Layer Marney Tower is a historic Tudor building near Tiptree in Essex. It’s open to the public to view at the weekends, and is usually a solidly booked up wedding venue all year round. However, due to COVID weddings were cancelled, so the current owners were looking for an alternative source of income.
So they listed the Bridal Suite on AirBnb at an absolute steal of a cost. It’s my best ever AirBnb find. The room was gorgeous, the bath and shower were dreamy, but best of all you had the grounds to yourself at night. I had many an evening picnic outside in gardens; not to mention twlight glasses of wine and morning coffee. I felt like I was a lady of the manor living a life of leisure. Access to the grounds was worth the price of the room alone. If the owners ever choice to list the room on AirBnb again, I’d snap it up in a hurry.
Now for a bit of history about the tower.
It was built by Henry, Lord Marney during the reign of Henry VIII and it is England’s tallest Tudor gatehouse. It has 99 steps to the top and appears to have eight floors, but double windows were built into the Tower, to make it appear to have more floors than it really did. After the death of John, the 2nd Lord Marney, the house passed to Sir Brian Tuke, Treasurer to the Royal Household and Governor of the King’s Posts. His widowed daughter-in-law entertained Queen Elizabeth I for two days in 1579, the Queen most likely stayed in what is now the billiard room on the first floor of the gatehouse.
You can take a look for yourself and read more about Layer Marney Tower on their website.
I feel so lucky that I was able to visit Layer Marney Tower!
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Christ Church College
Henley-on-Thames
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Hastings Old Town
Bath
Bath Pt 2.
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