Things to see and do inside Knightshayes house

The library at Knightshayes with bookshelves wrapping round the walls, gold wallpaper and sofas. — The Library at Knightshayes | © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

Knightshayes is a 19th-century house designed by architect William Burges for former Tiverton MP, Sir John Heathcoat-Amory. There’s plenty of detail to enjoy whilst exploring the ground-floor of the house, from grotesques and gargoyles to the medieval Great Hall with its minstrels gallery. Look for the stone carvings of the seven deadly sins as well as a portrait of Rembrandt that may be by the Dutch master himself. From Monday 15 April, the first floor of the house will reopen and give a peek into the private lives of the Heathcoat-Amory family.

First floor of Knightshayes house reopens

From Monday 15 April the first floor of Knightshayes house will reopen, showcasing the private rooms of the Heathcoat-Amory family.

Bathroom and dressing room

Take a peek into the bathroom and dressing room to discover the spaces members of the family would get ready. Toiletry sets and accessories can be spotted throughout the rooms to give a glimpse into their private lives.

Bedroom

A Victorian bedoom with personal touches, such as the bedspread created by female visitors to the house over the years, and a view that takes in the wider landscaped parkland desinged by Edward Kemp.

Boudior

Take a look up at the creative ceiling designed by Crace to decorate the sitting room of the lady of the house. Family portraits on the walls give an insight into the life of Henrietta, Lady Heathcoat-Amory, and discover items belonging to her around the room.

Bedroom corridor and Minstrels' Gallery

Along the corridor discover the design printed by Campbell Smith & Co, the same company that originally painted the space.

Take a different look down into the Great Hall from the Minstrels' Gallery and look across at the Juliette Balcony. Above are the decorated panels of the ceiling designed by Burges.

Burges Room

Discover a room recreated by the National Trust to show the opulence of Burges's designs. This room features furniture designed by Burges on loan from the V&A as well as decorated walls that recreate designs intented for use in Knightshayes.

Burges's influence on Knightshayes

Knightshayes, with its elevated and robust Gothic façade, massive gargoyles, stylised leaves and an angel in the centre gable, shows Burges’s enthusiasm for 13th-century French architecture.

Eccentric designs

The interior is full of his neo-Gothic and often eccentric designs, including a vaulted hall, gilded ceilings, castellated chimneypieces and extravagantly carved corbels.

The ground floor of the house gives a flavour of a grand Victorian home, featuring impressive rooms for entertaining, relaxing, and indulging in pastimes such as billiards.

Knightshayes's Great Hall

Explore the medieval hall, complete with minstrels' gallery. Look up at the elaborate ceiling patterns and admire the chivalrous banners and shields. See the stone carvings, portraying aspects of medieval life, including the king, farmers and guards.

The Library

From the intricately decorated ceiling to shelves full of books, there’s plenty to see in the library. Sitting on bookshelves and hiding in the alcoves are some unusual Martinware ceramics, including some peculiar birds.

The Drawing Room

Admire the elaborate ceiling, now visible in all its colourful glory after being covered for nearly a century. This room features furniture by prominent Victorian designers, including an ornate cabinet housing a rare collection of local ceramics.

The Dining Room

Laid out as though for a family meal, the table and sideboard show items from our collection. Up above, the ceiling is inscribed with poetry by Robert Burns, a Scottish poet and lyricist.

Family treasures in the Morning Room

Richly decorated in red velvet and full of collection items, in the alcoves there are examples of Italian renaissance earthenware, which have featured in many international exhibitions over the years. The room is also home to the family’s beloved art collection.

A self-portrait by Rembrandt – or is it?

A portrait of the young Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) shown in the early years of his career was bought for Knightshayes in 1948 by Sir John and Lady Joyce Heathcoat-Amory and is on display in the house.

For many years, it’s been regarded as one of two copies of a self-portrait by Rembrandt, with the other copy in Kassel Museum in Germany and the original in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Uncovering hidden treasures

This little portrait caught art historian Dr Bendor Grosvenor's eye and was put under the spotlight in BBC Four's TV programme, 'Britain’s Lost Masterpieces.'

In the series, Bendor Grosvenor and social historian Emma Dabiri sought to uncover hidden treasures among painting collections using a combination of restoration, research and scientific analysis.

Investigating the painting

The painting underwent tests and analysis. This included dendrochronology (tree dating) on the wooden panel, specialist cleaning and infra-red and X-ray photography to determine aspects, such as the background technique and whether it was consistent with the way Rembrandt prepared his portraits.

Is the portrait by the Dutch master?

Despite some impressive research and analysis, through a journey that took Bendor Grosvenor to the Netherlands and Germany as well as specialist studios in the UK, the final word from the world’s leading Rembrandt expert, Ernst van de Wetering, was that the Knightshayes portrait is a copy.

When you visit take the opportunity to have a look and see what you think.