Wivenhoe House's fascinating history began in 1759, when Isaac Rebow asked Thomas Reynolds to build the grade II-listed house in Colchester. In 1816, owner Major-General Francis Slater Rebow commissioned Constable to commit the house to canvas. This was the same General Rebow who returned from the Peninsular Wars with two cork oak cuttings in his boots. Today, those two oak trees stand tall and proud within the grounds.

Less serenely, back in 1884, Wivenhoe House survived England's worst-ever earthquake, which loosened a few chimney pots. The house was requisitioned by the War Department during the two major conflicts of the 20th century. In World War II, the tank regiments stationed here scared off the fallow deer. The house once also served as the headquarters of the SAS.

Life at Wivenhoe House today, you'll be delighted to know, is much quieter.

Wivenhoe House has also received visit from distinguished guests including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.