Visitor Guide 2019

Great Chalfield Manor
> Kelmscott Manor
> Stourhead
> Abbey House Gardens
Rooted in time and place, Wiltshire’s
great estates reveal stories that bring
the history of England to life.
Set against the drama and majesty of the surrounding
landscape, these magnificent residences come complete with
equally outstanding grounds, from acres of landscaped parkland
to intimate formal and informal gardens.
Spanning the centuries, grand country properties don’t come
much finer than those to be found in Wiltshire. Longleat House,
an outstanding example of high Elizabethan architecture.
Impressive 18 th century Bowood, with interiors designed by
Robert Adam. Wilton House, home to the Earls of Pembroke
for over 400 years. As you might expect, legendary horticultural
genius Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was hard at work in 18 th
century Wiltshire. The breathtaking pastoral settings which
complement these properties today were greatly influenced
by his brilliance as a landscape architect. While the grounds
surrounding Lacock Abbey - founded in the 13 th century for
monastic purposes, before later becoming a family home - are
also said to have benefited from his attention.
However, he was not the only such genius to have left his mark
on Wiltshire. The stunning National Trust garden at Stourhead
was designed in the 18 th century by ‘Henry the Magnificent’.
Described as a living work of art, it has at its heart a glorious
lake, where reflections of classical temples and grottoes
shimmer in the water. Home to many rare and exotic trees, the
garden is open all year, and from March to October (as well
as in the run up to Christmas) you can also visit the Palladian
mansion of Stourhead House. Lydiard House, at the opposite
end of the county, is another Palladian jewel, renowned for its
elegant state rooms, original family furnishings and Elizabethan
portraits. It is surrounded by 260 acres of parkland, with a lake
and 18 th century walled garden.
Designers of note have left their mark on smaller homes of the
well-to-do, too. Lesser in size, maybe, but equally rewarding to
visit. Thanks to the vision of General Pitt Rivers, Larmer Tree is
an extraordinary example of Victorian extravagance, perfectly
set amid the timeless downland of Cranborne Chase. The Grade
I listed house and enchanting riverside gardens at Kelmscott
Manor were the Cotswold retreat of William Morris: poet, designer,
craftsman, socialist and founding father of the Arts and Crafts
movement. An Arts and Crafts garden also surrounds 15 th century
Great Chalfield Manor near Melksham, familiar to many as a TV
location from Wolf Hall and Poldark. Iford Manor Gardens, with
its romantic Italianate gardens cut into the hillside, provides an
Edwardian version of Tuscany. While the 5 acres at Abbey House
Gardens, straddling the river beside the 12 th century Abbey
Church in Malmesbury, have been restored in recent years by the
Pollard family (better known as ‘The Naked Gardeners’).
A walled garden is often regarded as horticultural heaven.
This is certainly true of three properties in the timeless setting
of Salisbury Cathedral Close. Mompesson House, where the
garden is bounded on one side by the massive city wall, making
it the ideal accompaniment to this charming Queen Anne
mansion; Arundells, home of former Prime Minister Sir Edward
Heath; and The Rifles Berkshire & Wiltshire Museum. The
gardens at the latter two properties run down to the river, further
enhancing their appeal.
Two properties just across the county boundary are equally
memorable. Just a quick hop over the Wiltshire border into
Gloucestershire, the 600 acres at Westonbirt Arboretum are
a record-breaker, with one of the world’s finest collections of
temperate trees and shrubs. While 15 th century Chavenage
House near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, with its golden stone
walls and lichened grey rooves, is the perfect vision of a
Cotswold manor.
visitwiltshire.co.uk
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