Stately Homes in Britain

There are about 500 stately homes in Britain, built between the 16th and 20th Centuries in locations all over the British Isles. They are by definition, very large houses, once owned by wealthy aristocrats or successful businessmen who wanted to display their influence and wealth.

Sometimes, these houses have been converted from older buildings such as abbeys, monasteries or churches which became available when King Henry VIII confiscated the church lands between 1536 and 1540 during the period known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. He sold or rewarded his nobles and rich families with these confiscated properties.

The owners often tried to outdo each other with the lavish amount of money they spent on the construction and furnishing of these houses and they were very much a symbol of the wealth and power of the families who owned them. Huge sums were spent on art collections, Greek and roman antiquities and collections of porcelain, ancient books and other treasures.

Many Stately Homes still house extensive collections of art and antiques and many are open to the public. The social changes in the first half of the 20th Century caused many of the owning families to lose their wealth and some of these stately homes fell into ruin or were used for other purposes, often by a local council or a trust set up to administer the estate. These are now operated on a public basis, with guided tours, film and television sets, wedding venues, safari parks, theme parks, conference centres and event locations. The upkeep of these massive houses is a huge burden and the trustees and owners often have to be very inventive to find the finance needed to keep them in good repair.

A large number have passed into the hands of various organisation such as The National Trust, English Heritage, The Landmark Trust, etc. Some of the most well know are: Woburn Abbey, Chequers, Cliveden, Tatton Park, Wordsworth House, Chatsworth House, Buckland Abbey, Torre Abbey, Kingston Lacy, Bateman’s, Glynebourne, Highgrove House, Hampton Court, Hatfield House, Althorp, Kelmarsh Hall, Lamport Hall, Castle Howard and many more.

Always check the opening times and open dates before visiting any stately home. These are sometimes open for a specific period as they can be booked for other functions and events at other times of the year. There are admission fees payable for entry these house, although there is often a small charge if you just want to walk around the gardens.

Visiting attractions  - Stately Homes in Britain  - Places of interest  - Attraction Types  - Attraction grading

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