点评:The long drive to up to the house is a lovely introduction to this fascinating place. Once an abbey, with buildings dating from the 1100s (can't be visited, just seen from outside), it was converted to a house with a massive extension in the 1700s, which is the main house now.
You can only visit the ground floor of the main house. However, the guided tour really brings the whole place and its history to life. Our tour guide Hugo was brilliant at explaining the interconnectedness of the various aristocratic families and how that influenced the fortunes of the site. Queen Victoria visited, wanting to see the new WC that Thomas Crapper had installed, and subsequently bought 8 for Osbourne House. Rooms were hastily redecorated for her visit, costing millions and obliterating the wood panelling because apparently she didn't like wood! Her bedroom is now a beautiful room. It was also used by Jane Austen who visited, and who was a distant relative. There is information on her connections and what she took from her visit to incorporate in her books.
The grounds are beautiful. The little cafe below the main entrance staircase serves good food at reasonable prices. All the staff, from receptionist to cafe waiters, are friendly and welcoming.
Overall, it's a lovely place to spend a few hours. There's no children's play areas and no huge gift shop, just a great house, wonderful guides, and lots to look at and learn.
翻译:驱车前往这座宅邸的漫长旅程本身就是对这处迷人之地的美好序曲。这里曾是一座修道院,建筑可追溯至12世纪(目前不对外开放,只能从外部观赏)。18世纪,它被改建为一座宅邸,并进行了大规模扩建,如今的主楼便是扩建部分。
您只能参观主楼的底层。不过,导览讲解生动地展现了整个宅邸及其历史。我们的导游雨果(Hugo)讲解得非常精彩,他深入浅出地解释了各个贵族家族之间的联系,以及这种联系如何影响了这处宅邸的命运。维多利亚女王曾到访此地,想要参观托马斯·克拉珀(Thomas Crapper)安装的新厕所,之后她为奥斯本庄园(Osbourne House)购买了8个这样的厕所。为了迎接女王的到来,房间被匆忙重新装修,耗资数百万英镑,原有的木镶板也被全部拆除,据说是因为女王不喜欢木头!如今,她的卧室已成为一间美丽的房间。简·奥斯汀(Jane Austen)也曾到访此地,她与奥斯本庄园有远亲关系,也曾使用过这间卧室。这里还介绍了她与奥斯本庄园的联系,以及她从这次访问中汲取的灵感,并将其融入到自己的作品中。
庄园环境优美。主入口楼梯下方的小咖啡馆提供价格合理的美味佳肴。从接待员到咖啡馆服务员,所有员工都热情友好。
总而言之,这里是消磨几个小时的好去处。这里没有儿童游乐区,也没有大型礼品店,只有一座漂亮的宅邸、优秀的导游,以及许多值得一看和学习的东西。