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When it comes to England’s historic houses, there’s little Lady Violet Manners doesn’t know.
Her passion for British heritage was sharpened while studying in Los Angeles in 2019. Despite growing up in one of Britain’s most famous stately homes, Belvoir Castle, it was Violet’s time at UCLA that taught her that the power of these buildings extended far beyond the borders of Britain.
It is no wonder then that when it came to launching a platform that would allow users to access Britain’s greatest historic properties, gardens and family homes, Violet was exceptionally well suited to become the founder of HeritageXplore.
In an age where period dramas like Bridgerton and Downton Abbey captivate millions, the appeal of such homes is undeniable. These homes are as crucial as the characters and the corsets when it comes to setting the scene.
“Why are none of these houses in one central location?”
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in episode 301 of Bridgerton
Violet’s mission is to make it easy for everyone to experience Britain’s most spectacular historic homes with its newly launched platform. “HeritageXplore was born primarily from the seed planted in 2020 with ‘The Duchess Podcast’ and me traveling around the country with my mother,” the tech entrepreneur explains over a cup of coffee at Soho House.
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When Violet returned from college in the US, she did what any ambitious millennial would do: she started a podcast while balancing her full-time job. The strategic advisor, who ran her own company Akana, launched the podcast to introduce listeners to the history of historic homes through the women who help run them. Her mother, the Duchess of Rutland, dedicated her life to Belvoir Castle as a chatelaine and was the main inspiration for The Duchess Podcast series, which ran for three years.
Lady Violet Manners and her mother Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland
“I really created that podcast with the ambition to make it a successful side hustle, and to translate the stories of these buildings into a modern medium,” she explains. She wanted to “find new audiences for these houses and the history that they bring.”
“The challenge is: how do you reach new people?”
“I grew up in a place like Belvoir and I realize that it is so incredibly unique and incredibly happy. What I found fascinating about creating the podcast is that every historic home owner in the 21st century needs to look at their home through the prism of an entrepreneur.”
This venture led to a bright idea to expand the podcast into something more: organizing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to visit, meet and to stay. Thus, HeritageXplore was born. “I really had a bright moment in December 2022 when I thought, ‘Why aren’t any of these houses in one central location?’”
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With the cost of living pushing more people to stay in the UK, HeritageXplore is the perfect solution for unique visits. Like SkyScanner or AirBnb, the platform allows you to seamlessly discover and book trips to independent historic homes, all in one place. “We’re a generation of marketplaces, and there was no marketplace for the independent heritage sector,” Violet notes.
Growing up, she saw first-hand how exciting it was for visitors to get a glimpse into British history. “You see these places through their eyes and I quickly realised that this is a great opportunity to celebrate these places together.”
Blenheim, England’s only non-royal palace, is one of many destinations you can visit via the new platform
Despite their glamorous history, these homes are rife with challenges that the platform aims to help offset. “Independent houses are responsible for the care, upkeep and stewardship of these collections for the benefit of Britain and its history… The challenge is: how do you reach new people?”
To appeal to a younger audience, the platform will organize various events, from yoga weekends to music evenings, “outings and weekends organized in different homes throughout the year.”
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This initiative is not just about preserving the physical structures, but also about breathing new life into the cultural and historical stories they carry. During our conversation, Violet shares one of the many fascinating facts she learned while visiting these homes, coincidentally about another Violet.
Belvoir Castle (pronounced ‘Beaver’, by the way) and its 16,000-acre estate are run by Violet’s mother, the Duchess of Rutland
Violet Van der Elst was the daughter of a coal porter and a washerwoman, who worked as a scullery maid. “She grew up with no money and during World War II, Shavex created the world’s first brushless shaving cream, which the men used on the front line. She made a lot of money and eventually bought Harlaxton Manor,” Violet says.
“These buildings hold these incredibly important stories.”
These buildings house these incredibly important stories
The British entrepreneur and campaigner is best remembered for her anti-death penalty activities: “Violet was an outsider; she led vocal campaigns against the death penalty and fought for causes she believed in. Despite coming from nowhere, she created an incredible name for herself,” says Violet.
Harlaxton Manor is a striking example of 19th century Jacobethan architecture
She painstakingly restored the house and had it connected to electricity. “It’s an extraordinary place, more like a castle than a country house. Violet fascinates me because she put all her life’s money, which she had worked incredibly hard for, into Harlaxton, a building she previously had no connection with. How could it have meant so much to her that she put her entire life’s work into it?”
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“And that’s because these buildings hold incredibly important stories, and she realized that. They hold the stories of our country…Whether we like it or not, they do, and I think that’s what I find so fascinating.”
English businesswoman Violet Van der Elst bought Harlaxton Manor in 1937
By making these historic homes more accessible and appealing, Lady Violet ensures that the magic of Britain’s heritage continues to inspire generations to come… Time to book your next staycation.
