Message #744

[Tempest]

Raynham Hall is one of the most splendid of the great houses of Norfolk. It was begun by Sir Roger Townshend and was the first of its kind in England. Perhaps because of the three-year grand tour of Europe which Sir Roger had undertaken, Raynham was built in an entirely new style, abandoning native tradition and following the Italian form and plan. Raynham could easily be mistaken for a house built nearly a century later.