Melfort Abbey

In the novel Three Act Tragedy, Melfort Abbey is the Yorkshire home of Sir Bartholomew Strange. Portions of the Abbey were from the fifteenth century. Sir Bartholomew had it restored, and a new wing was added.

The sanatorium is out of sight of the house, in grounds of its own. It is a big, white modern building, separated from the park by palings.

There is a secret passage in the house, which Sir Bartholomew was rather proud of. It is not known where the opening to it is located in the house, but the other end comes out among some fallen masonry about half a mile away.

House staff

 * Baker, the butler
 * Martha Leckie, the cook
 * Beatrice Church, upper housemaid
 * Doris Coker, under housemaid
 * Alice West, parlourmaid
 * Victoria Ball, between-maid
 * Violet Bassington, kitchenmaid

Depictions
In ITV's 2010 TV adaptation of Three Act Tragedy, Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, was used for the exteriors of Melfort Abbey. The choice is quite accurate as, like Melfort, Knebworth was also a 15th century building. It had been remodelled in the 19th century to a mock Tudor Gothic style and is now a popular venue for concerts and events.

Eltham Palace was used for the exteriors of the sanatorium. Set the in the grounds of a 13th century royal palace, the main building was built in the 1930s in "Wrennaissance" style, modelled after Hampton Court. It would have been a very modern building at the time the novel was written.

References and external links

 * Website of Knebworth House
 * History of Eltham Palace