If my heart had to choose were to live, it would live at Haddon.

It's old. It's soul is old. The chapel's bones are Norman. They've uncovered beautiful paintings on the walls, which were painted over during the Reformation.

I climbed a hill and went through a crooked arch and out into a brilliant, sun-bleached courtyard. You can stand there and see how the castle was built over 100's of years. You can see the walls don't quite hit true; you see why the arch had to be crooked when the new wing was built--about 500 years ago.

We went through another arch, into the original Greal Hall. Arthur 7 spent a great deal of time here visiting his Treasurer who owned the place. Arthur died young, leaving his widow, Catherine of Aragon. His brother, Henry 8, married the widow and gave the Treasurer a huge tapestry in thanks for being so good to Arthur. The tapestry hangs here.

Haddon is still a home, The family lives in about 80% of it. You've already been here, you've just forgotten. The Great Hall was set for the filming (2nd unit, from what I overheard from the guy outside on the cellphone) "Death at Pemberly." (This is where the solicitor lives.)

Cate Blanchett was here when she got the news she was Queen of England.

And my favorite, the windows, the windows--I remember the windows from the Judi Dench "Jane Eyre."

The current family are working hard to restore the gardens. They're lovely. Still newish--but you can see the new knot garden has a contemporary flair. And the view over the garden wall is heart-breakingly beautiful. If this were your ancestral home, what would you do to save it?

Haddon was abandoned by its owners for over 300 years. They also own Belvoir Castle--trendier in the 1700s, so they moved there.

It's said the 9th Duke of Rutland started saving his pocket money when he was still a boy at Eton, so that he could restore Haddon. I love him.