Harlaxton 2017: Duxford Aircraft Museum and Harlaxton Manor

By: Morganne Williams

When my alarm blared at 5:30 AM on Sunday, I was not ready to get up. Sadly, I still had to pack and take a shower, so sleeping in for another hour and a half was not an option. Two hours later I had eventually finished, and I dragged my heavy suitcase up the stairs and into the common room. I was greeted by my half-asleep peers and a mound of luggage. By 8:00 AM, everyone had arrived, and we proceeded out to the bus.

We spent the morning and afternoon at the Duxford Aircraft Museum, which is multiple hangars filled with World War II era airplanes. Some planes we were able to walk through and see what travelling in the early 40s was like, and others we were able to watch take flight. Most of the museum was Royal Air-Force planes, but they did have a hangar full of American planes and even a few German ones.

At 2:30 PM, we boarded the bus and left for Harlaxton Manor. I had previously looked up pictures of it online, but nothing prepared me for the sheer size of it. Harlaxton was breathtaking from the outside, but the inside was unbelievably gorgeous. As soon as my luggage was brought up to my room, my friends and I started exploring. We managed to get lost upwards of ten times, but the rooms we got lost in were worth it.

We found a ballroom, conservatory, library, giant cedar staircase, a list of crests with my family name on it, and a couple of secret passages. Sadly, our adventure was brought to a halt when we had to leave for dinner, but after dinner, we had a guided tour of the Manor. This place is truly amazing, and I feel like a rich Victorian woman walking through the huge halls and the resplendent rooms. These next two weeks are going to be amazing.