Mompesson House

Let’s hear it for leasehold properties. Because the bishopric owned the freehold to this handsome house, dated 1701, at the back of the cathedral close. The owners were unable to renovate and have had to make do instead with the splendid plasterwork and graceful oak staircase that make this among the country’s best examples of Queen Anne architecture. Look familiar? It featured in the 1995 film of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant. Another reason to visit is the pretty tea room in the garden.