Local history

Mention Newstead Abbey to people and, if they're at all in the know, they'll associate the building with the poet Lord Byron.

But although the property was in the Bryon family for many years, the flamboyant writer hardly ever lived there.

"He inherited Newstead Abbey when he was only 10," says Gillian Crawley, General Manager of Newstead.

"He had a guardian who rented out the property to a tenant and he and his mother lived in Nottingham and then Southwell.

"When he was 21, in 1808, he and his mother moved into Newstead Abbey proper. He lived there two years but only spent about six months there as a permanent resident."

A latter day celebrity

Lord Byron liked to spend money and he liked to party. When he left Trinity College, Cambridge he was £10,000 in debt.

"He had the most amazing parties at Newstead," says Gillian. "They dressed up as monks and drunk copious amounts of red wine."

She goes on to say: "He was like modern day celebrities who have to face bad publicity in the tabloid press.

"Byron had the most appalling cartoons done of him that made the headlines of current day newspapers look like chicken feed.

"He worked very hard at it (being a celebrity) and he used Newstead to disappear off the social antennae and recharge his batteries and get fit."

Running in the family

Lord Byron wasn't the only flamboyant character in the family. His great-uncle William was known as the Wicked Lord or the Devil Byron.

"He was quite a character," says Gillian Crawley.

"He had a penchant for spending money and he was very keen on embellishing the landscape of the Newstead estate. He created the lakes and the follies and had naval battles. He fired real cannon at his staff."

Eventually William had to flee Newstead after killing his cousin in a duel. He ended his days in France.