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north wing of the house. When desperate fire fighters ran out of water, they resorted to us-
ing dynamite to blow a hole in the northwest angle of the granite building, containing the
fire in the music room.
Lady Robartes had to be rescued by ladder from an upstairs window and died from the
shock of the fire a few days later. Her husband, Lord Robartes, having lost his wife and
his home, died the following year. The house was rebuilt by their son, Thomas Charles,
the 2 nd Lord Robartes (later 6 th Viscount Clifden), who lived at Lanhydrock for almost
50 years. He and his wife Mary had 10 children. Their eldest son, Thomas — heir to the
estate — was killed in World War I.
Visitors to Lanhydrock step back in time more than a century. With 50 rooms open to tour,
the house provides an extensive look at life both above and below stairs during the pre
World War I era. The labyrinth of corridors and rooms illustrates life in a Victorian manor
house, presented as though the Agar-Robartes family and servants have just stepped out.
Upstairs there are calling cards on a silver tray in the hall, fresh flowers in the reception
rooms, a newspaper waiting to be read, letters left open on a desk, an unfinished Chess
game. Downstairs there's the housemaids closet, a huge kitchen filled with the smell of
food cooking and fresh produce ready to prepare, storerooms, livery room, linen room,
and the odor of soap and polish. In the rooms above the main floor are the servants' quar-
ters, nanny's room, the light and airy nurseries and photos of the children who once
played here.
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