{"id":13389,"date":"2019-03-02T11:14:22","date_gmt":"2019-03-02T11:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cityadventurers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=13389"},"modified":"2024-10-02T21:22:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T20:22:33","slug":"a-special-guided-tour-of-newstead-abbey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cityadventurers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=13389","title":{"rendered":"A Special Guided Tour Of Newstead Abbey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our coach rumbled along the long driveway, past the remains of a 12th century Augustinian priory, coming to a halt in front of a large impressive house.<\/p>\n

Stepping off our transportation, we were greeted and led inside to a stone staircase.\u00a0In days gone by we would have climbed the stairs outside the building, but they have long since gone and that entrance is now a window. Then, our host would have been alerted to our presence by his pet\u00a0dogs and bear. Today our arrival was announced to our host by a tour guide instead.<\/p>\n

No sooner had we all assembled in the rectory hall than our host arrived. Lord Byron himself emerged from his dining room to give us a guided tour of his home and to regale us with stories of his life (and loves).<\/p>\n

\""Lord
“Lord Byron” costumed guide at Newstead Abbey – photo by Juliamaud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other than knowing Lord Byron as one of our prominent poets and father of Ada Lovelace, with a reputation for being “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know” I knew little about the man. But on this tour I found out so much.<\/p>\n

\"Captivated
Captivated by Lord Byron – photo by Juliamaud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He told us about his love of animals, especially dogs. He wrote “Epitaph to a Dog” in 1808 in honour of his Newfoundland dog, Boatswain, who had just died of rabies. The dog has a grand memorial in the garden that some of us were able to see later. The collar from Byron’s dog was auctioned in 2017 and showed battle scars from fighting with the poet’s bear. Why did he have a bear? Because the university he attended did not allow pet dogs…….but it said nothing in the rules about bears!<\/p>\n