Historic Homes to visit in the Cotswolds
Blenheim Palace & Gardens
Designed in 1760 the Park and Gardens at Blenheim Palace are an ideal venue for a picnic, with some 2000 acres of park, lakes and well maintained footpaths and onsite amenities. Just 20 minutes drive from Bruern Cottages, this World Heritage Site is a true Baroque masterpiece to discover with lots to do with children.
Entry to parts of the park is free however a full parks and gardens tickets are from £12.50 with family tickets also available.
Sudeley Castle and Gardens
The castle rooms and exhibits contain many fascinating treasures, from ancient Roman times to the present day.
Outside, the castle is surrounded by a breathtaking 1,200 acre estate and ten award-winning gardens. The centrepiece is the Queens Garden, so named because four of England’s queens – Anne Boleyn, Katherine Parr, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I – once walked upon the original Tudor Parterre.
The Pheasantry at Sudeley houses a collection of 16 rare and endangered species of birds from around the world as part of Sudeley’s programme of breeding and conservation.
Shakespeare's Homes
Visit the beautiful town of Stratford-upon-Avon and discover the life and times of William Shakespeare across five unique properties; including Shakespeare’s birthplace, Harvard House, Hall’s Croft, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Mary Arden’s Farm.
Learn about life in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and walk in the footsteps of Shakespeare as you explore where he was born, grew up and lived.
Chastleton House and Garden
Explore the 400 year old house conserved in the condition in which it was found, and stroll around the Jacobean gardens -discover a 400 year old tree, kitchen garden, stunning topiary and even some bee hives.
Browse the second-hand bookshop, purchase some local home-grown produce, or pick up a few plants to create your own Chastleton House garden back at home.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chastleton-house
Sezincote House & Garden
At the heart of a traditional, family-run estate covering 4,500 acres of rolling Cotswold countryside stands a 200-year-old Mogul Indian palace, set in a romantic landscape of temples, grottoes, waterfalls and canals reminiscent of the Taj Mahal.
Visitors are welcomed to the house and garden at the set opening times, and a very few special weddings are hosted every summer.
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed and built by William the Conqueror in 1068. It will take you through the beauty of the landscaped Capability Brown gardens, down into the medieval vaults and into the private residence of the Earl where you can discover the reality about the lives of the Earl, his family and their servants. You can even climb to the top of their 1100 year old towers and ramparts offering breath-taking views of the English countryside.
Chedworth Roman Villa
Chedworth Roman Villa remains of one of the largest Romano-British villas in the country featuring several fine mosaics, two bathhouses, hypocausts, a water-shrine and latrine.
Chedworth Roman Villa is very much an interactive attraction, with many events being staged so that your experience of the site is enhanced and your understanding of the Roman way of life improved.
Broughton Castle
The original medieval manor house was built in about 1300 by Sir John de Broughton. It stands on an island surrounded by a three acre moat.
Arms and armour of the Civil War period and from other periods are displayed in the Great Hall. Visitors may also see the gatehouse, gardens and park together with the nearby 14th century parish church of St Mary, in which there are many family tombs, memorials and hatchments.
The gardens are delightful; the Ladies Garden is particularly beautiful in summer, boasting a variety of roses and borders stocked with perennials and shrubs.
Broadway Tower
Broadway Tower is a unique Capability Brown Folly Tower open to visitors wanting to experience great English heritage. It is one of England’s outstanding viewpoints and at 1024 feet (312m) above sea level, it is the second highest point in the Cotswold. With Graphic displays on three floors, roof viewing platform and Tower Shop makes it a must visit for the Cotswold.
Located on the Cotswold Way, Broadway Tower is the perfect place to start your walk, be it a short circuit or hike. Refreshments await to reward the completed walk at the wonderful Morris & Brown Café which serves drinks, cakes, lunches and teas all year round.
Buscot Park
Buscot Park is the family home of Lord Faringdon, who looks after the property on behalf of the National Trust, as well as the family collection of pictures, furniture, ceramics and objets d’art, known as the Faringdon Collection, which is displayed in the house.
Explore the extensive pleasure gardens that surround the late eighteenth-century house, then visit the colourful Tearoom, decorated in the 1990’s with murals by Ellen-Ann Hopkins, offers cream teas, an extensive range of cakes and slices, cheese scones, and a varied selection of hot and cold drinks.
The Rollright Stones
The Rollright Stones is a ancient site located on the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border in England. The complex consists of three main elements, The Kings Men stone circle, the King Stone, and the Whispering Knights.
The name “Rollright” is believed to derive from “Hrolla-landriht”, the land of Hrolla.
