Help me remember / identify somewhere I went on a school trip

[cheeseismyweakness82]

I have what I think is a distinct memory of visiting an Elizabethan style historic attraction on a school trip but no idea what it was called or where it was. I have started to doubt myself and wonder if I imagined it. If anyone recognises it from my upcoming, not especially helpful, description I will be so happy!

A Tudor style beamed house around a central courtyard
There were shutters on the windows with hearts cut out in the middle
I think the building was painted pink or at the very least the shutters were
There were mannekins in period dress scattered about showing "real life"
I visited at some point between 1987-1993 (who knows if it's still operating)
For some reason I thought I went while on a school trip to the Isle of Wight, but a google of local attractions hasn't brought up anything similar, so maybe a red herring.
I grew up in the SE, so if it wasn't on the IoW, I doubt it was anywhere much further away than Essex, Herts, Suffolk, Cambs, Kent.

Hever Castle in Kent? Small inner courtyard.

Hampton Court Palace? Much bigger inner courtyard.

Nothing pink about either though...

Did you go to Stratford upon Avon? Lots of Tudor houses there

Definitely not Hampton Court as I've been there quite a few times. Not as big either as Hever.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a possibility but I can only remember a secondary school trip to see an RSC play!

It's the heart shutters that really stick in my memory. It was fairytale ish.

Kentwell Hall?

Another little mystery😀mother in law always swore a day trip from north London to Southend stopped to see a village called bramah! Nobody's heard of it and no place called that online🤔

Would it have been Singleton museum? It’s now wed and downland open air museum. They have lots of different historic buildings? We went on a school trip there. www.wealddown.co.uk/

Weald not wed

Cheese - it wasn't the Brading Wax Museum on the IOW was it?
(Probably not, as you haven't mentioned being permanently traumatized!)

It sounds like Brading Wax museum to me too false now you've mentioned it.

Scariest place I've ever been. The boy down the chimney and the bloke playing the organ...shudder. Forty five years on and I still hesitate to search for images....

Yes, Brading Wax museum has pink shutters with hearts

OK I braved a search. It seems to have been painted pink with darker pink shutters with hearts cut out!

Weirdly, I don't remember the shutters myself. Just the scenes of horrifying death. (Well I was only four.)

I remember the scantily dressed lady reclining on the bed in the servants quarters lol.

The organist was playing Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

Scared me half to death!

Sulgrave manor in Oxfordshire?

Oh yes Brading waxworks - I went there with school. Absolutely terrifying!

Kentwell Hall?

Smallhythe Place near Tenterden?

Oh strewth I've just a seen a picture of the stabbed Frenchman in the bed. On a conscious level, I'd forgotten him. But now I've seen him again he's going to haunt my nightmares for good and always.

Cheese I really hope it was Brading and I haven't just undone forty five years of recovery for nothing!!

Just googled the Brading wax works-there are news articles about it giving people regular nightmares throughout their childhood!!

Ufton Court? It looks a lot different now than it used to.

fedup - did any of them mention a support group I could join?

Yep Brading Wax Museum. Terrifying place!

Oh holy smoke I've just found a pic of the hand coming out of the coffin!!

Just think of pink shutters, think of pink shutters...(like Cheese has been doing for thirty years - clever displacement strategy!!).

After being scared half to death as I child I took my own children there...I'm a bad mum!
I actually love the place, it's just so quirky.