To this day, Burghley remains a family home, owned and operated by a direct descendant of Lord Burghley, though it is open to the public for much of the year. It's near Stamford, a 'stone town' (an area with a long history of stone quarrying), so the stone used for that impressive facade came from nearby town Kingscliffe.

The home's frontage features a symmetrical arrangement of towers and turrets flanking a central gateway, reflecting English castle architecture from the late 13th century. Within a gatehouse entrance, built in 1801 (pictured) a vaulted ceiling is decorated with heraldry of the Cecil family, with one shield holding a Latin inscription that reads ‘William Lord of Burghley 1577’. It's all very grand indeed.

Step inside one of Britain's most historic stately homes