Houses & Gardens

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Wander Great Halls hung with tapestries, feel the heat of a Tudor kitchen, admire the craftsmanship of an elaborately carved 4-poster bed… and then step outside for a breath of fresh air in an English country garden.

Visiting country houses and gardens is a popular national pastime - a chance to admire some of the country’s most outstanding examples of architecture, art and landscape design, and discover how different people have lived throughout history.

Each country house has its own stories to tell, from the improbable dining habits of medieval lords and ladies to life below stairs in an Edwardian manor house. While some houses have been occupied by a whole host of notable characters over the centuries, including royals, business pioneers and celebrities, others have a more singular tale to tell. At Merchant’s House in Marlborough, for instance, you can glimpse the elaborate domesticity that surrounded 17th-century silk merchant Thomas Bayly.

Many of these houses also boast spectacular gardens, showcasing English planting fashions through the ages. Perhaps you’ll visit Bowood House, and admire Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s vision for natural parkland. Or instead swoon at the classical temples and tranquil lakes in the grounds of Palladian mansions such as Stourhead. Or maybe you’ll make a beeline for the immaculate geometric Rose Garden at Hampton Court Palace. There are also lots of gardens that exist independently, like The Savill Garden with its fabulous ornamental blooms. And that's not all; the National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to thosuands of private gardens in England and Wales - from romantic cottage gardens to urban hideaways - including many along the Great West Way route.

Along the Great West Way you have a huge variety of houses and gardens to choose from. But whichever you go to, make sure you stop for a cup of tea and a scone in the tea room before you go - just like the locals.

For more information on House and Gardens, take a look at our top 10 most fascinating country houses and gorgeous gardens. Alternatively, take a look at our other See and Do pages.

Houses and Gardens along the way...

Top 10 Gorgeous Gardens

Enjoy the gorgeous gardens the Great West Way has to offer you along your way across the 125 mile touring route
National Trust

Discover the National Trust Properties along the Great West Way.
Top 10 Most Fascinating Country Houses

Featuring stunning gardens and hundreds of years of English history, click here to find out about the top 10 most fascinating country houses along the Great West Way.

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Stonor Park

Address

Stonor, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 6HF

Telephone
+44 01491 638587

administrator@stonor.com

Henley-on-Thames

Home to the Stonor family for over 850 years, Stonor Park dominates a magnificent view of the beautiful deer park, woodland and 17th century gardens. Beyond the warm red brick Jacobean façade, a stroll through the house is a walk through history. …

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Shaw House

Address

Church Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2DR

Telephone
01635 279279

shawhouse@westberks.gov.uk

Newbury

Shaw House is one of the best preserved Elizabethan mansions in England. Over the centuries Shaw House has welcomed royalty, seen action during the Civil War, housed soldiers during World War II and schooled generations of local children. The House…

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Basildon Park

Address

Lower Basildon, Reading, Berkshire, RG8 9NR

Telephone
+44 0118 984 3040

basildonpark@nationaltrust.org.uk

Reading

Classical 18thC house by John Carr of York, with an unusual Octagon Room, fine plasterwork and the decorative Shell Room. Situated in 400 acres of parkland and woodland.

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
464 reviews
Roves Farm Visitor Centre

Address

Sevenhampton, Swindon, Wilts, SN6 7QG

Telephone
01793 763939

Swindon

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
464 reviews

Roves Farm is a family run, working farm open all year round. We welcome visitors of all ages to come and enjoy hands-on farm activities with our friendly animals, as well as experience the sights and sounds of a working farm.
This summer join the…

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National Garden Scheme

Address

Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Surrey, GU4 7RT

Telephone
01483 211535

hello@ngs.org.uk

Great gardens, great cake. Enjoy a quintessentially British day out at one of 3,700 exceptional, private gardens. Relax with friends and family and find inspiration in nature. All garden admission proceeds go to the National Garden Scheme.
Find your…

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
2808 reviews
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Address

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Forestry England, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS

Telephone
0300 067 4890

westonbirt@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Tetbury

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
2808 reviews

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum managed by Forestry England, is a remarkable place for people to enjoy and learn about trees.

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