This restored house was owned by the Puritan Oliver Cromwell, a name hardly beloved by the royals, even today. He rose to fame as a military and political leader during the English Civil Wars of 1642 to 1649, which led to the execution of Charles I and the replacement of the monarchy by the Commonwealth, the designation for England until the monarchy was restored. In 1653, Cromwell was declared lord protector, and the local farmer was the most powerful man in the land until his death in 1658. Exhibitions, displays, and period rooms offer insight into Cromwell's character and 17th-century domestic life. A tourist center is also located here.