The romantic exterior of Knebworth House with its turrets, domes and gargoyles silhouetted against the sky does little to prepare the visitor for what to expect inside. The House has stood for many years longer than the Victorian decoration suggests and the stucco hides from view a red brick house dating back to the Tudor times.

Every generation of the Lytton family has left something of its style and taste, making Knebworth an extraordinary walk through 500 years of British history. Stories and heirlooms relect the family's contribution to literature, politics and foreign service and visits by characters as diverse as Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Noel Gallagher.