Longleat

Introduction

Longleat is an exceptional place. Not only is it one of the greatest Tudor stately homes in Britain, it is also the world's first drive through Safari Park outside Africa, operating since 1966. It has numerous other attractions, including a fantastic labyrinth, made up of some 16,000 yews and a high-tech motion simulator. This unique combination of historical, natural and modern entertainment make Longleat compete with Europe's best theme parks.

Positioned in the midst of 3,200 hectares of woodland, lakes and farmland, Longleat House is the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Bath. 'House' is of course a typically British understatement, for the whole building is an enormous square erected on 3 storeys, each of the four facades being 12-window wide. Built by Sir John Thynne and designed mainly by Robert Smythson after the original priory was destroyed by fire in 1567, it is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Elizabethan architecture in Britain.

Visitors can explore the iconic Elizabethan mansion, encounter exotic animals in the safari park including lions, cheetahs, zebras and monkeys, enjoy attractions such as the Hedge Maze, Koala Creek, Jungle Kingdom, Boat Safari, and Longleat Railway, or even stay overnight in luxury accommodation nestled within the beautiful grounds.

Interesting Facts about Longleat House

• Longleat House, opened to the public in 1949, is the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Bath and a stunning example of high Elizabethan architecture.
• Longleat Safari Park, opened in 1966, was the world's first drive-through safari park outside Africa.
• The safari park is home to over 500 animals, including Rothschild's giraffes, Grant's zebras, and Amur tigers.
• Longleat boasts the world's longest hedge maze, with 1.69 miles of pathway and over 16,000 English yews forming its walls.
• The park features a unique Jungle Cruise around Half Mile Lake, where visitors can see various animals, including black-and-white colobus monkeys.
• Longleat is the only place in England where you can see southern koalas, with the first joey born in Europe in 2022.
• The estate spans an impressive 9,800 acres, with the safari park occupying 900 acres of this land.
• Visitors can experience a variety of attractions, including Koala Creek, Monkey Temple, and Animal Adventure.
• The park hosts special events throughout the year, such as a food & drink festival, a hot air balloon sky safari, and the Festival of Light.
• Longleat offers unique VIP experiences, allowing visitors to feed gorillas or get up close with red pandas.

History

Longleat House is a celebrated example of Elizabethan architecture and one of the earliest "prodigy houses" of its kind. Built on the site of a former Augustinian priory, the estate was acquired by Sir John Thynne in 1541. Following a devastating fire in 1567, the current house was constructed under Thynne's direction, with contributions from renowned architect Robert Smythson. Completed in 1580, Longleat became a symbol of Thynne's wealth and ambition. Over the centuries, the house has been continuously owned by the Thynne family, who were later ennobled as the Marquesses of Bath. Notable figures such as Sir Christopher Wren and Capability Brown have left their mark on Longleat through architectural enhancements and landscaping.

The estate spans over 9,000 acres, featuring formal gardens, parklands, and woodlands designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century. In 1949, Longleat made history as the first stately home in Britain to open its doors to the public, a move initiated by Henry Thynne, the 6th Marquess of Bath. This decision was driven by financial necessity following significant death duties. The estate later gained international fame with the opening of its safari park in 1966—the first of its kind outside Africa. Today, Longleat remains a popular tourist destination, offering attractions such as its hedge maze, extensive art collection, and guided tours that delve into its rich history.

Visitors to Longleat can explore its magnificent interiors, including the Great Hall and various themed rooms showcasing fine art and historical artefacts. The grounds are equally captivating, with landscaped gardens and mazes that reflect the eccentric tastes of Alexander Thynn, the 7th Marquess of Bath. The safari park continues to be a highlight for many visitors, allowing them to see exotic animals in a unique setting. Longleat's combination of historical significance, architectural beauty, and innovative attractions ensures its place as one of England's most treasured heritage sites.

Description

Longleat House

Longleat House stands as one of Britain's most splendid examples of Elizabethan architecture, a magnificent prodigy house nestled in the rolling Wiltshire countryside. Constructed between 1568 and 1580, this stately home showcases the grandeur and ambition of Tudor nobility. The house presents an imposing façade with its honey-coloured stone, symmetrical design, and impressive proportions that reflect the Italian Renaissance influence that was fashionable during this period.

The exterior features perfectly balanced proportions with twelve large windows adorning each of its four walls, creating a harmonious visual rhythm. The ornate roofline is punctuated by decorative chimneys, domes, and finials that create a striking silhouette against the sky. Particularly noteworthy are the intricate stone carvings around the windows and entrances, displaying the craftsmanship of the period.

Upon entering the house, visitors are immediately struck by the Great Hall, the traditional heart of any English country house. Here, the dark hammer-beam ceiling soars overhead, adorned with the Thynne family crests and emblems. The hall features enormous Elizabethan fireplaces with elaborate stone carvings and is hung with impressive hunting scene paintings by the renowned artist John Wooton, capturing the sporting heritage of the estate.

Moving through the house, the Saloon impresses with its Carrara marble fireplace, intricate plasterwork ceiling, and collection of fine portraits. The Lower Dining Room draws inspiration from Venetian designs, with its rich wood panelling and ornate gilded details creating an atmosphere of refined elegance perfect for formal entertaining.

The Red Library is particularly captivating, housing thousands of leather-bound volumes collected over centuries. Its crimson walls provide a dramatic backdrop for the literary treasures within, while comfortable reading nooks invite contemplation. The ceiling features elaborate plasterwork with motifs representing arts and sciences.

The State Dining Room showcases a magnificent table that can seat up to 86 guests, set beneath crystal chandeliers and surrounded by ancestral portraits. The Green Drawing Room offers a more intimate setting with its silk-covered walls and collection of fine porcelain and miniatures.

Of particular interest is the Long Gallery, a traditional feature of Elizabethan houses, designed for exercise during inclement weather and displaying the family's art collection. At Longleat, this space stretches impressively, lined with portraits chronicling the Thynne family history and offering views across the parkland through tall windows.

The house also contains several curiosities, including what is believed to be the first plumbed-in flush lavatory in England, installed centuries before such conveniences became commonplace, and a series of hidden priest holes dating from times of religious persecution.

The Formal Gardens

Immediately surrounding Longleat House are the formal gardens, providing a structured transition between the architectural grandeur of the house and the naturalistic parkland beyond. These gardens include meticulously maintained parterres with geometric patterns formed by low box hedges and filled with seasonal plantings that create a tapestry of colour throughout the year.

The Rose Garden is particularly enchanting, featuring over 100 varieties of roses arranged in circular beds. In summer, the air is perfumed with their fragrance, while the varying heights and colours create a sensory delight. Stone pathways wind between the beds, leading to a central fountain that provides a soothing soundtrack of splashing water.

The Secret Garden, enclosed by high yew hedges, offers a more intimate experience. This tranquil space features unusual plant specimens, a small reflecting pool, and comfortable seating areas that invite visitors to linger and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere away from the more bustling areas of the estate.

The Love Labyrinth, a more recent addition, takes inspiration from romantic traditions. Heart-shaped topiary and roses in shades of pink and red create a romantic atmosphere, while benches inscribed with poetry provide places for contemplation.

The Capability Brown Landscape

Beyond the formal gardens lies the expansive parkland designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown, often referred to as "England's greatest gardener." Commissioned in the 1750s, Brown transformed the earlier formal landscape into a seemingly natural paradise that exemplifies the English Landscape style. His vision for Longleat is considered one of his masterpieces, demonstrating his genius for creating idealised natural scenery.

Brown's design principles are perfectly executed at Longleat, where he created sweeping vistas across gently undulating terrain. The landscape unfolds as a series of carefully composed scenes, with clumps of native trees strategically placed to frame views of the house or to conceal and then reveal landscape features as visitors move through the grounds.

The Half Mile Pond, actually a serpentine lake ingeniously designed to appear as a natural river, forms a central feature of Brown's landscape. The water reflects the sky and surrounding trees, doubling the visual impact of the scene. Today, this lake is home to a colony of California sea lions and, unusually for an English stately home, a pod of hippos, adding unexpected wildlife encounters to the landscape experience.

Brown's careful manipulation of topography created a series of rolling hills and valleys that appear entirely natural yet are perfectly positioned to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the landscape. The Heaven's Gate viewpoint offers particularly spectacular panoramas across the estate and beyond to the Wiltshire countryside.

Ancient woodland areas were preserved and enhanced by Brown, who added carefully selected specimen trees to create varied textures and seasonal interest. These wooded areas now contain magnificent mature examples of oak, beech, and cedar of Lebanon, some of which are over 250 years old and have grown to impressive proportions.

The Maze and Speciality Gardens

Longleat boasts England's longest hedge maze, a remarkable feat of horticultural design that has delighted and confounded visitors since its creation in 1975. Covering 1.48 acres (0.6 hectares), this intricate puzzle comprises over 16,000 English yew trees forming 1.69 miles (2.72 kilometres) of paths. The maze challenges visitors to navigate to its central observation tower, from which those who succeed can enjoy triumphant views over the labyrinth they've conquered.

The design incorporates six wooden bridges that provide tantalising glimpses of the layout, though these vantage points often serve to confuse rather than clarify the route. The maze's pathways are bordered by yew hedges that have grown to over 6 feet (1.8 metres) tall, creating green corridors that change direction unexpectedly and lead to numerous dead ends designed to test one's sense of direction and patience.

Adjacent to the main maze is the Love Labyrinth, a smaller maze with a romantic theme where the paths form heart shapes when viewed from above. Unlike the main maze, this one is designed to bring people together rather than separate them, with converging paths that lead couples to meet in the centre.

The estate also features several speciality gardens, each with its own distinct character. The Butterfly Garden hosts numerous nectar-rich plants that attract these delicate insects, creating a fluttering display of colour during summer months. Carefully selected plants such as buddleia, verbena, and lavender provide food sources for different butterfly species, while information boards help visitors identify the various types they might encounter.

The Kitchen Garden represents a revival of traditional country house self-sufficiency. Here, heritage varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs are grown using organic methods. Espaliered fruit trees line the walls, while neat rows of seasonal vegetables demonstrate productive gardening techniques. This working garden supplies the estate's restaurants with fresh produce, embodying the farm-to-table ethos long before it became fashionable.

Historic Garden Features

Recent archaeological investigations have revealed fascinating "ghost gardens" beneath the current landscape, offering glimpses into Longleat's earlier garden designs. Ground-penetrating radar surveys have uncovered the outlines of elaborate formal gardens that predated Brown's naturalistic redesign, including the foundations of fountains, statuary bases, and the geometric patterns of earlier parterres.

Particularly significant are the remains of the original baroque garden that once stretched from the south front of the house. This formal design featured symmetrical patterns, straight avenues, and water features typical of the continental European style popular in the late 17th century. The outlines of circular pools, straight canals, and formal pathways can still be discerned during certain light conditions or periods of drought when their patterns become visible in the grass.

Several original garden structures have survived the landscape's various transformations. The Orangery, with its tall arched windows designed to maximise light for tender citrus trees, now houses a collection of exotic plants. This elegant building exemplifies the Georgian passion for cultivating Mediterranean species in the challenging British climate.

The Grotto, a whimsical structure created from rough stones, shells, and minerals, represents the 18th-century fascination with artificial ruins and romantic retreats. Inside, the walls are encrusted with crystals, mirrors, and coloured glass that create magical light effects. Originally designed as a cool retreat on hot summer days, it now offers visitors a glimpse into the Georgian concept of the picturesque.

Several ancient trees predate even the earliest formal gardens, including a magnificent oak believed to be over 800 years old. This venerable giant would have been a substantial tree even when the first gardens were laid out at Longleat, providing a living link to the medieval landscape that existed before the house was built.

Seasonal Highlights

Longleat's gardens offer changing delights throughout the year. In spring, vast drifts of daffodils carpet the parkland with gold, followed by bluebells creating purple haze effects beneath the woodland canopy. Cherry trees and magnolias provide spectacular blossom displays around the formal gardens.

Summer brings the rose garden to its fragrant peak, while the herbaceous borders overflow with colourful perennials. The kitchen garden reaches its productive zenith, and the great trees of the parkland provide welcome shade for picnicking visitors.

Autumn transforms the landscape into a tapestry of russet, gold, and bronze as the extensive collection of native and exotic trees displays spectacular fall colour. The American maples and sweet gum trees are particularly noteworthy for their vibrant hues, while the fruit trees in the kitchen garden hang heavy with apples and pears.

Even winter reveals the underlying structure of the gardens, with frost highlighting the architectural forms of topiary and bare tree branches creating intricate patterns against the sky. The evergreen plantings come into their own during this season, providing structure and colour when deciduous plants are dormant.

Other attractions

Longleat Safari Drive-Through

Longleat's Safari Park has been operating for 40 years and is renowned for its wide range of big mammals, and especially the lions that have been here since the park's opening. The Safari and adjoining attractions (see below) were the brainchild of the 6th Marquess of Bath, who started the amusement part section on his estate in the 1950's.

The safari is divided in 7 areas : the East Africa Reserve, with giraffes, zebras, llamas and camels; the Monkey Jungle, where the primates share their territory with Inidian water buffalos and black bucks; the Big Game Park with rhinos, Bactrian camels (the two-hump variety), oryx and deer; the Deer Park, with the local Fallow deer, which have lived in Longleat since the 16th century, then the Pelican Pond, Tiger Territory, Lion Country and Wolf Wood.

Big Game Park

In the East African Reserve (also called Big Game Park), you'll encounter majestic Rothschild giraffes, Grant's zebras, and ostriches roaming freely across 60 acres of land. This section also houses black wildebeest, Brazilian tapir, African spurred tortoise, ring-tailed lemurs, African pygmy goats, Somali sheep, Cameroon sheep, and a male capybara.

Lion Country

One of the most popular sections of the safari, Lion Country provides an up-close view of the park's prides of lions. Watch these magnificent big cats lounging in the sun or prowling their territory from the safety of your vehicle.

Tiger Territory

Observe these majestic big cats from a safe distance as they stalk through their spacious enclosure. The tigers are among the most impressive residents of the safari park.

Monkey Mayhem

Home to a troop of mischievous rhesus macaques, this section is known for the monkeys' playful antics. These cheeky primates are infamous for interacting with cars, sometimes removing car parts like windscreen wipers—a source of amusement for visitors but requiring a degree of caution.

Wolf Wood

Venture through this atmospheric woodland area where you can spot the park's pack of wolves in their natural-like habitat.

Cheetah Kingdom

Marvel at the world's fastest land animals as they sprint and relax in their dedicated territory.

Anne the Elephant

Visit the special enclosure that houses Anne, Longleat's resident elephant.

Main Square Attractions

Beyond the safari drive-through, Longleat offers numerous attractions in the Main Square area:

Koala Creek

Opened in 2019, Koala Creek is home to southern koalas from Adelaide, Australia. Longleat is the only place in England where you can see these adorable creatures and the only place in Europe that houses southern koalas. In 2022, Longleat welcomed the birth of a southern koala joey—the first of its kind born in Europe.

Jungle Cruise

Take a boat trip around Half Mile Lake where you'll sail past Californian sea lions, Gorilla Colony and Colobus monkeys. This relaxing cruise offers a different perspective on some of Longleat's most fascinating residents.

Giant Otters and Crocodiles

This newer attraction houses playful giant otters and impressive crocodiles in specially designed enclosures.

Monkey Temple

Opened in 2012, this attraction features a large themed ruin with long rope walkways running across the paths, allowing visitors to safely interact with a variety of marmosets and tamarins.

The Bat Cave

This walk-through attraction provides an opportunity to see hundreds of free-flying Egyptian fruit bats in a dimly lit cave environment. The immersive setting lets visitors experience the sights and sounds of these nocturnal creatures up close.

Jungle Kingdom

Walk through enclosures featuring meerkats, anteaters, and other fascinating creatures. This area allows visitors to get closer to some of the smaller residents of Longleat.

Animal Adventure

Opened in 2009, this area houses many exotic and familiar mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, providing an educational and entertaining experience for visitors of all ages.

Family-Friendly Activities

Adventure Castle

A wooden fort featuring huge slides and climbing areas, perfect for children up to 12 years old. Inside you'll find a mini soft play area for little ones, and outside is a park with swings, trampolines, a zip wire and other play equipment.

Rockin' Rhino

A fun ride that even adults can enjoy, adding to the variety of entertainment options at Longleat.

Family Farmyard

The Family Farmyard allows younger visitors to interact with domestic animals like goats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Animal handling sessions offer educational experiences where children can learn more about the animals under the guidance of the park's staff.

Longleat Railway

Take a charming train ride through parts of the estate, offering yet another way to experience the beauty of Longleat.

Seasonal Events

Festival of Light

Held annually from mid-November to early January, the Festival of Light is one of Longleat's most spectacular events. The park is transformed into a magical world of giant illuminated lanterns and light installations, often depicting scenes from popular stories or cultural themes.

Sky Safari

This event features hot air balloons floating above the beautiful Longleat estate, creating a spectacular visual display.

Food & Drink Festival

A celebration of culinary delights that adds another dimension to the Longleat experience during certain times of the year.

Getting There

To visit Longleat House, located approximately 4 miles west of Warminster in Wiltshire, driving is the most convenient option. The estate is situated just off the A36 between Bath and Salisbury, accessible via the A362 Warminster to Frome road. Use the postcode BA12 7JS for navigation, but be sure to follow the brown tourist signs as you approach. For those relying on public transport, the nearest train stations are Warminster and Westbury, with Warminster being about 5 miles away. Taxis are available from these stations to transport you directly to Longleat. There is no public bus service directly to the estate, making taxis or private transport the best choices.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Longleat House is during the spring and summer months, when the warmer weather allows for a comfortable exploration of both the safari park and the beautifully landscaped gardens. These seasons offer ideal conditions for viewing the animals in the safari park, as they are typically more active, and the grounds are in full bloom. Autumn is also a lovely time to visit, with quieter crowds and stunning foliage displays. For those who enjoy festive events, winter is a great time to experience the popular Festival of Light, which brings a magical atmosphere to the estate. Regardless of the season, it is advisable to arrive early to make the most of your day, especially during school holidays or special events.