The Entrance
From your welcome to the threshold of the story.
About The Entrance
The Entrance is the first place in which your butler receives you, takes your coat and luggage, and leads you into the Manor. Past the suit of Western knight's armour at the door of the Study, you come to the French oak double doors that stand at the threshold of the Dining Room. From the everyday into the story of the Manor, your butler walks with you, matching your pace.
As you proceed to the Dining Room, the French oak double doors are opened
The double doors are a pair of great French oak doors standing some 2,480mm tall. They are not the Entrance itself, but the threshold of the Dining Room. When these doors open, the public face of the Manor begins.
Having received you and taken your coat and luggage, your butler leads you through the house. As you approach the Dining Room, your butler opens the great doors, leaving a moment in which the table and the chandelier come into view together.
A suit of Western knight's armour stands at the boundary.
Italian-made, 185cm tall, with sword. In the castles and country houses of Europe, a suit of ancestral armour standing in the entrance hall or on the grand staircase was an expression of a family's standing.
This knight at the door of the Study marks the line between the everyday and the story. Please do not touch the armour; view it as your butler guides you.
Two pieces you meet from the Entrance, introduced by the Association's butlers
What it helps to tell your butler before you arrive
| Party size | From one guest to a maximum of six. Please let us know how many will be arriving so that we may receive everyone properly. |
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| Luggage | If you bring large bags, photography props or costumes, please tell us what they are for so they can be sorted easily at the door. |
| Rain | We will take your umbrella and rainwear. There is no need to hurry; please arrive at your reserved time as usual. |
| Butler preference | Both gentlemen and ladies serve as our butlers. Please tell us your preference when you book. |
| First destination | The Dining Room, the Study, the Fireplace Room: if you have a preference, please let us know in advance. If undecided, your butler will ask on arrival. |
| Photography props | Please tell us which items you will use straight away at the door, which later in the house, and which are simply to take home. Your butler will ask their purpose and arrange them so they come out in the right order. |
A breath after your welcome, and the details of the Manor come into view
| Into the Manor's pace | The time at the threshold is a short interval in which the pace of the outside world gives way to that of the Manor. Rather than pressing on straight after your welcome, let your eye rest on the metal contours of the knight's armour, or the height of the double doors leading to the Dining Room. |
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| From one to six guests | On a day you visit alone, you may linger in the quiet before the armour. As a pair, one of you may look at the furnishings while the other's luggage is checked in. |
| Seasons and rain | The role of the Entrance changes with the season. On hot days we allow time to settle into the air of the house; on cold days we take your coat promptly. On rainy days we first arrange a place for umbrellas and damp clothing. |
| Seeing you off | On your departure, your butler checks the items in our care and returns them in the order most convenient for your onward journey. So as not to break the afterglow of your time in the Manor abruptly, we prepare quietly until the moment of farewell. |
From your welcome to taking your seat
Welcome at the door
Your butler awaits you at your reserved time, bows, and asks your name.
Items taken into our care
We take your coat and larger luggage to the wardrobe. Please keep valuables with you.
Into the house
Matching your pace, your butler leads you to the place that suits the purpose of your visit.
Meeting the armour
You view the knight's armour at the door of the Study, and your gaze is drawn into the story of the Manor.
The threshold of the Dining Room
If you proceed to the Dining Room, your butler opens the French oak double doors.
Your butler watches your pace and your luggage as you arrive
A welcome is not merely the moment of greeting; it is the care taken until you have settled into the air of the Manor. Your butler observes the distance between you and your companions, the number of your bags and how you seem that day, choosing where to stand and when to speak. Without hurrying anyone, we keep a safe and easy path into the house.
After bowing, your butler offers to take your luggage and coat. So as not to take away small items you need at once or things required for photography, we ask briefly about your plans for the day. Our lady butlers and gentleman butlers alike attend you with the same measured pace and attention. For first-time guests, we mention each next destination as we go, so that nothing is left uncertain.
When you leave, we have your belongings ready in advance and hold your coat so that it is easy to slip on. We check that nothing has been forgotten and bow at the door. With arrival and departure bound together in the same place, the story of the day closes quietly.
See how a visit unfoldsWhat your butler takes into care at the door
- Coats, hats and other garments you will not wear inside
- Large bags and luggage you will not need straight away
- Wet umbrellas and rainwear; your butler will show you where they go
- Costumes and props for use after a photo session; we ask their purpose and keep them separately
- Belongings of up to six guests, checked in one by one
What we ask you to keep with you
- Valuables, regular medication and anything you keep with you at all times
- Props you will use immediately for photography, or a book you wish to read
- Mobile phones and other items you will need inside the house
- Luggage whose contents your butler has not been able to confirm
Beyond the doors, three directions await
To the Dining Room
Beneath the nine-light chandelier at the long yew table, your first cup awaits.
Read more
To the Study
Past the armour, into the quiet room where the leather-topped desk and black leather chair wait.
Read more
To the Fireplace Room
Before the wine-red sofa and the flickering fire, time for conversation or a film begins.
Read moreQIt is my first visit. What should I do at the door?
Please arrive at your reserved time and give us your name. Your butler will bow to receive you, check your luggage and lead you into the house.
QCan I leave my coat and large bags?
Your butler will take them to the wardrobe. Anything you need straight away, for photography for instance, you are welcome to keep with you.
QIs it the same entrance on a rainy day?
We receive you at the usual door. Your butler will attend to wet coats, umbrellas and luggage, so please mind your step as you come in.
QMay I touch or move the armour?
Please do not touch the armour; view it as your butler guides you. For photographs, your butler will show you a safe place to stand.
QIs it all right for six of us to arrive at once?
We receive parties of up to six. Your butler will keep the way clear through the house and check each guest's belongings in turn.
QMay I be received by a lady butler?
Both gentlemen and ladies serve as our butlers. If you have a preference, please tell us when you book, and we will confirm availability.
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We await you inside the door.
Tell us what you have in mind, and your butler will guide you.