Mompesson House is located in Salisbury, in the Cathedral
Close. Built in 1701, it has been beautifully restored. I
fell in love with it when I toured it in 2003. I was writing SLRM
at that time and I was particularly struck by the drawing room, with
its elaborate plaster work and red flocked wall paper. I could
absolutely picture Sopie designing such a room for Charles and his
political cronies and I used it as a basis for one of the rooms in
Charles's Sevenoaks house. Can't you just see the portrait of
Lady Dayle and her sons hanging over the mantle?
