*** Special Offer: For a £5 discount onHistoric Housesmembership use promo code STEW05 ***
Mention organisations overseeing stately homes and heritage sites in the UK and most people will immediately think of English Heritage and the National Trust. However the Historic Houses organisation represents more than 1,600 privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens and more than 300 of these are free-to-visit for members.
Raby Castle and Walled Garden
Below are listed my Top Ten properties within the Historic Houses free-to-visit list of properties in England. Later articles will consider properties in the rest of the UK.
The selected properties are very much my personal choices, with input from my wife who is particularly interested in the gardens, and are listed travelling from south to north of England.
Some are well known major properties, others smaller more unusual ones. However there are features that are very special and unique about each of them, which I’ll elucidate here. For more details about these properties, see the linked full articles.
If you intend to visit more than a couple of the Historic Houses properties, then taking up annual membership will save you money. Individual membership is £68 a year, joint membership £108 a year, children (3-16 years) £30 a year. However if you enter code STEW05 you will get a £5 discount when you join via the Historic Houses website. This applies to new members and if you wish to give annual membership as a gift.
Hever Castle was built as a country house in 1270 and was not considered a military asset, although it did change hands a few times during the Civil War.
The features that particularly interest me when visiting this property are firstly its connections to Anne Boleyn and secondly its extensive beautifully maintained gardens.
The Boleyn family lived in the castle from 1462 to 1539 and links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII are very apparent when touring the Castle and give an atmospheric feel of that eventful period in British history.
There are several fine gardens including the Rose Garden, Herb Garden and the Topiary, but extra special is the large Italian Garden designed in 1905 to incorporate sculpture and statuary from Italy.
Berkeley Castle is a real defensive castle that has seen much military action over the centuries. That to me is the main fascination of this eight centuries old property.
A visit immerses you in medieval history and in, for example, the possible murder in the castle of Edward II in 1327. It also gives a feel of the ebb and flow of the Civil War, when the castle changed hands five times.
The well maintained terraced gardens sloping down from the castle are a bonus feature when visiting the castle.
Well not exactly a stately home, but rather a fully functioning brewery dating back to 1849.
This is a tower brewery and the brewery tour follows the process from the top floor down.
The mashing process is at the top, the boiling process is in the middle and the fermentation and racking is at the bottom. With everything well explained along the way by the tour guide.
And to top it all off, a tasting session with Old Hooky being my definite preference.
Belvoir Castle is definitely not a military castle and indeed the building only dates back to 1832. However, although a ‘faux’ castle, it is a very impressive building standing proud above the Vale of Belvoir.
Touring the Castle and seeing the various state rooms is of course fascinating, but what I particularly like about this property are the terraced gardens flowing down from the Castle.
Add to this an extensive parkland, partly care of Capability Brown, and several walks including the three mile Duke’s walk, which has great views along the way. A full day visit is clearly required to appreciate this property.
Externally Bramhall Hall is quite breath-taking with its beautiful Tudor timber framed structure.
But don’t gaze too long, as there is very much to offer internally, including its fine collection of Tudor oak furniture in the many rooms open to public access.
It is interesting to see the contrast between the richly decorated family bedrooms and the austere little maid’s dormitory.
Leave plenty of time to explore the terraced gardens in front of the Hall and the 70 acres of parkland with riverside walks and great views back to the Hall.
Burton Constable Hall is rather off the beaten track being about eight miles north-west of Hull in the Vale of Holderness.
However it is well worth making a detour to see the thirty stylish rooms open to the public in this 400 year old Elizabethan country house. Of particular note are the Great Hall and the Long Gallery with its rows of gilded chairs.
The smaller rooms, such as the Blue Dressing Room and the Chinese Room contain much of interest and the Chapel is particularly impressive.
See also in the Great Barn the sperm whale skeleton mentioned in the novel Moby-Dick.
The small gardens are attractive but nothing special. However, the 300 acres of Capability Brown designed parkland are well worth exploring with fine views over the lake back towards the Hall.
There is much to see within Burton Agnes Hall and within its parkland. However it is the Walled Garden that brings me and my wife back time and time again, with very different plant displays to enjoy according to the time of year.
The three sloping acres of the Walled Garden contain over 4,000 plant species arranged in the main area plus small themed side gardens. Of particular note is the large collection of campanulas.
From the lower end of the Walled Garden there are superb views over the gardens looking back towards to the Hall itself.
Yorkshire has many fine stately homes such as Harewood House and Castle Howard, but my favourite is Newby Hall in Wensleydale near Ripon.
The fact that it is less well known than other stately homes in the area, means that it is quieter and it has less of a feel of being a theme park.
Although less well known, Newby Hall has everything one might expect when visiting a stately home, including a magnificent Robert Adam decorated house, extensive attractive gardens and parkland with walks leading down to the River Ure.
Unusual features include a Sculpture Park, a Teddy Bear Museum, a Dolls House Exhibition, a miniature railway and boat rides on the river.
Raby Castle is a real castle dating back to about 1380, but the fortifications only saw military action once and that was in 1648 during the Civil War.
What I find especially attractive about this property is its position overlooking a lake (the so-called ‘low pond’), with superb reflective views across as you wander around the 200 acre deer park.
The large Walled Garden is another notable feature with the Castle again providing a dramatic backdrop.
Add in a tour of the castle’s interior, including the spectacular Octagon Drawing Room, and a great day out is assured.
Chillingham Castle is another real castle with its borderlands position ensuring that it saw much military action over its 800 year history.
But it is not the defensive aspects of this property that appeals to me, but rather its lived-in feel with items almost haphazardly scattered around some rooms in the house. There is the unusual policy that some displayed goods can be touched, including even some of the ancient weapons. The Tea Room is quite dramatic with its medieval feel.
Add to this that the owners promote the castle as the most haunted in Britain, with Chillingham being a very appropriate name!
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Top Ten Historic Houses and Discount Offer for Membership
*** Special Offer: For a £5 discount on Historic Houses membership use promo code STEW05 ***
Mention organisations overseeing stately homes and heritage sites in the UK and most people will immediately think of English Heritage and the National Trust. However the Historic Houses organisation represents more than 1,600 privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens and more than 300 of these are free-to-visit for members.
Below are listed my Top Ten properties within the Historic Houses free-to-visit list of properties in England. Later articles will consider properties in the rest of the UK.
The selected properties are very much my personal choices, with input from my wife who is particularly interested in the gardens, and are listed travelling from south to north of England.
Some are well known major properties, others smaller more unusual ones. However there are features that are very special and unique about each of them, which I’ll elucidate here. For more details about these properties, see the linked full articles.
If you intend to visit more than a couple of the Historic Houses properties, then taking up annual membership will save you money. Individual membership is £68 a year, joint membership £108 a year, children (3-16 years) £30 a year. However if you enter code STEW05 you will get a £5 discount when you join via the Historic Houses website. This applies to new members and if you wish to give annual membership as a gift.
Hever Castle, Kent
Hever Castle was built as a country house in 1270 and was not considered a military asset, although it did change hands a few times during the Civil War.
The features that particularly interest me when visiting this property are firstly its connections to Anne Boleyn and secondly its extensive beautifully maintained gardens.
The Boleyn family lived in the castle from 1462 to 1539 and links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII are very apparent when touring the Castle and give an atmospheric feel of that eventful period in British history.
There are several fine gardens including the Rose Garden, Herb Garden and the Topiary, but extra special is the large Italian Garden designed in 1905 to incorporate sculpture and statuary from Italy.
Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Berkeley Castle is a real defensive castle that has seen much military action over the centuries. That to me is the main fascination of this eight centuries old property.
A visit immerses you in medieval history and in, for example, the possible murder in the castle of Edward II in 1327. It also gives a feel of the ebb and flow of the Civil War, when the castle changed hands five times.
The well maintained terraced gardens sloping down from the castle are a bonus feature when visiting the castle.
Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire
Well not exactly a stately home, but rather a fully functioning brewery dating back to 1849.
This is a tower brewery and the brewery tour follows the process from the top floor down.
The mashing process is at the top, the boiling process is in the middle and the fermentation and racking is at the bottom. With everything well explained along the way by the tour guide.
And to top it all off, a tasting session with Old Hooky being my definite preference.
Belvoir Castle and Gardens, Leicestershire
Belvoir Castle is definitely not a military castle and indeed the building only dates back to 1832. However, although a ‘faux’ castle, it is a very impressive building standing proud above the Vale of Belvoir.
Touring the Castle and seeing the various state rooms is of course fascinating, but what I particularly like about this property are the terraced gardens flowing down from the Castle.
Add to this an extensive parkland, partly care of Capability Brown, and several walks including the three mile Duke’s walk, which has great views along the way. A full day visit is clearly required to appreciate this property.
Bramall Hall, Greater Manchester
Externally Bramhall Hall is quite breath-taking with its beautiful Tudor timber framed structure.
But don’t gaze too long, as there is very much to offer internally, including its fine collection of Tudor oak furniture in the many rooms open to public access.
It is interesting to see the contrast between the richly decorated family bedrooms and the austere little maid’s dormitory.
Leave plenty of time to explore the terraced gardens in front of the Hall and the 70 acres of parkland with riverside walks and great views back to the Hall.
Burton Constable Hall, East Yorkshire
Burton Constable Hall is rather off the beaten track being about eight miles north-west of Hull in the Vale of Holderness.
However it is well worth making a detour to see the thirty stylish rooms open to the public in this 400 year old Elizabethan country house. Of particular note are the Great Hall and the Long Gallery with its rows of gilded chairs.
The smaller rooms, such as the Blue Dressing Room and the Chinese Room contain much of interest and the Chapel is particularly impressive.
See also in the Great Barn the sperm whale skeleton mentioned in the novel Moby-Dick.
The small gardens are attractive but nothing special. However, the 300 acres of Capability Brown designed parkland are well worth exploring with fine views over the lake back towards the Hall.
Burton Agnes Hall and Gardens, East Yorkshire
There is much to see within Burton Agnes Hall and within its parkland. However it is the Walled Garden that brings me and my wife back time and time again, with very different plant displays to enjoy according to the time of year.
The three sloping acres of the Walled Garden contain over 4,000 plant species arranged in the main area plus small themed side gardens. Of particular note is the large collection of campanulas.
From the lower end of the Walled Garden there are superb views over the gardens looking back towards to the Hall itself.
Newby Hall and Gardens, North Yorkshire
Yorkshire has many fine stately homes such as Harewood House and Castle Howard, but my favourite is Newby Hall in Wensleydale near Ripon.
The fact that it is less well known than other stately homes in the area, means that it is quieter and it has less of a feel of being a theme park.
Although less well known, Newby Hall has everything one might expect when visiting a stately home, including a magnificent Robert Adam decorated house, extensive attractive gardens and parkland with walks leading down to the River Ure.
Unusual features include a Sculpture Park, a Teddy Bear Museum, a Dolls House Exhibition, a miniature railway and boat rides on the river.
Raby Castle, County Durham
Raby Castle is a real castle dating back to about 1380, but the fortifications only saw military action once and that was in 1648 during the Civil War.
What I find especially attractive about this property is its position overlooking a lake (the so-called ‘low pond’), with superb reflective views across as you wander around the 200 acre deer park.
The large Walled Garden is another notable feature with the Castle again providing a dramatic backdrop.
Add in a tour of the castle’s interior, including the spectacular Octagon Drawing Room, and a great day out is assured.
Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
Chillingham Castle is another real castle with its borderlands position ensuring that it saw much military action over its 800 year history.
But it is not the defensive aspects of this property that appeals to me, but rather its lived-in feel with items almost haphazardly scattered around some rooms in the house. There is the unusual policy that some displayed goods can be touched, including even some of the ancient weapons. The Tea Room is quite dramatic with its medieval feel.
Add to this that the owners promote the castle as the most haunted in Britain, with Chillingham being a very appropriate name!
We have reviewed many other properties under Historic Houses and see also Historic Houses versus National Trust – Which to join?
POSTED 4th February 2024 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON.