Itinerary Planner

Products in this Suggested Itinerary

House & Gardens Guide

Exploring English stately homes, gardens and occasional palaces can be the ultimate escapism.

There are so many fascinating houses and gardens along the Great West Way, not even the most enthusiastic stately home fan could see them all in 1 weekend.

To help you take time over your visits, we’ve grouped some highlights into 3 sections of the touring route. So whether you’re coming from London, Bath & Bristol or somewhere in between, you can find a house and garden close by...

From London

Did you know? During Henry VIII’s time at Hampton Court Palace, his courtiers ate their meals under painted faces, or ‘Eavesdroppers’, meant to remind them not to gossip!

There are some incredible houses and gardens that make great day trips from London (especially handy if you have a flight to catch). There’s Hampton Court Palace, of course, the jewel in the country’s crown that occupies its own realm in popular imagination. You could fill an entire day here, walking wide-eye round its vast, historic gardens and extravagant Tudor living quarters.

If you want to continue on the royal ‘house’ trail, go to nearby Windsor Castle - the Queen lives here some of the time but you can still visit year-round (you’ll know if she’s home as the flag will be flying). During August and September this year, the East Terrace Garden at the Castle - a large formal garden created by George IV in the 1820s - will open to visitors at weekends for the first time in decades. To see a garden with the stamp of royal approval, go to Royal Botanic Gardens Kew - a World Heritage Site owing to its extraordinary botanical collection. As a bonus, your ticket includes entry to Kew Palace, once a much-loved family retreat for King George III and Queen Charlotte.

A few more ideas…

●    Cliveden: The house where Hollywood actress Meghan Markle stayed in preparation for her wedding to Prince Harry. 
●    The National Garden Scheme: Visitors can access a whole range of private gardens along the Great West Way route with the National Garden Scheme, from extensive country landscapes and romantic cottage gardens, to urban hideaways and ancient woodlands. 
●    The Savill Garden: An inspired series of gardenscapes, certain to excite the most reluctant of gardeners. 
●    Ham House: Some say this is the most haunted house in England, but wandering the romantic Cherry Garden you wouldn’t think it.
●    Osterley Park and House: The decorative interiors at this Neoclassical mansion were inspired by former owner Robert Adam.

Between London & Bristol 

Did you know? Basildon Park has a shimmering Shell Room, housing a rare collection of shells that have been used to create some interesting artworks.

If you’ve based yourself in one of the pretty towns and villages in the middle of the Great West Way, you’re in the perfect position for exploring some of the more rural houses and gardens. Start with Highclere Castle, the sensational setting for upstairs, downstairs costume drama Downton Abbey. There’s also Bowood House, a Georgian house with beautifully-preserved ‘Capability’ Brown parkland. And Stonor Park, an architectural anomaly with each feature telling a different story from its rich past.

A few more ideas…

●    Avebury Manor and Garden: Peek in at the lives of former residents during different eras at this uniquely decorated house.
●    Basildon Park: Saved from destruction after World War II, this 18th-century home was brought back to life with the glamour of the 1950s. 
●    Blenheim Palace: This baroque masterpiece, a little north of the Great West Way, is the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England deemed a palace.
●   Shaw House: Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion built by a wealthy cloth merchant completed in 1581.

From Bristol & Bath 

Did you know? The formal gardens at Dyrham Park are currently being reimagined, inspired by a detailed bird’s-eye engraving Dutch artist Johannes Kip made of the landscape in 1712.

If you’re based at the western end of the Great West Way, you’ll have no shortage of houses and gardens to visit in and around Bath and Bristol. Some favourites include Berkeley Castle, Tyntesfield, a Victorian Gothic Revival mansion close to Bristol, and Prior Park - a romantic garden in Bath blessed with swans and snowdrops. Also Dyrham Park, a handsome 17th-century house famous for its extensive parkland, and Lacock Abbey - the former-nunnery that became the birthplace of photography.

A few more ideas… 

●    Longleat House: Part of the Longleat Estate, this Elizabethan house has 15 magnificent rooms to explore. 
●    Stourhead: A world-famous garden renowned for its classical architecture. 
●    Westonbirt: Not a garden as such, but the national arboretum. Makes for a lovely stroll, especially with the colours of spring and autumn.
●    Peto Garden: A dreamy Italianate masterpiece with a summer arts programme to match.