Manor House (Donington-le-Heath)
The Manor House at Donington-le-Heath, near Coalville in Leicestershire, is one of the oldest domestic houses in England.
It is stone-built moated hall house, which has its Great Hall on the upper floor.
The Manor House dates back to the 13th century and was for about seven hundred years the home of the Lords of the Manor, later being occupied by tenant farmers.
Leicestershire County Council bought the house in the 1950s, when it was in a very dilapidated condition, and lovingly restored it. It is now open to the public as a museum.
Among the furniture is a bed, which may have been the one owned by Richard III, in which he spent his last night indoors, at the White Boar Inn at Leicester.
The grounds of the house contain delightful gardens, as well as a teashop.
Some of Colin Crosby’s Guided Walks start from the car park.