The book traces the transformation of this neglected abbot's lodging into a country house with a celebrated cultural salon at its heart. The Abbey's medieval setting proved a magnet for Henry James, Thomas Hardy and Samuel Lawrence amongst others. Dr Cynthia Gamble explores Wenlock Abbey's rich architectural and artistic heritage, and examines the lives of the Milnes Gaskells whose social milieu included Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Browning, Gladstone, F.T. Palgrave and Philip Webb.