Castles and historic properties
Peacocks strut across manicured lawns, children shriek with delight as they try to find their way out of fiendishly difficult mazes, and well-kept gardens dazzle year-round at England’s many historic houses and well-preserved castles. Once inside, enthusiastic curators bring history to life with their expert knowledge and often funny insights into the lives, loves, and artefacts of generations of inhabitants. Castle breaks give you more chances of bumping into the present owners of an English castle, many of whom still live in wings of the properties. Just don’t forget to retrieve your children from that maze before you head home.
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Explore a most regal romantic setting
The charming Sandringham House is a surprisingly warm and welcoming country house, open to the public from April to October.
Location: King's Lynn, Norfolk
Explore the picturesque Mottisfont House and Garden
What’s better than a summer’s stroll amid ancient trees and rolling lawns? Enjoy the splendour of one of Hampshire’s greatest country houses –Mottisfont.
Location: Test Valley, Hampshire
A stately experience at Weston Park
See what it is like to live like an Earl in this beautiful stately home.
Location: Weston under Lizard, Shropshire
Immerse yourself in Byron's Nottinghamshire
Discover why notorious romantic poet Lord Byron was 'mad, bad and dangerous to know', with a sumptuous stay at his former home.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Journey back to the 1920s at Coleton Fishacre
A 1920s Art Deco house and garden in the beautiful Devon countryside.
Location: Kingswear, Devon
Discover a medieval house at a Cumbrian gateway
An imposing Cumbrian castle boasting an award-winning rock garden.
Location: Kendal, Cumbria
Take a tour of the grand Burton Agnes Hall
Burton Agnes Hall is an Elizabethan stately home that has remained in the same family for over 400 years.
Location: Burton Agnes, East Riding of Yorkshire
Enjoy strolls on the grounds of Sandringham Estate
Follow in the footsteps of the Royal Family and explore the Queen's official Norfolk residence.
Location: Sandringham, Norfolk
Discover Woburn Abbey
The home of the Dukes of Bedford for nearly 400 years.
Location: Woburn, Bedfordshire
Audley End House
An atmospheric portrait of daily life in Victorian times.
Location: Saffron Walden, Essex
Explore Nymans estate
Commanding great views from atop the rolling hills of Sussex, Nymans stands proud as one of Britain’s top gardens.
Location: Haywards Heath, Sussex
Make yourself at home at Harewood House
This 18th century home is filled with fine art and surrounded by gardens and parkland that is home to many animals including flamingos and penguins.
Location: Harewood, West Yorkshire
Head to Lanhydrock for a splendid woodland picnic
Head to finest house in Cornwall for a relaxing picnic with magnificent panoramic views and 900 acres of parkland and woodland.
Location: Bodmin, Cornwall
Visit a movie star house
Discover Bathsheba's 'Everdene Farm' from Far From the Madding Crowd in Dorset.
Location: Beaminster, Dorset
Explore the UK's first safari park at Longleat
Feed giraffes by hand and walk on the wildside with lemurs at this popular safari park, found in the picturesque grounds of historic Longleat House.
Location: Longleat, Wiltshire
Be captivated by the grandeur of Chatsworth
With its palatial surrounds and starring role in Pride & Prejudice, Chatsworth House is one of the Peak District’s most celebrated destinations.
Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire
Spend the day playing at Lyme Park, House and Garden
Get transported back to Edwardian times, at the mansion and extensive grounds of Lyme Park.
Location: Disley, Cheshire
Tour the decadent rooms and gardens of Renishaw Hall
Wander round immaculate gardens and artistic rooms at this historic family home.
Location: Renishaw, North Derbyshire
Get a taste for Tudor life at Charlecote Park
Join the Lucy family, at the grand home that’s been theirs since the 13th century.
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
Visit the tranquil Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
Sissinghurst is known to green-fingered enthusiasts the world-over as the epitome of an English country garden.
Location: Sissinghurst, Kent
Explore the rooms and grounds of Snowshill Manor
From suits of Samurai armour to antique bicycles of all shapes and sizes, there are about 22,000 reasons to take a nose round Snowshill Manor.
Location: Snowshill, Gloucestershire