Historic halls and medieval manors
Alex Middleton goes beyond the gates of Britain’s stately homes to find out what they have to offer your group.
From Royal palaces to grand stately homes and historic country houses, the UK is packed with residences that have remained unchanged throughout history. Today, your group can step inside many of these great buildings, not only to admire their fine architecture and art collections, but to learn more about the history and lives of the men and women who have lived and worked in them.
Royal residences
With estates across the United Kingdom, a visit to a royal palace or home can give your group an insight into the history of the British Royal Family. Now nearly all managed by either The Royal Collection Trust, the body also responsible for the Royal Art Collection, or Historic Royal Palaces, the official residences of the monarch and Royal Family are regularly opened to the public.
Beginning with perhaps the world’s most famous royal home, Buckingham Palace in the heart of London has been greatly extended and refurbished by numerous monarchs. Now managed by The Royal Collection Trust, the Palace’s State Rooms are open to the public during August and September each year, giving you the opportunity to see, amongst much else, the Grand Staircase, designed by John Nash, the Throne Room and the 155-foot long Picture Gallery. As a group, you are also offered discounts on private ‘Evening Guided Tours’ in January, March and April and during the Summer Opening.
A short walk down The Mall, The Royal Collection also offers guided tours of the 19th century Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, throughout August and September. Although admittance is only offered to groups of a maximum of 18 people, combined tickets for the House and Palace are available, allowing larger groups to split into smaller parties to view the two.
Also in London, Kensington Palace, which is situated beside Hyde Park, offers groups discounts on entry throughout the year. The Palace is managed by Historic Royal Palaces and was the official residence of both Princess Margaret and Diana Princess of Wales. Visiting groups are offered private guided tours which can be designed around themes such as Ceremonial Court Dress and the Birth of the Victorian Era.
Moving to the western outskirts of London, Kew Palace was once an official residence of the house of Hanover, whose more famous members include mad King George III and his decadent son, the Prince Regent, later George IV. The Palace, which is now run by Historic Royal Palaces, is open throughout the year and offers groups discounts on admission and pre-booked guided tours.
To the south west of Kew, Hampton Court Palace in Richmond upon Thames, is also managed by Historic Royal Palaces. The Palace was originally built by Henry VIII and offers groups discounts on entrance as well as private guided tours with themes such as Life at the Tudor Court.
In Berkshire, meanwhile, The Royal Collection provides groups with discounts on entrance at Windsor Castle throughout the year. From October 2008 until March 2009, groups can also book a private guided tour of the Castle which looks at ‘life behind the scenes’. This takes in areas which are not normally open to the public, and explores the modern day practicalities involved in running the Castle.
One mile from Windsor Castle, another property managed by The Royal Collection, the 17th century Frogmore House, offers daytime visits and private evening guided tours to groups from July to October. The House sits in gardens designed by Queen Charlotte in the 1790s and houses a display of items from the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Moving from London to the Isle of Wight, the Italianate Osborne House was once the country retreat of Queen Victoria. No longer a royal residence, the House is managed by English Heritage, which offers groups discounts on both admission and guided tours at the property.
To see the current English country retreat of the Queen, you can also take your group to Sandringham House in Norfolk. The House and estate is owned and run directly by the Crown and offers groups discounts on admission throughout its opening season, which runs from March until October.
In Scotland, meanwhile, the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is now managed by Historic Royal Palaces. The property, which opens to the public all year round, has been a royal residence for over five centuries and also provides groups with a discount on admission.
Southern style
From the aristocratic townhouses of London to the ancient manors of the home counties, the south east is packed with imposing historic homes for you to explore.
On Hyde Park Corner in central London, groups receive discounts on admission at the English Heritage run property, Apsley House. The Regency home of the Duke of Wellington and his descendants, the mansion, features a restored Regency interior and an extensive art collection.
Moving to south east London, Eltham Palace, the art deco mansion built by the Courtaulds on the site of one of Henry VIII’s palaces, is also in the care of English Heritage. Groups receive a discount on entrance and can pre-book guided tours.
Southwards, Palace House at Beaulieu in Hampshire was once the gatehouse for a nearby abbey. After the dissolution of the monasteries it came into the possession of the present Lord Montagu’s family, who still reside in the House. Groups are offered discounts on admission and pre-booked guided tours.
In West Sussex, meanwhile, groups are also offered a discount at Arundel Castle, the country seat of the Dukes of Norfolk. The Castle, which opens to the public between March and November each year, has a history spanning over 1,000 years and stands in 40 acres of grounds.
In East Sussex, your group can explore the country house of Charleston. Once owned and decorated by artists Vanessa Grant and Duncan Bell in an Italian style, the house was frequently visited by early 20th century artists and writers such as Roger Fry and EM Forster. Groups are asked to pre-book visits, for which there is a discount on entry, and are offered free guided tours.
In Kent, meanwhile, groups can also get discounts on entry and pre-book guided tours at the 13th century Penshurst Place and Gardens. The medieval home came into the possession of the Sidney family, the current owners, in the 16th century and has remained little changed for over 500 years.
To the north of here, also in Kent, you can visit Chartwell, the former country home of Sir Winston Churchill. The property is now part of The National Trust and remains much as it was during Churchill’s time. Groups are offered discounts on entry and can pre-book guided tours.
At Churchill’s Oxfordshire birthplace, Blenheim Palace, the baroque home of the Dukes of Marlborough, visiting groups receive discounts on entry and have the option of booking private tours of both the Palace and its 2,100 acres of grounds. There are also a range of themed group guided tours such as ‘The Unknown Winston’, which explores the private life of Churchill.
Bordering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire is home to the elaborately French baroque Waddesdon Manor. Built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the late 19th century, groups receive a discount on admission and can book a range of personalised guided tours of the house and gardens.
Staying in the home counties, Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, the Jacobean mansion and home of the Marquesses of Salisbury, opens to the public from March to September each year. Groups are offered a discount on entrance and can choose from either self-guided or private guided tours of both the house and 17th century gardens.
Hertfordshire is also home to the Lytton’s, who have resided at Knebworth House since its construction in the early 16th century. The house, which was extensively redecorated by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, also opens to the public from March to September every year. Groups receive a discount on admission and a complementary guided tour.
In nearby Bedfordshire, the 18th century mansion, Woburn Abbey, which is set in its own 3,000 acre deer park, has been the home to the Dukes of Bedford for almost 300 years. The house, which is said to be where the British tradition of cream teas originated in the 18th century, offers groups discounts on entrance and a range of private guided tours such as the ‘Time for Tea’ package, which includes a guided tour and cream tea.
In Essex, the English Heritage managed property, Audley End House, also offers groups discounts on admission. Free group guided tours of the Elizabethan House can be pre-booked from March to June and throughout September and October each year.
Midland mansions and eastern earls
Whilst the grand rural retreats of Norfolk and Suffolk once provided their owners with an escape from the London smoke, the Georgian mansions of the Midlands were situated a stone’s throw from the factories of the Black Country, whose output elevated many of their owners to the ranks of the landed classes. Providing a candid insight into this world, the large houses of these areas offer groups an interesting way to learn more about a bygone age.
In Northamptonshire, your group can visit Althorp, the 18th century family home of the Earls Spencer and childhood home of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Groups receive a discount on entrance and can pre-book a private guided tour and afternoon tea at the house.
In neighbouring Warwickshire, groups are also offered a discount on admission at Ragley Hall, the Palladian home of the Marquesses of Hertford. The Hall opens to visitors from March to September and features a range of packages, including guided tours of the house and gardens as well as the option of booking lunch or tea.
In Leicestershire, meanwhile, the 900-year old Rockingham Castle has been home to James Saunders Watson’s family for over 450 years. Groups are offered a discount on entrance, private guided tours and can book meals at the Castle’s restaurant in advance.
Similarly, at the 17th century National Trust property of Belton House in the nearby county of Lincolnshire, admission is discounted for visiting groups. You can also choose from a range of themed guided tours such as ‘The Lives of Belton Servants’ or the ‘Introduction to Fine Arts Tour’, and pre-book group meals or teas in the restaurant.
Moving to Staffordshire, the Georgian country mansion of Shugborough offers you the opportunity to learn more about life above and below stairs in one of the nation’s great country houses where costumed characters take on the roles of a 19th century landowner’s family and servants. Groups can pre-book guided tours of the house and pre-order lunches and teas in the restaurant.
Further north, Eastnor Castle, set in the Malvern Hills in the county of Herefordshire, was built in the early 19th century in the style of a medieval Welsh border castle. Still a family home, the Castle opens to the public from March to September each year. Group discounts are available and guided tours can be pre-booked.
On the east coast, meanwhile, in Suffolk, the 500-year old mansion of Kentwell Hall, which has been extensively restored by Patrick Philips, its current owner, over the past 30 years, offers groups discounted admission and private guided tours of the house, gardens and working home farm.
Further north, in Norfolk, Holkham Hall, the Palladian home of the Earls of Leicester, houses hundreds of pieces of classical art. Visiting groups are offered discounts on entry, private guided tours and the option of pre-booking teas or lunches.
West country seats
With ancient manors sitting beside rugged moors and Victorian country houses lining the Welsh borders, groups exploring the west of the country will find it to be full of historic estates and homes.
In Cornwall, Mount Edgcumbe House, the 16th century seat of the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe, is now in the care of Cornwall County Council. Open to groups from March to October each year, the Tudor mansion is set in over 800 acres of parkland and offers groups discounts on admission and private guided tours.
Staying in Cornwall, the late 19th century National Trust property of Lanhydrock is set in 900 acres of wooded gardens on the edge of Bodmin Moor. Groups receive a discount on entrance and can pre-book guided tours of the house, which features extensively restored servants’ quarters.
Moving northwards to Wiltshire, Wilton House has been the seat of the Earls of Pembroke since the mid-16th century. Open to the public from March to September, groups are offered discounts on admission to the 17th century House as well as the option of pre-booking lunches. Combined tickets for nearby Salisbury Cathedral are also available.
Moving across the border into Wales, groups can also take advantage of discounts and pre-book guided tours at the 18th century National Trust property of Erddig near Wrexham. Surrounded by formal 18th century gardens, most of the rooms have been restored to their 18th and 19th century condition and are still lit by candles or gas.
Just off the coast and with views across the Welsh Mountain range of Snowdonia from the Isle of Anglesey, the 18th century National Trust property and home of the Marquess of Anglesey, Plas Newydd, offers groups both discounts on entrance and pre-booked guided tours. The house also houses what is believed to be the world’s largest collection of paintings by the early 20th century artist, Rex Whistler.
Northern nobility
Boasting elaborate palaces and the imposing strongholds of Scottish lairds, northern England and Scotland can give your group a chance to learn more about the bygone age of aristocratic power and privilege.
Twice used as the film location for the home of Mr Rochester, Charlotte Bront�’s romantic lead in Jane Eyre, Haddon Hall in Derbyshire is a medieval fortified manor, little changed since the late 17th century. The Hall is open to visitors from April to October each year and offers groups discounts on admission. Guided tours can also be pre-booked for a minimum of ten people.
In northern Derbyshire, the classically inspired home of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth House, has been open to public visitors for over two centuries. Set in 105 acres of landscaped gardens, featuring cascades and fountains, the house offers groups discounts on admission and pre-booked guided tours.
In the neighbouring county of Yorkshire, groups are also offered discounts on entrance at the 19th century English Heritage property of Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster. Featuring rooms preserved as they were at the turn of the 20th century, groups have the option of pre-booking a private guided tour of the Hall and its restored Victorian gardens.
Staying in Yorkshire, your group can also pre-book guided tours at the 18th century classical Italian style property of Nostell Priory, near Wakefield. Featuring a fine collection of Chippendale furniture and a John Adams interior, the Priory offers group discounts on entrance.
Whilst in the county, groups also have the opportunity to pre-book guided tours at Harewood House, the Palladian home of the Queen’s cousin, the Earl of Harewood. Featuring a fine collection of Renaissance paintings and period furniture, the House offers group discounts and sits in grounds landscaped in the 18th century by the garden architect, ‘Capability’ Brown.
In North Yorkshire, the 18th century property, Duncombe Park, has been home to the Earls Feversham for almost 300 years. The Park offers pre-booked groups a discount on admission and a complementary guided tour. Groups can also pre-order teas or lunches in the Park’s cafe.
Also in North Yorkshire, Newby Hall, the 17th century home of the Compton family, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 1690s. Groups receive discounted rates on admission and can pre-book tours of the Hall and gardens, which feature an extensive contemporary sculpture park.
Your group can also visit the domed mansion, Castle Howard, near York in North Yorkshire. The Castle was designed in a florid baroque style in the early 18th century. Discounts are available for groups, who can also pre-book guided tours of the Castle and pre-order lunches or teas.
In Northumberland, meanwhile, your groups can tour the English Heritage-owned 19th century Belsay Hall. The Hall, which was built to resemble a Greek villa, is set in landscaped grounds featuring a restored ‘Sicilian’ quarry garden. Groups are offered a discount on entrance.
Crossing the border into Scotland, the Scottish home of the Earls of Mansfield, Scone Palace in Perth and Kinross, also features discounts on admission for groups. The Palace was designed in a Scottish gothic style in the early 16th century and features a richly decorated Scottish revival interior.
In the same county, groups can visit Blair Castle, the seat of the Earls of Atholl. The Castle was begun in the 13th century, but remodelling by various Earls have subsequently turned it into one of the finest stately homes in the area. Groups can pre-book guided tours of both the Castle and its large art collection, and also have the option of pre-booking meals ranging from light refreshments to four course meals in the Great Hall.