In the Spring of 2011, I spent my last semester of my undergraduate years studying abroad at Harlaxton College outside of Grantham, England. It was a defining experience for me, as I traveled the globe with two of my best friends prior to each of us pursuing a graduate education. But for me, the connection to Harlaxton Manor goes much deeper than the four months I spent there in college.
I’d been hearing about the Manor from my father and his parents ever since I can remember. In fact, my father and one of my uncles also studied at Harlaxton when they were in college, and it was during this time that my grandparents developed a love for the place. They developed and maintained friendships with several local Grantham residents, some of whom I’ve had the pleasure to meet. And my Grandmother loved the Manor so much that my Grandfather once gifted her a hand-drawn rendering of the residence. It now hangs on the wall in my home.
When, due to COVID-19, I was unable to revisit during the Spring of 2021, what was the 10th anniversary of my time there, I told Emily I’d take her to Harlaxton Manor as soon as I could. So, when she picked a trip to London for her 32nd birthday week, I know, in part, it was for me. Finally, I got to take her to a place that means so much to me.
Within months of returning from our trip to England, we lost my Grandmother. But I was able to share with her all the details of my return to the Manor. We spent time showing her our photos, explaining what had changed and what was in store for the future, and flipping through the beautiful souvenir book we purchased from the gift shop. Her eyes lit up with each detail, and I’ll never forget it.
Harlaxton Manor
Harlaxton Manor was build by Gregory Gregory, an ordinary local man, on land that he inherited from his uncle and completed in 1851. It is renowned for combining Jacobean and Elizabethan architecture with Baroque interior decoration, making it unique in England. The Manor has been inhabited by a variety of individuals since Gregory Gregory’s death including others in the Gregory family, the Royal Flying Corps during World War One, Violet Van Der Elst, inventor of the first brushless shaving cream, The Society of Jesus, Stanford University, and, finally, the University of Evansville. Since the Fall of 1971, students from the University of Evansville in Indiana have been traveling here to study abroad in England.
We arrived at Harlaxton Manor on a Tuesday afternoon after taking a train from London King’s Cross St. Pancras station into Grantham. From there, a cab dropped us off at the Manor. Interestingly, and, at times, quite eerily, the students studying abroad at the Manor were on a mid-semester break, leaving the entire place almost completely empty. Yes, this means we were all but living alone in a mansion-sized English country estate.
Staying in Gregory Gregory's Room
Driving through the small village of Harlaxton and up the long drive to the Manor had me feeling giddy, just as it did 11 years prior when being transported in with my classmates on a large tour bus. After checking in at reception and getting own room key, we made our way up to the Blue Corridor. As a student at the Manor, this was where the professors stayed, many of them also visiting from American universities. But on this day, Emily and I were in for a treat. We learned we would be staying in the room whose window sits at the heart of Harlaxton Manor and looks directly down the drive – the room that, we’re told, was Gregory Gregory’s own.
Dinner at The Gregory Arms
The Gregory Arms, lovingly known as The Greg, is a public house located at the end of the long, straight road leading up to Harlaxton Manor. At just less than a mile, we walked about fifteen minutes to The Greg for dinner, as I’d done several times in the past. My dad has many more memories than I do of The Greg, as it was the main pub he and others drank at during his time at Harlaxton Manor.
The restaurant serves typical British pub food, and the interior of The Greg is warm and inviting. We had a nice evening eating there and chatting with several local residents about our visit back to Harlaxton. After the meal, we retreated back to the almost empty Manor down the long road.
Tour of Harlaxton Manor
The staff of Harlaxton College had graciously agreed to tour us around the Manor the following morning, which was a great opportunity for us to ask questions and learn how much the Manor has changed since my time there. Certain things remained the same: the stunning state rooms with their Baroque style and European influence and the many student areas such as the Refectory for serving meals and the Bistro for enjoying a pint. But other details were quite different! Much of the lower portion of the Manor had been renovated to provide new classrooms for students, new murals were painted, and a system of “Houses” had been introduced to build camaraderie and tradition among students.
I relished being able to walk my wife through the Manor and show her which rooms I had classes in or where I remembered attending events. She was impressed with the scale and beauty of Harlaxton Manor, which made me feel even luckier to have been able to call it home for several months.
Grantham, England
Now that we’d seen and explored the entire Manor, it was time to get out and see the town of Grantham. Grantham is home to a population of about 45,000 people and is located about 35 km from both London and Nottingham. Historically, it is most notable for being the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher and the town that educated Sir Isaac Newton. More recently, it has gained fame due to its name feature in the popular series Downton Abbey.
As it was 11 years ago, the quickest way to Grantham is by taxi. We were dropped off at The Old Bank, a pub that was previously called The Goose at the Bank, or, simply, The Goose. I picked this pub because I spent many nights there with my friends throwing back pints of ale prior to moving on to Grantham’s clubs. This time, though, we stopped after one pint and left out the clubs altogether.
We walked around town a bit, stopped for coffee and treat at Kitchen and Coffee, and went to Poundland, which Em had heard a lot about and insisted on seeing. There isn’t a ton to keep visitors busy in Grantham, so we returned to the Manor after a couple of hours.
Exploring Harlaxton Manor's Gardens
Much like the Manor itself, Harlaxton’s gardens are considered eclectic and a mix of styles. There are French terraces, a large Italian garden, and even a Dutch canal on the grounds are collectively quite beautiful even in the cloudy English weather. I led Emily to all the most beautiful vantage point, where we enjoyed the unbeatable and picturesque vista of Harlaxton Manor and a backdrop of the rolling English countryside.
After exploring the gardens, we visited the Carriage House where my room was while I stayed at Harlaxton College. My dad also stayed in the Carriage House some 20 years earlier.
It may not be surprising that, while at Harlaxton College, we rarely ventured out for a nice meal. So when it was time for a final dinner in Grantham, I was clueless where to eat. Luckily, our cab driver made a nice suggestion to eat at an Italian restaurant called Piccola Venezia. We were one of only two tables in the restaurant on a Wednesday evening in Grantham, so the mood was quiet and relaxed. Each component of the dinner was delicious, and we were happy with the choice!
Final Morning at Harlaxton Manor
Waking up for the final morning in Harlaxton Manor was bittersweet. The morning brought with it something quite uncommon for February in England: rays of sunshine! I got dressed and bolted outside to take some photos of the beautiful Harlaxton Manor as the sun rose above its numerous chimneys and turrets. Knowing this would be the last time, at least for quite a while, that I would get to stare at the Manor, I took my time and enjoyed the moment.
Later that morning, a cab picked us up from Harlaxton Manor, drove us down the long road to Harlaxton village and back to the Grantham train station. We returned to London for a few more days in the busy city, but those two nights back at the Manor will remain with me forever. It was a special visit for me, finally being able to share with Emily the place that fostered within me such a love for travel and adventure around the world.
I cannot thank the staff of Harlaxton College enough for making our visit very pleasant and memorable. We felt honored to be able to reside in Harlaxton Manor, if only for two nights, knowing the hard work and dedication that are required to keep it glowing as it does.
Back to London we went!