The bizarre half-built Elizabethan manor house near Peterborough that’s sat unfinished for 400 years - here’s why
The strange building is now managed by the National Trust
Deep in the countryside between Oundle and Corby, standing dominant in the desolate landscape, isa manor house unlike any other.
Unlike many similar buildings of the 17th century, Lyveden New Bield exists only as a shell of its intended form.
With its stone walls and stunning Elizabethan architecture, the house should have been one of the grandest buildings in the area.
However, a tragic event in the early 17th century brought a halt to construction, and the house has remained incomplete for the past 400 years.
Why Lyveden New Bield has remained unfinished for centuries
To understand the current state of Lyveden New Bield, we have to go back more than four centuries.
Towards the end of the 14th century, a wealthy family named the Treshams came to Northamptonshire from Gloucestershire.
At the head of the family was William Tresham, a lawyer, MP, Attorney General under Henry V.
William spent much of his wealth purchasing land across Northamptonshire, which was then acquired by his son Thomas following his death.
The Tresham lineage was continued by Thomas’ grandson and namesake Sir Thomas Tresham I, who inherited his grandfather’s large estates in 1559.
In a bid to build on his grandfather’s legacy, Sir Thomas earmarked a grand house in Lyveden, near Oundle.
A man of strong Catholic faith, Sir Thomas designed the manor house in a way that embodied his beliefs.
With its canals, raised terraces, viewing mounts and orchards, his lavish Lyveden estate was intended to be the pride of the land.
However, the house never saw completion owing to Sir Thomas’ death in 1605 at the age of just 62.
In the 421 years since Sir Thomas’ death, the house has barely changed.
Acquired by the National Trust in 1922, the existing lodge and an additional 27 acres of grounds now act as a time capsule, preserving bonafide Elizabethan architecture.
In 2010, analysis of Luftwaffe aerial photos from 1944 revealed ten huge concentric circles within the garden, measuring approximately 120 metres across.
After more than four centuries, Lyveden New Bield continues to hold secrets and fascinate visitors.