Newstead Abbey

Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire was, for a time, Lord George Gordon Byron's family estate. It covered 600 acres.

Among noteworthy features were its yew hedges, shaped to form a large maze near the entrance. At one point, the parish St Mary's Church was also part of the estate. It was here that Lord Byron would ultimately be buried. A secret passage, accessed from one of Newstead Abbey's bed chambers, led through the east wing to the kitchen garden. This was one of "a whole network" of hidden passages within the Abbey.

Colonel Wildman bought the estate from Byron over 30 years before 1852. According to Wildman, it was in a sorry state when he acquired the land. In those 30 years, Wildman had the Abbey restored, or at least "somewhat improved", as he modestly acknowledged.

For a time, around 1852, Ada Lovelace stayed at Newstead Abbey. This was her husband Lord King's desire, to keep her from gambling. While there, she spent much time with Wildman, playing cards and betting only on buttons. At night, however, the Countess of Lovelace would sneak out, off the estate, to visit the Papplewick Arms for a friendly game of cribbage. Ada did so in secret, as Colonel Wildman had been instructed not to allow gambling to take place in his home during her time at the Abbey.

When the Fourth Doctor and Ann Kelso materialised in Newstead Abbey's vast maze, and decided to introduce themselves, Wildman understood the Doctor to be a medic, having called for one after the Countess fainted. Ada quickly took to the Doctor. While acting as a maid, Ann met Hettie and Mr Hobhouse, the latter of whom showed her the way to the scullery, as she said she was in search of a cold compress for the Lady. He also informed her that the cook was no longer in the kitchens.

That night, both Ann and Mr Hobhouse stood outside in wait, seeking to spy on the Countess, who seemed to be leaving the grounds at night, judging by the state of her wears. Both knew to be suspicious of Hettie, who, when seen cleaning said dirty clothes, had appeared to be lying in her response to Ann's simple questioning.

The two visited Ada's chamber, confirmed that she wasn't there, and then hid together in one of the room's large closets. From here, Mr Hobhouse observed Hettie entering, and then taking the Countess' notebooks, before moving out of sight. Ann then discovered a hidden entrance to the secret passage from Ada's chamber.

On the same night, while returning from the Papplewick Arms together, Ada revealed to the Doctor that she had chosen Newstead for her exile because it was the site of her father, Lord Byron's, tomb. She visited this site often, in part because she habitually saw manifestations that she believed were of her father. (AUDIO: The Enchantress of Numbers)