A SOUTH Somerset Tudor building with 'sumptuous' details and boasting England's longest gallery has been named among the best in the UK.
Montacute House, which can be found in the village of Montacute in the south of the county, has earned this honour.
The National Trust building was featured alongside nine others in an article from The Telegraph, with writer Nicholas Boys Smith sharing his favourites from the period.
Discussing the creation of the list, he wrote: "The Italian Renaissance crawled to Britain.
"Tudor architecture is therefore the age of freestyle, of making it up as you go, of mixing known Gothic with semi-comprehended classical. What else to do?
"Tudor patrons coveted new buildings in 'the antique taste', but homage to ancient Rome was to a myth, not to anything seen."
The full list of the UK's best Tudor buildings can be found on The Telegraph website here.
Why is Montacute House among the UK's best Tudor buildings?
Smith shared that Montacute House perhaps stood out less than some of its peers but offered plenty to behold inside.
He shared: "If Longleat, Hardwick and Wollaton were self-consciously new and radical, Montacute House shouts less.
"The designer was probably a local man. Ill-proportioned Ionic columns suggest he may have been more comfortable with older Gothic patterns.
"The strapwork and chimneypieces inside are sumptuous.
"My personal favourite room is the Great Chamber.
"The breathtaking Long Gallery is England’s longest, with oriel windows and portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery."
What can you see at Montacute House?
Montacute House is a National Trust site, which is described as a "masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design".
The house was finished in 1601 after being commissioned by Sir Edward Phelips, and it used local ham stone in its construction.
At the time of writing, the upper floors of the house are closed, but the ground floors are open.
The National Trust website adds: "A beautiful garden surrounds Montacute House, constantly changing, filling the house with scent in summer and providing an atmospheric backdrop for a winter walk."
Montacute House has also been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.4/5 score from 1,352 reviews on Tripadvisor.
One person shared: "Impressive looking house set in the idyllic little honey coloured village of Montacute with two decent pubs.
"Nice formal gardens with sculpted yew trees and a classical fountain pool. The views of the house from the gardens are quite striking.
"Inside is worth visiting, but there isn’t that much to see currently as the upstairs is closed for renovation."
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Another wrote: "The upper floors were closed during our visit but it was still a great place to see.
"Loads of history.
"Fantastic outside tour by Julian, with interesting facts about the house and other properties nearby."
What's your favourite historic building in Somerset? Let us know in the comments.
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