Houses & Gardens

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 Westonbirt, The National Arboretum. 

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. 

Top tip: For the ultimate experience, stay overnight in a luxurious historic house. Bowood House Hotel & Spa, Cliveden and the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath all provide exemplary accommodation.