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  1. Mompesson House James Dobson

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You are here: Things To Do > Stately Homes & Gardens

Stately Homes & Gardens in Salisbury

Salisbury makes a great base for visiting nearby stately homes and gardens. With great transport links and a lot of history on our doorstep, there’s plenty to explore when you base yourself on holiday here.

Within the Cathedral Close lies Mompesson House, a Queen Anne townhouse now under the care of the National Trust. Within the House explore the unique furnishings, discover the regular temporary exhibitions and the grand oak staircase. Guides are on hand to provide you with lots of information on the history behind the house, its residents and the furnishings on display here. 

Outside you'll find the pretty walled garden with tea room, perfect for a spot of afternoon tea! Mompesson House often holds family events such as the annual Easter egg hunt as well as opportunities for a spot of croquet on the lawn. 

Close by to Mompesson House, and also in the Cathedral Close you’ll also find the gardens to The Rifles, our local military museum. These riverside gardens are a peaceful spot in the heart of the city. 

A visit to Arundells (also within the Cathedral Close) will also give you an insight into the life of Sir Edward Heath, a former Prime Minister. Discover Heath’s passions for music, art and of course, politics on a guided tour. Visitors can opt to just pay to visit the gardens, here you will find two acres of charming lawns and mature trees with views over to Salisbury Cathedral’s spire. The garden leads down to the confluence of the rivers Avon and Nadder. 

Houses and gardens slightly further afield

Just three miles from Salisbury lies Wilton House, the ancestral home of the Earl of Pembroke. The House contains one of the finest art collections in Europe with works by Rembrandt, van Dyke and Brueghel. Alongside the house, visitors can check out the extensive classic and supercar collection that belongs to the current Lord Pembroke in the Old Riding Stables. 

There are 22 acres of landscape parkland including four formal gardens to be explored. Walk over the bright red Japanese bridges, test out the whispering seat and stroll through the arboretum or alongside the River Nadder. Children will also love the adventure play area. 

Within the Woodford Valley, half way between Salisbury and Amesbury is Heale House Gardens. The gardens are open to the public and provide a tranquil setting. They are particularly notable in February when the annual Snowdrop Festival is held. 

Use Salisbury as a base to explore nearby Longleat with its grand house and extensive art collection, the formal and informal gardens plus ever-popular adventure and safari park as seen on the BBC’s Animal Park. 

The iconic National Trust gardens of Stourhead also are within an easy drive of Salisbury and are open all year. Not only can you enjoy lakeside walks and vistas here but also explore Stourhead House. The gardens are particularly spectacular during the autumn when rich reds, yellows and oranges can be found in the extensive tree collection. Look out for guided estate walks organised by the National Trust for a great way to explore the gardens and wider Stourhead estate. 

South of Salisbury on the Wiltshire/Dorset/Hampshire border you’ll find the Larmer Tree Gardens, recognised by English Heritage as a garden of national importance. These gardens are a popular wedding venue with hidden follies, quirky buildings and free-roaming peacocks. Look out for events here including the popular Larmer Tree Festival which brings with it big names such as Jools Holland and Tom Jones. 

Keep an eye out as well for the National Garden Scheme whereby many privately-owned gardens open to the general public in aid of charity throughout the year. This can be a great way of seeing some of the area’s more informal gardens and take inspiration home with you to your own garden. Take a look at our what’s on listings for any upcoming events. 

Book your break today

Want to explore the area more? Check out our accommodation page to browse places to stay in the area. 

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Number of results: 23

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  1. Salisbury Museum

    Add Salisbury Museum to your Itinerary

    Salisbury Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Discover 500,000 years of history - from the archaeology of ancient Wessex to contemporary art - all in a stunning medieval building set within the glorious setting of the Cathedral Close.

  2. Stonehenge seen from above, © ENGLISH HERITAGE

    Add Stonehenge to your Itinerary

    Stonehenge

    Type

    Type:

    Historic Site

    Stonehenge is the best-know prehistoric monument in Europe. It endures as a source of inspiration and fascination, and a place of worship and celebration.

  3. Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta

    Add Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta to your Itinerary

    Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta

    Type

    Type:

    Cathedral/Minster

    Salisbury Cathedral has been a place of worship, welcome, and hospitality for over 800 years. Its Spire (the tallest in the country and a feat of medieval engineering) rises to a breath-taking 404ft/123m, guiding travelers, merchants, and pilgrims…

  4. Visitors in rear garden

    Add Mompesson House to your Itinerary

    Mompesson House

    Type

    Type:

    Historic House/Palace

    Mompesson House, which featured in the film Sense and Sensibility, has a warm and inviting atmosphere and many different families have called the house ‘home’

  5. Boscombe Down Aviation Collection

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    Boscombe Down Aviation Collection

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Collection of aircraft, cockpits, replicas and models weapons and trials equipment to show the story of flight and flight test in the UK.

    The cockpits are mostly open and you can sit in and use the controls.

  6. Old Sarum

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    Old Sarum

    Type

    Type:

    Castle/Fort

    Discover the story of the original Salisbury and take the family for an action-packed day out at Old Sarum.

    Stand in the footprint of Salisbury's first cathedral, conquer the ruins of the royal castle, and discover the awe-inspiring landscape…

  7. Stonehenge

    Add Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site to your Itinerary

    Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site

    Type

    Type:

    Historic Site

    Stonehenge and Avebury are listed together as a single UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is famous for its instantly recognisable stone circles but there is far more to explore in these two remarkable landscapes.

  8. The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum

    Add The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum to your Itinerary

    The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    The Museum tells the story of the infantryman from the Seven Years War to the present day. On the same site The Rifleman’s Table can provide you with coffee or lunch, and the garden is a place in which to wander or to relax in.

  9. St Thomas's Church Salisbury interior

    Add St Thomas' Church to your Itinerary

    St Thomas' Church

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    Historic church in the heart of Salisbury city centre complete with medieval doom painting.

  10. Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury

    Add Larmer Tree Gardens to your Itinerary

    Larmer Tree Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Garden

    Set in the outstanding landscape of the Cranborne Chase, between Salisbury and Blandford Forum, these beautifully laid out gardens were created by General Augustus Pitt Rivers in 1880. Originally designed as pleasure grounds for 'public…

  11. (c) Diana Neale

    Add St Andrew's Church, Rollestone to your Itinerary

    St Andrew's Church, Rollestone

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    This tiny, charming church, which overlooks the River Till was built mainly in the 13th-century, of flint and stone chequerwork with two large Perpendicular windows.

  12. Tiled floor pattern, St Mary's Church

    Add St Mary's Church, South Tidworth to your Itinerary

    St Mary's Church, South Tidworth

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    Standing south of the garrison town of Tidworth, this fine steepled edifice surrounded by trees was designed in 1878 by John Johnson, the architect of London’s Alexandra Palace.

  13. Amesbury History Centre

    Add Amesbury History Centre to your Itinerary

    Amesbury History Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    The Amesbury History Centre is the place to visit to find out all you need to know about the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Britain.  The centre though small is superbly laid out allowing locals and tourists alike to learn the story…

  14. St Mary's Church, Wilton

    Add St Mary's Church, Wilton to your Itinerary

    St Mary's Church, Wilton

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    On completion of Wyatt and Brandon’s 'Italianate’ church in 1845, this 'old' church in the Market Place was partially demolished, leaving only the chancel with one bay of the nave, and the ruins of the arcades and tower arch.

  15. St Leonard's Berwick

    Add St Leonard's Church, Berwick to your Itinerary

    St Leonard's Church, Berwick

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    Of 12th-century origin, an 1859 restoration by the owner of the local Fonthill estate saved it from complete decay. The font and a sculptured relief of the Lamb of God over the south doorway are Norman survivals.

  16. Borbach Chantry

    Add Borbach Chantry, West Dean to your Itinerary

    Borbach Chantry, West Dean

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    Striking memorials grace this fascinating rural chapel – which is all that remains of a 14th-century church.

  17. (c) Diana Neale

    Add All Saints' Church, Idmiston to your Itinerary

    All Saints' Church, Idmiston

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    A remarkable feature of the church is the collection of Medieval carvings - internally in the form of elegant corbel-heads, roof bosses, and externally in the form of fearsome gargoyles.

  18. St Mary's, Maddington

    Add St Mary's Church, Maddington to your Itinerary

    St Mary's Church, Maddington

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    Beautiful church with chequerboard walls.

  19. St George's Church, Orcheston

    Add St George's Church, Orcheston to your Itinerary

    St George's Church, Orcheston

    Type

    Type:

    Church/Chapel

    One of two Medieval churches in a small village off the Salisbury to Devizes road, St George’s is attractively secluded in its lush valley.

  20. Arundells

    Add Arundells to your Itinerary

    Arundells

    Type

    Type:

    Historic House/Palace

    Arundells is the home of former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, situated in Cathedral Close in Salisbury. Extensive personal collections of art, ceramics, political cartoons and sailing memorabilia, as well as a beautiful two-acre riverside garden.

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