House & Garden
Elton is a complicated house to understand. In 1475, the Sapcotes built a medieval house and tower. The tower remains and is the first part of the house that the visitor sees. The Proby family bought the Hall and surrounding land in the mid-17th century. Since then every generation has expanded and altered the building. During the last War, the house was occupied as a convalescent home by the Red Cross. It suffered in the post war decades from a backlog of repairs, meaning much needed to be done when my parents moved in and took on the running of the house in 1980.
My parents faced an enormous conservation task to bring the house and garden back to what you see today. Alongside creating and investing in rural business in and around Elton to enable this. Some might ask why they took this task on! Apart from the pull of family history, we see this house (and many like it) as part of the history of the country. and we wish to promote a ‘feel’ for history by conserving the house and contents that can be experienced by visiting. There is much to be learnt from the lives of our ancestors, not least that our descendants could well look in amazement at how we live and what we value and do today.
Since 1980 the house has been re-roofed, re-wired and re-plumbed. The pictures have been cleaned, or re-varnished, and many pieces of furniture restored together with the rooms they occupy. The gardens have been completely restored and enhanced with new borders, hedges, topiary, an Orangery, Shell Seat, modern fountain and many interesting plants.
The Hall and gardens have been gently brought to life with an increasing number of visitors during the summer months and events running throughout the year. I moved here, with my family, over Christmas 2021 to take over the running from my parents. We very much hope you enjoy visiting.
Alexandra Proby