven Garden’s most distinctive building.

The Lamb and Flag

Also in Covent Garden, The Lamb and Flag claims to be Covent Garden’s most historic watering hole. It’s located on an L-shaped alleyway (not nearly as narrow as the alleyw

The Bolen guys outside Covent Garden’s Lamb & Flag pub.

ay to Ye Olde Mitre Tavern) that used to be famous for its bare-knuckled fighting.

Charles Dickens (That guy really liked his beer!) was a regular here, and a couple of centuries earlier the poet John Dryden hung out here. Up a very narrow, steep stairway is another room—this one named for Dryden, who was almost murdered nearby.

The Old Bell Tavern

Just down Fleet Street from St. Paul’s in The City, The Old Bell Tavern was built by St. Paul’s architect, Sir Christopher Wren, for his stonemason’s who were building St. Bride’s Church after the Great Fire.

The curved, dark wood bar in Old Bell Tavern is unique.

Inside, it’s cozy with a small fireplace, an attractive curved-wood bar, and great pub grub.—Cheryl Bolen, whose third Brazen Brides book, Oh What a (Wedding) Night, releases in April and can be preordered everywhere now.