The Manor Reborn: The Transformation of Avebury Manor

by Siân Evans

Avebury Manor in Wiltshire, one of the most beautiful houses in England, has been empty for years. Its owners, the National Trust, have teamed up with the BBC and an enthusiastic team of experts and amateurs to transform the house and make it into a successful visitor attraction, all in the space of a summer. This is the book that accompanies the primetime BBC 1 series and follows the trials and tribulations of the restoration of a beautiful historic house to its former glory. The history of Avebury Manor itself is fascinating and includes stories of many of its eccentric owners over its lifetime, including heroes and villains—from a governor of Jamaica who ate and drank himself to death to a marmalade magnet who specialised in racy women and witchcraft. Treasure House follows the transformation and renovation each step of the way and tells the story of a house over five centuries and how it came back to life. Taking four great moments in home furnishing—Tudor, Georgian,Victorian, and pre-war Modern—nine rooms in Avebury Manor are furnished and decorated by Penelope Keith and Paul Martin's team of experts and brought back to life.

Genres: Nonfiction

260 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Siân Evans is a prolific author, journalist, commentator, speaker, publicist and film consultant specialising in social history. She is the author of a plethora of popular social histories including Mrs Ronnie: the Society Hostess who collected Kings; The Manor Reborn (tied in with a major 4 part BBC1 TV series); Life Below Stairs in the Victorian and Edwardian Country House; Ghosts: Mysterious Tales from the National Trust; 7 National Trust Guidebooks between 2008 and 2014 and Great Hostesses (John Murray, 2016), a book examining the role of six influential interwar society hostesses. Siân regularly writes for BBC Antiques Roadshow Magazine, Daily Mail, The Express, Coast Magazine National Trust Members’ Magazine and Royal Oak Foundation Newsletter. She works as a freelance consultant to the National Trust Film Office and is an experienced public speaker.

Reviews

[Lillian Carl]

The companion book to a BBC series on the renovation of the manor house in the village of Avebury---yes, which also has the famous stone circle and other ancient remains. I've visited Avebury several times and have admired the house but have never been in it until this summer. Having read the book first really added to the experience.

Just two years ago, the house was renovated by the National Trust to reflect the different eras of the people who lived there, from a Tudor parlor though a Queen Anne bedchamber to an Art Deco parlor. Even though the author, Sian Evans, is much too fond of the word "robust", I loved this book and hung on every historical detail, the discussions of fabrics and customs, etc. The photos, as you'd expect in a book based on a TV series, are amazing.