American Viscountess Visits The Manor, Hemingford Grey

Julie Montagu hosts the wonderful series American Viscountess, where she visits the owners of castles, manor houses and stately homes, and discover how they have adapted to the 21st century. Over the summer, Julie visited The Manor in Hemingford Grey to learn more about the house and their collection.

Hemingford Grey Manor

Hemingford Grey Manor is a unique and historic home, recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited house in England, with origins stretching back 900 years to the Norman period. Built around 1130 by Payn Osmundsen, a tenant of Aubrey de Vere. The house was owned by the de Grey family from 1256 to 1490. In the 1730s, it became the birthplace of Maria and Elizabeth Gunning, known as the "Beautiful Miss Gunnings," famed for their beauty across Europe. The house had been expanded by their uncle, though the addition was destroyed by fire in 1798.

Lucy Boston purchased the Manor on May 31, 1939, and undertook extensive restoration to return it to its Norman roots. During World War II, she welcomed local airmen, providing a haven where they could relax and listen to gramophone music.

A skilled needleworker, Lucy began creating patchwork quilts after acquiring two from Muriel Rose’s Little Gallery to use as curtains. When these quilts began to wear, her repairs inspired her to design and sew her own patchworks, which she worked on during the winter alongside her writing.

The Collection

The collection at Hemingford Grey Manor consists of eleven patchworks made by Lucy Boston, between the years of 1939 and 1984. Each of the patchworks in the collection is shown to all members of the public on guided tours of the house. Rarely is such an important collection seen in the house in which they were made. The Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses is now one of the top 10 best known patchworks worldwide.

The winner of this year's award will be announced this November. Stay tuned as we announce other shortlist contenders over the next few weeks.