The Tales Old Hill Hall Holds

Hill Hall is an Elizabethan country house in Theydon Mount, Essex, England. Originally built for Sir Thomas Smith, a close confidant of Queen Elizabeth I, the house boasts some of the earliest classical decoration on any surviving building in Britain. Richard Kyrkebye, the chief architect and builder, used giant order columns and intricate friezes to create a magnificent estate. The 1969 fire that destroyed most of the interiors miraculously spared a series of wall paintings on the first floor, completed in the late 16th century. These paintings, an unusual survival of classically inspired mural paintings, are the most important in England, according to the British Museum.

The house has a rich and complex history. Starting as a residential home, it was later used as a prisoner of war camp during World War II. Now, it is owned by English Heritage and available for limited tours. Visitors can still see the internal period wall paintings, the tiers of columns and friezes on the courtyard walls, and the use of giant order columns on some of the exterior facades.

The earliest known example of a guinea pig being kept in Europe was discovered during an archaeological dig at Hill Hall in a layer dating to 1574 or 1575, reflecting Sir Thomas Smith’s high status as ambassador to France. This is the earliest evidence of guinea pigs being kept as pets in Europe.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons