- Heritage

Bowood House & Gardens

Bowood is the family home of the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne. Begun c1720 for the Bridgeman family, the house was purchased by the 2nd Earl of Shelburne in 1754 and completed soon afterwards. Part of the house was demolished in 1955, leaving a perfectly proportioned Georgian home, over half of which is open to visitors. Robert Adam’s magnificent Diocletian wing contains a splendid library, the laboratory where Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen gas in 1774, the orangery, now a picture gallery, the Chapel and a sculpture gallery in which some of the famous Lansdowne Marbles are displayed. Among the family treasures shown in the numerous exhibition rooms are Georgian costumes, including Lord Byron’s Albanian dress; Victoriana; Indiana (the 5th Marquess was Viceroy 1888-94); and superb collections of watercolours, miniatures and jewellery. The House is set in one of the most beautiful parks in England. Over 2,000 acres of gardens and grounds were landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown between 1762 and 1768, and are embellished with a Doric temple, a cascade, a pinetum and an arboretum. The Rhododendron Gardens are open for six…

Corsham Court

Corsham Court, a splendid Elizabethan house dating from 1582, was acquired in 1745 to display Sir Paul Methuen’s celebrated collection of 16th and 17th century Old Master paintings. This internationally renowned collection includes important works by Van Dyck, Carlo Dolci, Filippo Lippi, Salvator Rosa, Reynolds and Romney. Capability Brown was employed during the 1760’s to enlarge the house, creating the magnificent Picture Gallery and suite of State Rooms. These rooms still retain their original silk wall-hangings and furniture designed by Chippendale, Johnson, Cobb and the Adam brothers. Surrounding the Court are the delightful gardens and parkland which were initially designed by Brown and later completed by Humphry Repton. The gardens are…

Hamptworth Lodge

Jacobean style manor house standing in mature deciduous woodland within the northern perimeter of the New Forest National Park. Grade II* with period furniture including clocks. The Great Hall has an unusual roof truss construction. There is a collection of prentice pieces and the Moffatt collection of contemporary copies of Tudor furniture. One room has…

Longleat

Set within 900 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland, Longleat House is regarded as one of the best examples of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain and widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful stately homes open to the public. The House was built by Sir John Thynne between 1568 and 1580 as a prodigy House, visited by Elizabeth I in 1574, and now the home of the 7th Marquess of Bath, Alexander Thynn. Inspired by various Italian interiors, including the Ducal Palace in Venice, the ceilings are renowned for their ornate paintings and abundance of gilt, made by the firm of John Dibblee Crace in the 1870s and 1880s. The furniture collection includes English pieces from as early as the 16th century and fine French furniture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Lord Bath’s paintings, The Murals, are unique to Longleat as they have been created by Lord Bath himself. Incorporating a mixture of oil paints and sawdust, these private works of art offer an insight into Lord Bath’s personality and beliefs. Tours can be booked at the Front Desk of Longleat House on the day of your visit, subject to availability. Longleat House offers "free flow" tours for the majority of the visitor season with guides posted in most of the rooms. If you’d prefer a more intimate visit, then the award-winning VIP Tours are ideal. Running from November through to March, these tours give visitors a chance to look behind closed doors and see parts of the House not usually accessible to the general public. Longleat House VIP Tours are…

Newhouse

A brick, Jacobean ‘Trinity’ House, c1609, with two Georgian wings…

Wilton House

Wilton House has been the ancestral home of the Earl of Pembroke and his family for 460 years. In 1544, Henry VIII gave the Abbey and lands of Wilton to Sir William Herbert who had married Anne Parr, sister of Katherine, sixth wife of King Henry. The Clock Tower, in the centre of the east front, is reminiscent of the part of the Tudor building which survived a fire in 1647. Inigo Jones and John Webb were responsible for the rebuilding of the house in the Palladian style whilst further alterations were made by James Wyatt from 1801. The chief architectural features are the magnificent 17th century state apartments (including the famous Single and Double Cube rooms) and the 19th century cloisters. The House was the recipient of the 2010 HHA/Sotheby’s Restoration Award for the recent restoration of several ground floor rooms including the Dining Room. The House contains one of the finest art collections in Europe, with over 230 original paintings on display including works by Van Dyck, Rubens, Joshua Reynolds and Brueghel. Wilton House is set in magnificent landscaped parkland, bordered by the River Nadder which is the setting for the Palladian…

Syon Park

Described by John Betjeman as the ‘Grand Architectural Walk’, Syon House and its 200-acre park is the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, whose family, the Percys, have lived here for 400 years. Originally the site of a late medieval monastery, excavated by Channel 4’s Time Team, Syon Park has a fascinating history. The present house has Tudor origins but contains some of Robert Adam’s finest interiors, which were commissioned by the 1st Duke in the 1760s. The private apartments and State bedrooms are available to view. The house can be hired for filming and photo shoots subject to availability. Within the ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped park are 40 acres of gardens which contain the spectacular Great Conservatory designed by Charles Fowler in the 1820s. The House and Great Conservatory are available for corporate and private hire. The Northumberland Room in Syon House is an excellent venue for conferences, meetings, lunches and dinners (max 60). The State Apartments make a sumptuous setting for dinners, concerts, receptions, launches and wedding ceremonies (max 120). Marquees can be erected on the lawn adjacent to the house for balls and corporate events. The Great Conservatory is available for summer parties, …

Southside House

Described by connoisseurs as an unforgettable experience, Southside House provides an enchantingly eccentric backdrop to the lives and loves of generations of the Pennington Mellor Munthe families. Maintained in traditional style, without major refurbishment, and crowded with the family possessions of centuries, Southside offers a wealth of fascinating family stories. Behind the long facade are the old rooms, still with much of the original furniture and a superb collection of art and historical objects. John Pennington-Mellor’s daughter, Hilda, married Axel Munthe, the charismatic Swedish doctor and philanthropist. The preservation of the house was left to their youngest son who led a life of extraordinary adventure during the Second World War. Malcolm Munthe’s surviving children continue to care for the property. The gardens are as fascinating as the house,…

Chenies Manor House

Home of the MacLeod Matthews family, this 15th & 16th century Manor House with fortified tower is the original home of the Earls of Bedford, visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth 1. Elizabeth was a frequent visitor, first coming as an infant in 1534 and as Queen she visited on several occasions, once being for a six week period. The Bedford Mausoleum is in the adjacent Church. The House contains tapestries and furniture mainly of the 16th and 17th centuries, hiding places and a collection of antique dolls. Art Exhibitions are held throughout the season in the newly restored 16th century Pavilion with its unusual cellars. The Manor is surrounded by five acres of enchanting gardens which have been featured in many publications and on television. It is famed for the spring display of tulips. From early June there is a succession of colour in the Tudor Sunken Garden, the White Garden, Herbaceous Borders and Fountain Court. The Physic Garden contains a wide selection of medicinal and culinary herbs. In the Parterre is an ancient Oak and a complicated Yew Maze while the Kitchen Garden is in Victorian style with unusual vegetables and fruit. Attractive dried and fresh flower arrangements decorate the house. Winner of…

Nether Winchendon House

Medieval and Tudor manor house. Great Hall. Dining Room with fine 16th century frieze, ceiling and linenfold panelling. Fine furniture and family portraits. Home of Sir Francis Bernard Bt (d1779), the last British Governor of Massachussetts Bay. Continuous family occupation since mid-16th century. House altered in late 18th century in…