Newstead Abbey

About

Founded by Augustinian monks in 1170, the original Newstead Abbey was destroyed by order of Henry VIII in 1539. Rather than let the king’s men take the abbey’s treasures, the monks threw them into the lake. In 1540, the Byron family came into possession of the lands and created a gorgeous country home with beautiful landscaped gardens. While the poet Byron was famously ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’, having buried his beloved dog in a giant tomb on the Abbey’s grounds, his great uncle, the 5th Lord William ‘the Wicked’ Byron, was violently eccentric. He killed his neighbor over an argument over whose estate had better hunting, and built to follies from which to shoots at servants as they held mock naval battles for his enjoyment. Today, the abbey interiors let visitors experience Victorian room settings, including the poet’s private apartments, while the beautiful 300 acre parkland and formal gardens provide a perfect place to relax.