Half-day Excursion to Burghley House

Discovery Summer students visited England’s greatest Elizabethan Mansion built by Queen Elizabeth's Lord High Treasurer between 1558-1587. 

They saw magnificent state rooms and were absolutely stunned by the Heaven Room and the Hell Staircase.

The Heaven Room is an extraordinary chamber, with floor and ceiling frescoes of a mythical heavenly scene, full of gods and goddesses, angels, and cherubs. The Hell Staircase presents a stark contrast to the preceding chamber, with a gigantic painted cat on the ceiling opening its jaws to Hell. The overall effect of these two chambers is breathtaking.

Next, students were free to explore the Sculpture gardens and the Garden of Surprises, both hidden from the outside and waiting to reveal their surprises to those who enter. Features such as the moss house, the swivelling Caesar busts, basins of water, jets and the mirrored maze have been designed to be accessible to all regardless of age or interest, and are particularly enjoyable for the young or those young at heart who enjoy a paddle on a warm day. The garden exudes a real sense of fun.

Students tried not to get get in numerous water traps.

And they also tried to read the time from the magnificent sundial.

After an exhausting afternoon, our students made good use of the park and lawns in front of the house. We saw a human pyramid and a variety sports played by our international teams.

That was a great excursion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!