Stately surroundings
When organising an outing for your group, why not consider visiting one of the numerous stately homes dotted around the United Kingdom. Luke Dodd provides a selection of sites to consider.
For GTOs, the pressure is always on to add variety to your group’s programme of outings and to provide an entertaining trip. However, you cannot beat classic itinerary ideas such as visiting a stately home. Groups will not only be able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and experience what life was like for the upper classes, they can also take advantage of private guided tours, which the majority of these sites offer.
A right royal day out
In most cases, stately homes are, or have previously been, owned by gentry and the upper classes; however, a selection have been, or still are, occupied by royalty and are available for you to visit. There are two main organisations which own and represent these attractions; Historic Royal Palaces and The Royal Collection.
Beginning with The Royal Collection and arguably one of the UK’s most famous landmarks, Buckingham Palace is open at selected dates throughout the year and is the official residency of Her Royal Majesty The Queen. Located in the heart of London, groups can enjoy the summer opening of the State Rooms at the Palace, which feature 19 rooms housing many artistic masterpieces such as paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens. Groups of 15 or more enjoy a discount on admission to the State Rooms.
Also part of the Royal Collection, Frogmore House is located within Windsor Home Park, the private park adjacent to Windsor Castle in Berkshire. Inside the House, groups can view artwork created by Princess Elizabeth, daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte, on decorative panels in the Cross Gallery. Groups of 15 or more enjoy a discounted rate on admission and can enjoy a private guided tour of the property.
Travelling north to Scotland, groups will find the Palace of Holyroodhouse, also part of the Royal Collection, which is the Queen’s official residence in the country. The Palace features a wide number of rooms including Mary, Queen of Scots’ Chambers. These rooms were Mary’s accommodation during her stay at the Palace during 1566, when her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, was murdered. Visitors can examine items said to have belonged to the Queen such as a 17th century Finnish cabinet and a 17th century stumpwork casket. Groups of 15 or more enjoy a discounted rate of admission and can pre-book a guided tour.
Moving to Historic Royal Palaces, the organisation represents several stately homes which may be of interest. You can purchase passes for your group, which allows entry to all properties managed by the organisation. Groups of 15 or more can take advantage of this offer.
Firstly, Kensington Palace is located in London and groups enjoy a visit to its State Apartments. In the Apartments, you can see The Royal Ceremonial Dress collection, which houses clothing spanning three centuries including dresses worn by Her Majesty The Queen and Diana, Princess of Wales. Groups can also visit the bedroom where Princess Victoria was awoken and told she was Queen and the Cupola Room where she was baptised. Another highlight is the restored King’s Gallery, which features a collection of 17th-century paintings and a wind-dial. Groups of 15 or more must pre-book a visit and can arrange guided tours of the Palace. Groups can also pre-book a meal in Queen Anne’s Orangery, the on-site restaurant, which offers morning coffee, cakes and other light refreshments.
Also represented by Historic Royal Palaces, The Banqueting House was built in 1619 and was part of the Whitehall Palace, before the rest was destroyed in 1698 by a fire. An interesting fact about the House is that it was the scene of the only execution of an English monarch, that of Charles I in 1649. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission and can take advantage of free audio guides at the site.
Additionally, groups can enjoy Kew Palace, which re-opened to the public last year and is located in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was the family country home of King George III and Queen Charlotte between 1800 and 1818 and gives visitors a rare glimpse of George’s family life through various interpretation boards and displays. Another highlight is a waxwork of George created by Madame Tussaud herself. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission to the Palace as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which you pay separately to gain admission to. Groups can also enjoy a meal in the Palace’s Orangery Restaurant.
Finally, Hampton Court Palace was one of Henry VIII’s favourite homes and sits on the banks of the River Thames surrounded by acres of parkland and gardens. Inside, groups can see Henry’s State Apartments, which feature several tapestries and paintings as well as the Chapel Royal, which offers a carved and gilded ceiling. GTOs can enlist a costumed guide to provide a tour around the site. There is also the convenience of a separate group ticket desk, which enables fast track entry for groups. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission to the Palace.
In the north
The northern counties of England and Scotland offer a wide number of stately homes for your group to visit.
Starting in Scotland, to the west of Edinburgh, is Linlithgow Palace. The Palace was the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, and was home for all of the Stewart kings. Groups of 11 or more receive a discount on admission.
Located near Perth, Scone Palace is the home to the Earls of Mansfield. Visiting groups will be able to peruse rooms such as the State Dining Room, the Library, which houses a collection of porcelain as well as books and the Ambassador’s Room, which gets its name from the 2nd Earl of Mansfield, who was British Ambassador to France. Groups receive a discount on admission and can enjoy guided tours of the Palace.
In Northumberland, GTOs should consider taking their group to the English Heritage property, Belsay Hall. The Hall features neo-classical furnishings and was designed and built by Sir Charles Monck in 1807. From May until September this year, visiting groups will be able to enjoy a contemporary arts exhibition, entitled ‘Picture House – Film, Art and Design at Belsay’, which will see the site transformed by various installations. Groups can enjoy guided tours of the Hall and free coach parking is also available on site.
Moving to Yorkshire, in Ripon, Newby Hall & Gardens features 18th century interior decoration and was built in the 1690’s imitating Sir Christopher Wren’s building style. Inside, groups can explore the Gobelins Tapestry Room, which features tapestries woven at the famous Gobelin works in Paris. An unusual feature is that the Hall boasts a wide collection of chamber pots! The gardens have a wide collection of plants and flowers and boast double herbaceous borders. There are also several small themed gardens, which include the Rose Garden, Water Garden, Autumn Garden and Tropical Garden. Groups of 15 or more gain discounted entry with GTOs offered free admission. Guided tours of both the Hall and the Gardens are also available for groups.
Also in Yorkshire, Brodsworth Hall & Gardens, located in Doncaster, is an English Heritage property and the Hall is hailed as one of England’s most complete, surviving Victorian Houses. It offers groups an insight into the changing fortunes of the previous occupants through various displays and exhibits. Guided tours of the site are available for groups and free coach parking is available on site.
In Cheshire, Lyme Mansion is a National Trust property and is situated in the middle of a 1,400 acre medieval deer park – home to almost 600 Red and Fallow Deer. The Mansion also featured as ‘Pemberley’ in the BBC’s 1995 television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission and can enjoy out of hours specialist tours such as the Butler and Housekeeper tour.
The Midlands and east of England
There are also a selection of stately homes located throughout the Midlands and the east of England
Beginning in Staffordshire, groups can enjoy a visit to Shugborough Hall, located within the Shugborough Estate on the northern edge of the Cannock Chase area. The Hall is located within 900 acres of parkland and gardens and is part of a working historic attraction, with costumed staff churning milk, farming and baking on-site. Groups can enjoy a variety of guided tours of the Hall including new tours, launched last July, such as, ‘Supper with the Housekeeper’. Groups begin this tour in the Victorian Servant’s Quarters with the characters of Mrs Bonham, the housekeeper, and a kitchen maid, both in full 19th century costume. Groups will be given a talk on life in 1871 and will be treated as servants themselves, with the tour acting as an interview to assess their suitability. These tours are available for groups of 15 or more, with groups of this size also receiving a discount on admission to the estate.
To the east, in Derbyshire, Chatsworth House was originally built in the late 16th century and features a variety of items on display within. Groups can peruse the Elizabethan interior and can visit the Hunting Tower on site which was built in the 1580s. Groups receive a discounted rate of admission to the House.
In Lincolnshire, meanwhile, lies Burghley House. The building of the House extended over 32 years from 1555 to 1587. Groups of 10 or more can enjoy guided tours and can also pre-book special interest and out of hours tours. Groups can also arrange catering options in The Orangery at Burghley, the on-site restaurant.
Also in Lincolnshire, groups can visit Belton House, in Grantham. The House contains various collections of paintings, furniture, tapestries and silver. There are also formal gardens, a large landscaped park and a Wildlife Discovery Centre. On board coach welcomes can be pre-arranged as well as introductory talks and out of hours specialist tours. Specialist tours which groups can enjoy include a Behind the Scenes tour, Backstairs tour, Introduction to the Fine Arts tour and a Introduction to the Life of Belton’s Servants tour. Pre-booked group meals can be arranged with the site’s Stables Restaurant.
In the neighbouring county of Norfolk, groups can also visit Holkham Hall & Estate, which has been home to the Coke Family and the Earls of Leicester since 1609. On-site, groups can enjoy a visit to the Bygones Museum, which contains items on display such as domestic and agricultural memorabilia and The History of Farming exhibition, which uses interpretive displays to illustrate how the estate has used farming over the centuries for additional income. Groups of 20 or more are given discounted entry to the attraction and free admission is offered to GTOs. Group catering is available in the Stables Café, with groups able to enjoy either morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea. Private guided tours are also on offer for groups of 12 or more and focus upon the history, art and architecture of Holkham Hall.
Also in Norfolk, groups can visit the Royal residence of Sandringham. Built in 1870, Sandringham is regularly used by the Royal family and groups can peruse the main ground floor rooms, which boasts an Edwardian interior design and items. There is an on-site Museum, which contains vintage Royal motor vehicles and King George V’s old game trophies as well as 60 acres of gardens surrounding the house. Groups of 20 or more receive a discount on admission to the estate and GTOs receive free admission.
Moving to the heart of the country, in Warwickshire, you will find Ragley Hall. Visitors to the Hall can enjoy the splendour of the surroundings, which include the South Staircase Mural, artwork painted onto the plaster of the ceiling depicting the Temptation of Christ. Groups are offered a discount on admission to the Hall and can pre-book guided tours of the site both in and out of opening hours. Additionally, Supper Tours can be arranged for groups of 20 or more, consisting of an evening meal followed by a guided tour of Ragley Hall.
Meanwhile, in Essex, Audley End House and Gardens, an English Heritage property located in Saffron Walden, offers groups the chance to peruse the surroundings enjoyed by various aristocracy and royalty. There is a 19th century paterre garden to enjoy on-site, which features elaborate floral displays and a water cascade. Groups can enjoy a guided tour of the property and on-site catering featuring hot and cold food.
Moving westwards, the National Trust property Waddesdon Manor, in Buckinghamshire, boasts several attractive attributes. For instance, the Rothschild Collection is housed within 45 rooms, which display 18th century French decorative arts and English portraits as well as French royal furniture, porcelain and Savonnerie carpets. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission with GTOs receiving a free place. Groups can also enjoy various themed walks and tours including, new for this year, a guided tour of the Ground Floor of the house. On-site coach parking is also available on site.
In the neighbouring county of Northamptonshire, groups can visit Althorp, the home of the Spencer family. This site is probably most famous for being the resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales. Therefore, one of the main attractions for visitors is ‘Diana: An Exhibition’, which is located throughout six rooms in the house. There are audiovisual displays in four of the rooms and items on display include her wedding dress, childhood letters, school reports and details of the Princess’s work for charity. There is, in addition, a room which depicts the work of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Groups of 12 or more receive a discount on admission to the estate and can enjoy private tours and afternoon tea.
In Hertfordshire, groups can also enjoy various offers at Hatfield House, which was built in 1611 for King James I. Groups can peruse examples of Jacobean craftsmanship such as the Grand Staircase and the stained glass window in the private chapel. Groups of 20 or more can enjoy a discount on admission as well as a general guided tour of the House and grounds. Themed tours can also be pre-booked and can focus upon Elizabethan history, fine furnishings and armour.
Also in the county, Knebworth House was originally a red-brick Tudor manor house and was transformed in 1843 into a gothic mansion complete with turrets, griffins and gargoyles. It has been home to the Lyton family for over 500 years and is surrounded by 250 acres of parkland including 25 acres of formal gardens. Groups of 25 or more can enjoy guided tours of the house, which can be themed around women’s rights, rock music and literature. Groups receive a discounted rate of admission.
Wales and the south west
In Wales and the south west, groups have the opportunity to surround themselves with grandeur at a number of stately homes.
Starting on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, groups can visit the home of the Marquess of Anglesey, the National Trust property Plas Newydd. The 18th century house contains elements of classical and Gothic design as well as a military museum, which contains items previously owned by the 1st Marquess of Anglesey, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission to the site and can enjoy a guided tour of the gardens as well as the opportunity to go on a historical cruise along the Menai Strait and receive a talk on the house whilst on-board. Groups must pre-book this through Plas Newydd.
Staying in the country, Erddig, in Wrexham, is another 18th century house, which boasts state rooms and a range of out buildings. Within the National Trust property, the state rooms display original 18th and 19th century furnishings as well as various works of art. The large walled garden has been restored to its 18th century formal design and the out buildings include a kitchen, laundry, bakehouse, stables, sawmill, smithy and a joiner’s shop. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission and can also enjoy garden tours.
In Cornwall, groups can visit Mount Edgcumbe House & Country Park, which is the former home of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. The House is set within Grade I listed gardens in 865 acres of country park on the Rame Peninsula. Groups of 10 or more are required to pre-book in advance and receive a discount on entry. Guided tours are also available for both the House and the gardens.
Also in the county, groups can visit the National Trust property, Lanhydrock, in Bodmin. It claims to be one of the most complete late 19th century houses in England and features extensive servant’s quarters and a garden, offering a collection of magnolias, rhododendrons and camellias. Group catering is available in the Servant’s Hall restaurant and groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission.
The south of England
The south of England also has a plentitude of grand stately homes for your group to enjoy.
Beginning in Kent, groups can visit Penshurst Place and Gardens, which has been home to the Sidney family since the 16th century. Within the house, groups can visit the Baron’s Hall, which features a 60-foot high chestnut roof, and the Long Gallery, which features several works of art. Groups can also peruse the State Rooms, which boast family portraits, furniture and porcelain as well as tapestries. Groups of 20 or more are offered a discount on admission as well as guided tours of the house and Gardens. Group meal options are also available including a Cream Tea.
Also in Kent, the National Trust property Chartwell, in Westerham, was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1924 until the end of his life and groups can find out about the former Prime Minister’s life at the site. The rooms and gardens remain much as they did when he lived there and contain personal memorabilia, books and family photographs. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission to Chartwell and can enjoy a guided tour of the house and gardens.
In the neighbouring county of East Sussex, groups can visit Charleston, which was the home and country meeting place for writers, painters and intellectuals from the Bloomsbury Group, which was started by Virginia Woolf, the famous writer. The interior of the house was designed by the English artist Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, the painter sister of Virginia Woolf. The house contains various examples of work produced by the Bloomsbury artists such as paintings and textiles as well as painted furniture and murals. Groups receive a discount on admission and can enjoy guided tours around the house, which can focus upon the Bloomsbury Group or ‘A Day in the Life of Charleston’, which details how the house is maintained and tended to day to day.
Moving to London, Eltham Palace, owned by English Heritage, showcases the glamour of the 1930s through its Art Deco interior. The architecture of the Palace itself is Medieval Tudor and was home to a young Henry VIII. Groups can also see the Palace’s glamorous past come to life with the Courtauld Family’s home movie, honouring Stephen Courtauld who oversaw the restoration of Eltham Palace. Surrounding the house are 19 acres of gardens and a moat, which features London’s oldest bridge. Groups can enjoy a Garden Tour with the Senior Gardener or a tour of the house itself. On-site free coach parking is available and groups can also take advantage of catering with waiter service.
In South Wiltshire, groups can enjoy a wealth of experiences at Wilton House, the home of the Earl of Pembroke. The building is over 460 years old and is set in the midst of 21 acres of gardens and parkland. Inside, groups will find a number of rooms to view including the State Rooms, containing paintings and furniture from the 17th century. Groups of 15 or more receive a discounted rate of admission and can enjoy combined visits with Salisbury Cathedral. There is also a set Group Lunch menu, if your group are feeling a little peckish.
Finally, in Oxfordshire, why not visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. Home to the 11th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill, the Palace features hand painted ceilings as well as porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings in each room. The house itself is set within 2,100 acres of parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission and groups of 25 or more can pre-book a private guided tour of the house. New for this year are four themed tours covering the subjects of the life of Winston Churchill, the story of the ladies who have resided at Blenheim, the portraits held at the house and the construction of the house by architect John Vanburgh.