Mompesson House

I visited this restored 18^th (and, to some extent, 19^th) century mansion because it’s right next to the wonderful Salisbury Cathedral, it offers a real — i.e. not inflated, museum-​style — glimpse into the life of the upper, or upper-​middle class of the time (s) — and because it was raining cats and dogs in Salisbury. on that day. I knew that it was used for the 1995 Jane Austen film adaptation of «Sense and Sensibility» with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, but that was of very minor concern of my rosy nose (I read Jane Austen as part of my English literature studies — 10 pages, then I decided that life is too short).
Mompesson House is run by National Trust, and the staff are volunteers who sacrifice their time to provide visitors with information on the house and the families that lived there (and the collections they accumulated — like the porcelain figurines and the drinking glasses). Amazingly, photography *is* allowed at this place — not a given at a National Trust property.
What I liked about Mompesson House in particular is that it did feel like a real place, not a museum — i.e. It wasn’t overstuffed. The lady at the entrance was very friendly. She noticed I wasn’t an English native speaker and gave me printed notes to the house in decent German (actually, I would have preferred English, but the gesture was nice anyway). There are about 10 rooms that you can visit, plus the garden and a tea house/​café. So expect to spend about 45-.60 minutes at this place, depending on just how much you treasure Jane Austen. So, for me it was 45 minutes.
There is a small exhibition on the first floor which deals with the 1995 film «Sense and Sensibility» and includes some memorabilia, like e.g. a costume Kate Winslet wore in the film.
The current entrance fee for an adult is UKP 6.50, which I think is quite okay, if not really a bargain.
Please see my photos to get an impression of Mompesson House.