Sudbury Hall, home of Vernon Family, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England.

Sudbury Hall is a fine and highly individual late 17th Century House set in its own park and with an open aspect in all directions. The interior is richly decorated with wood carving by Gibbons, superb plasterwork and decorative painted murals and ceilings by Laguerre.

Sudbury was largely the creation of George Vernon who succeeded to the estate in 1660 and remained in the Vernon Family until it was passed to the National Trust.

There are many fine furnished rooms to wander through but the most notable feature is the Great Staircase which is one of the finest to be found in an English House, and a fine Long Gallery with many portraits of important and court figures from the late 17th Century, including several of Charles II's mistresses.

Housed in the service wing of the hall is the National Trust Museum of Childhood. This has a separate admission charge to the main hall though joint tickets are available. There are fascinating displays about children from the 18th Century onwards - aspiring chimney sweeps can practise in the chimney climbs and Betty Cadbury's collection of toys and dolls is on show. Other features include a Victorian school room where you can attend a class.

There is a licensed tea room offering a varied menu with a children's menu available and it can cope with party bookings by appointment.

The church of All Saints lies next to the Hall and has always had close links with the Vernon family.It was restored and developed for the 6th Lord Vernon in the late 19th Century and the Vernon chapel contains some fine monuments including an alabaster tomb chest to John Vernon (d 1600) and his wife Mary who lies below him.

The Park covers a large area and has a lake. The park and gardens have continuously evolved from the original formal gardens typical of the Restoration period through the 'natural landscape' influenced by Capability Brown and returning to the more formal influences of the Victorian era. The National Trust added various new features in 1970 including lime trees patterned in groups of five in front of the 19th Century Wing.

Both the Hall and Museum of Childhood run hands-on activities and special events - open air performances are held in the gardens.