Top 10 Most Fascinating Country Houses

Enter some of England’s most illustrious country estates and discover what life was like for their owners during different periods in history, from medieval times to the present day. 

Bowood House
This elegant Edwardian house is well-known for its beautifully designed gardens and parkland, much of it originally the work of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown - the most famous English gardener of all. Inside the house, you can delight in the Lansdown family’s intriguing art and antiques collection. Unexpected artefacts include Queen Victoria’s wedding chair and Napoleon's death mask. Visit the Sculpture Gallery, too, which was first intended as a menagerie (and there is evidence a leopard and orangutan once lived there!). And keen scientists mustn’t miss the laboratory, where in 1774 Doctor Joseph Priestley - then working at the house as a tutor - first identified oxygen. 

Lacock Abbey 
Although built as an abbey and nunnery in the 1200s, following King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries Lacock became a country house. Now in the hands of the National Trust, it was most recently owned by the Talbot family. And thanks to William Henry Fox Talbot, photographers now make up a large proportion of visiting pilgrims. In 1835 he created the first negative there, so it has the incredible honour of being the birthplace of photography. From the South Gallery you can see the window where he took this groundbreaking image. 

Nuffield Place
Rather more modest, and indeed modern, than the other country houses on this list, Nuffield Place can be found amid the Chiltern Hills. A typical example of Arts and Crafts architecture - defined by traditional craftsmanship and an ‘honest’ use of materials - with soft, sweeping lawns. It was home to Lord and Lady Nuffield and remains a 1960s time capsule, just as the couple left it, with lots of curiosities such as a tool cupboard in the bedroom! Lord Nuffield is more recognisably known as William Morris, the man behind Morris Motors, producer of cherished cars such a the Morris Minor. He was a great philanthropist, donating vast sums to hospitals and other worthy causes while preferring a relatively simple life himself. Vintage car lovers take note: the house hosts regular visits from car clubs who park up to 12 shiny vehicles outside ready to be admired. Lady Nuffield’s shiny black Wolseley Eight is also on permanent display.

Longleat House
 A wander away from the Great West Way, you’ll find Wiltshire’s Longleat Estate. As well as an enormous safari park, perfect for your mischievous monkeys and cheeky cheetahs, it is also home to Longleat House regarded as one of Britain’s finest examples of Elizabethan architecture complete with pleasure gardens. The 7th Marquess of Bath and his family are currently in residence, with many rooms open for the public to explore. From the Great Hall to the Grand Staircase, you’ll be wowed by their collection of historic paintings, tapestries, antique treasures and over 40,000 books. Just don’t forget to look up - the extravagant ceilings were inspired by Venetian palaces.

Dyrham Park
There can’t be many more enjoyable places to stretch your legs than the grounds of this marvellous mansion house. In the summer, the sight of fawns nuzzling their mothers amid the trees will warm your heart, while in winter, grass crunching underfoot, you’ll glimpse flashes of red as robins dart between frosty branches. It’s an enlightening experience year-round, but don’t forget to visit the house itself. Situated near Chippenham, many of the mansion’s interesting stories can be traced back to former resident William Blathwayt, an eminent colonial civil servant. Dutch visitors will notice lots of familiar touches in the rooms, which are much as he lived in them with his wife and 3 children. From his Delftware collection to paintings by renowned Dutch artists such as Cornelis de Heem. You’ll get a real taste of what life was like for people of his standing - especially if you try the spicy hot chocolate made there to a 17th-century recipe. 

Highclere Castle 
Highclere is most famous these days as the setting for costume drama Downton Abbey. Located near Newbury, its real life residents, and their high society exploits, are just as engaging. The Castle you see now was completed in 1878, when the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon brought in Sir Charles Barry - creator of the Houses of Parliament in London - to turn his home into a dazzling mansion for hosting the upper echelons of Victorian society. It’s been entertaining important visitors ever since, from royals and writers to world-renowned Egyptologists - the 5th Earl of Carnarvon funded the unearthing of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter in 1922. Read the current Lady Carnarvon’s blog, or read her revealing books, to get the lowdown on residents and guests, past and present.

Stonor Park
Stonor Park, near Henley-on-Thames, is a curious amalgamation of architecture, with a 17th-century library, a 19th century Gothic Revival hall and and a building that now serves as a café dating right back to the 12th century. There’s also spiritual intrigue: as Catholics, the Stonors have had a unique perspective on England’s history. See if you can see the priest hole in the roof where Sir Edmund Campion - a Catholic at a time when King Henry VIII was forming the Church of England - hid whilst printing a scandalous pamphlet in the 16th century. It also has a chapel, which is one of only three in Britain to have remained steadfastly Catholic since it was built, and you can still attend Mass there today - every Sunday at 10.30am.

Avebury Manor
Most visit Avebury to behold its astonishing stone circles. But Avebury Manor has a few mysteries of its own - some say the Grade I Listed building is haunted. Perhaps a more pleasing feature of the manor house, however, is that guests are positively encouraged to touch, sit in and lie on any of the furniture - even play a game of snooker. The house was refurbished as part of a TV series called ‘The Manor Reborn’, so much of the interior is composed of replica furniture. Nine of its rooms were faithfully decorated in styles of different eras, inspired by real-life residents from Tudor times to the 20th century.

Basildon Park  
This Georgian mansion near Reading was saved from demolition, after extensive damage caused during World War II, by Lord and Lady Iliffe. They fitted it out with the luxuries of the day, so it now offers a charming insight into the life of a glamorous couple in the 1950s. It also houses a vast and varied art collection, including a 13th-century Yingqing ceramic funerary vase - much older than the house itself - which at some point in its history was made into a lamp. 

Stourhead
A short journey south of the Great West Way, horticulturalists and artists are drawn to the arcadian gardens of Stourhead like Greek gods to ambrosia. As well as its iconic pantheon and Temple of Apollo, they come for its exotic plantings and dreamy lake reflections. But the house, too, is worthy of adoration. It was one of the first Palladian villas to be built in the country and is notable for its careful rendering of that style. One owner however, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, made huge changes. Judging that Stourhead wasn’t large enough for his colossal collection of books and artwork, he had separate wings built onto the house. 

For more information and help on planning your Great West Way journey, take a look at our suggested itineraries and the house and gardens guide. You can also visit our See & Do and Explore pages for some ideas and inspiration.