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Britain’s stately homes are nearly always grand and impressive. Built by aristocratic families over the centuries, these mansions feature remarkable architecture and lavish décor. Every ornate corner is rammed with art and antiques to rival even the best museums. And these impressive manor houses often double up as hosts for festivals, concerts, markets and fancy-dress events, while others have become opulent hotels. If you fancy an extravagant lunch at the real Downton Abbey or live music at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, here’s how to enjoy the full panoply of Britain’s stately treasures.

Britain’s most magical stately homes

Love the finer things in life? Why not live the life of a lord and stay overnight in one of Britain’s many historic homes. Many grandiose piles such as Cliveden in Berkshire, Bodysgallen Hall in Wales, and Wiltshire’s Lucknam Park are now lavish hotels. 

Britain’s better-known stately homes

A remarkable pile that’s been in same Howard family for more than 300 years.

Book tickets and tours to Castle Howard

VisitBritain/Tomo Brejc

A man with arms wrapped around a woman in castle grounds
Castle Howard, North Yorkshire

Impressive Elizabethan mansion with landscaped gardens in the grounds of the famous Longleat Safari Park.

Find out more about Longleat House

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Longleat House, Wiltshire
Longleat House, Wiltshire

Victorian innovation strikes through this house from the world’s first heated pool to the first passenger lift.

Discover more about early innovation at Mount Stuart

Mount Stuart

Inside the Marble Hall, Mount Stuart mansion,
Mount Stuart, Bute

A quirky country pile on the site of a former 13th-century nunnery and the set for Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter.

Learn more about Lacock Abbey

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Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire
Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire

Elizabethan Grade I pile on the edge of the Peak District surrounded by 1400 acres of land, gardens and deer park.

Learn more about the House at Lyme

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Lyme Park, Cheshire
Lyme Park, Cheshire

Part baroque part, part Georgian, this South Yorkshire gem has the longest facade of any stately home in Britain.

Learn more about Wentworth Woodhouse

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Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire
Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire

A remarkable pile that’s been in same Howard family for more than 300 years.

Book tickets and tours to Castle Howard

VisitBritain/Tomo Brejc

A man with arms wrapped around a woman in castle grounds
Castle Howard, North Yorkshire

Impressive Elizabethan mansion with landscaped gardens in the grounds of the famous Longleat Safari Park.

Find out more about Longleat House

liammundayphotography

Longleat House, Wiltshire
Longleat House, Wiltshire

Victorian innovation strikes through this house from the world’s first heated pool to the first passenger lift.

Discover more about early innovation at Mount Stuart

Mount Stuart

Inside the Marble Hall, Mount Stuart mansion,
Mount Stuart, Bute

A quirky country pile on the site of a former 13th-century nunnery and the set for Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter.

Learn more about Lacock Abbey

ayshee5_

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire
Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire

Elizabethan Grade I pile on the edge of the Peak District surrounded by 1400 acres of land, gardens and deer park.

Learn more about the House at Lyme

katabaticmalamutes

Lyme Park, Cheshire
Lyme Park, Cheshire

Part baroque part, part Georgian, this South Yorkshire gem has the longest facade of any stately home in Britain.

Learn more about Wentworth Woodhouse

wentworth_woodhouse

Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire
Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire

Britain’s lesser-known stately homes

Abbotsford, Borders

Gothic-style stately home of Scottish author Sir Walter Scott.

The Abbotsford Trust

Abbotsford exterior with flower gardens in foreground
Bodrhyddan Hall, North Wales

Set over hundreds acres of North Wales countryside, with stunning gardens and a 3,000-year-old mummy.

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Bodrhyddan Hall, Denbighshire
Dunvegan Castle

The longest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland, this fariy-tale place perches on a rock by a loch.

MacLeod Estate

436 Dunvegan Castle8
Stonor Park, Chiltern Hills

Explore the grand historic house, formal gardens and enchanting woodland playground of Stonor Park.

Stonor Park

View of Stonor Park, Chiltern Hills
Goodwood House

This stately home boasts Regency opulence and an serene alternative to the high-octane Goodwood race track nearby.

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Goodwood House
Culdees Castle Estate

A ruined castle being brought back from the brink - Culdees Castle offers luxury on-site stays for glampers.

Culdees Estate

Culdees Estate with peacock bird in the foreground
Buscot Park

Enjoy the grandeur of Buscot Park alongside the peaceful gardens and beautifully landscaped grounds.

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Buscot Park
Blickling Estate

Explore the vast estate by cycling or walking, with woodlands and grasslands allowing you to escape into nature.

National Trust Images/Rob Coleman

Children climbing on the big plane tree in the garden at Blickling Estate, Norfolk
Kenwood House

A hidden London gem, filled with landscaped gardens, beautiful interiors and world-class art.

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woman in headscarf sitting in front of Kenwood House

Regal sleeps: Where to stay like a lord or lady

VisitBritain/Tomo Brejc

A young couple standing at the balustrade of a stone bridge

Noble neighbours

Britain’s stately homes sit in some special locations such as Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire’s glorious Woodstock, or Mount Stuart on Scotland’s peaceful Isle of Bute. When planning your visit, why not extend your stay at a nearby town or village, and bask in its beautiful surroundings.

Culdees Estate

Culdees Glamping

Grand glamping

Want to live the highlife without breaking the bank? Many of Britain’s heritage homes have transformed their gardens into glamping and camping sites. Explore Culdees Castle Estate in Perthshire, Raynham Estate in Norfolk, and Waddow Hall in Lancashire.

VisitOxfordshire

An exterior shot of Alms House in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

Posh property

From cute cottages to entire ‘wings’ of a stately home, some of Britain’s stately properties offer self-catering accommodation in their grounds. Check out the Longleat House, Chatsworth House and Gloucestershire’s Horton Court – which you might recognise from Poldark and Wolf Hall.

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Young couple walking outside Cliveden House

Historic hotels

Britain’s country house hotels are as impressive as they are handsome. Stay in the likes of Cliveden, Bowood House, Luton Hoo and Goodwood – which not only boast incredible architecture and heritage, but also excellent top-notch menus and attentive service. A truly unforgettable way to immerse yourself in history.