In 2018, I visited Bellefleurs, an Elizabethan-styled grand manor house which at that time occupied a Homestead region (see here for more). As I noted in writing about it, it caught my eye when first seeing in the Destination Guide as it immediately put me in mind of Somerset’s Montacute House, a spectacular Elizabethan Renaissance house now operated by the National Trust.
A lot has happened since then. For one thing, Bellefleurs has relocated and, whilst still occupying a Homestead region, it now adjoins a Full private region, the home to the engaging village of Binnancumb.
The estate and village are the work of India Canning, a woman clearly from my part of the world, and who has an admirable sense of humour going on her Profile (I particularly like the take on a line of Elizabeth I’s Tilbury Address of either August 9 or August 19 – depending on whether you are using Old Style or New Style calendar references – 1588). Combined, they offer a mix of public and private spaces reproducing the very best of England’s Green and Pleasant Lands.
Spectacular Bellefleurs Great Lodge is the former hunting estate of the Duchesses of Ominum and Demnoncia. This Elizabethan great house offers a curated Renaissance art collection, a Salon Music series, dances, En Garde, and other events.
Bellefleurs description
At the time of my first visit, the grand house – which in part was indeed inspired by Montacute House – was the hereditary seat of the Canning Family and home of the Duchesses of Ominum, and came with a fascinating backstory which marvellously wove the Cannings into the fabric of English history. The region on which the house sat at that time was also home to the House Sakura Companion Guild.
In its current form, the Canning Family seem to have faded into history, and House Sakura appears to be no longer active. This leaves the house under the care and oversight of the Duchesses of Ominum and Demnoncia, as noted in its description above, whose largesse allows us to continues to enjoy and appreciate it.
Nevertheless, none of the historical care put into the house has been lost. Rooms are exquisitely furnished in the manner of such a stately home surviving down the centuries. Fine tapestries hang from panelled walls, each one a reproduction of an actually tapestry from the 15th and 16th centuries, while chandeliers hang from ceilings.
This is very much a museum of art from the Renaissance period, the upper floor of the house particularly rich in carefully scaled and presented pieces, although there are some to be found on the ground floor along hallways and within some rooms.
Events within the Music Salon are advertised as being held every Sunday at 19:00 SLT, and there are regular En Garde (fencing) activities with the grounds behind the house, where eight pistes (including one for training) can be found.
Also to be found at the rear of the house is a beautifully garden and manicured lawns, with trimmed boxwood hedging providing boundaries to the immediate grounds of the house on either side. Just outside of the eastern most of there, where one of the two roads to Binnancumb Village might be found (the other being at the front of the estate at the landing Point), where steps also lead down to a small cove-like beach.
The walk (or ride for those making use of the horse rezzer at the Bellefleurs’ Landing Point – perhaps one might also be put on the western road?) to the village travels first past farmlands. These provide a mix of crops and open grazing for sheep and cattle, the fields neatly marked out by low walls.
Binnancumb village itself is again a perfect representation of England’s heart, buildings of age and independent styling blending together in a community space mixing private residences (very clearly marked to avoid trespass) with public destinations readily accessible to visitors. Chief among the latter is the Abbey of St. Hild (currently under restoration, but available on a limited basis for weddings), the tithe barn just across the road (available on a limited basis for events), and the local pub.
The pub, the Lion & Bear is a grand Tudor-style building dating to 1487. It sits at the northern end of the east road up from Bellefleurs, just before it starts to loop around part of the village to meet the west road. On offer at the pub are events, films, dancing, chess and more fencing. A spur road from here leads down to a little port, house to the main rental office.
I generally try not to take direct photos of private residences within regions open to the public so as not to encourage trespass (although sometimes, the layout of a location means they might creep into the background of images). However, there are time when they fit the theme so ideally, they are hard to ignore, so a couple of pictures of the houses in the village do appear here.
Bellefleurs and Binnancumb Village are excellently conceived and executed. Neither is intended as a role-play region nor should they be taken as such. They are places to explore and enjoy, the natural beauty of the design highly photogenic.
Slurl Details
- Bellefleurs, The Great Lodge (Binnancumb South, rated Moderate)
- Binnancumb Village (Binnancumb, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 