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You are here: Home > Things To Do > Bowood House and Gardens

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Bowood House and Gardens

The Estate Office
Bowood
Calne
Wiltshire
SN11 0LZ

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01249 812102

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Add Bowood House and Gardens to your Itinerary

Bowood House & Gardens
  • Bowood House & Gardens
  • Woodland Garden
  • Bowood Lake
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  • Bowood House and Gardens
  • Bowood House and Gardens
  • Bowood House and Gardens
  • Bowood House & Gardens
  • Pirate ship at Bowood's Adventure Playground
  • Bowood House & Gardens

About

Bowood House & Gardens will open from 1st April - 2nd November 2025

Bowood is the magnificent family home of the Lansdowne Family.

NEW FOR 2025

BOWOOD: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF OPEN DAYS

2025 is the 50th Anniversary of opening the House and Gardens to the public – the exhibition focuses on how Bowood's Open Days have evolved and contributed to making what it is today.​​​​​​

Bowood House:

Begun c1720, Bowood House was purchased by the 2nd Earl of Shelburne in 1754 and completed soon afterwards.

Interesting rooms include Robert Adam's Library, the Laboratory where Dr Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in 1774, and the Chapel that is still used for family services.

On display within the numerous Exhibition Rooms are remarkable collections of family heirlooms and works of art built up over 250 years.

These include Georgian costumes; Victoriana, Indiana and superb collections of watercolours, miniatures and jewellery.

The pleasure grounds cover approximately 100 acres, with the formal gardens and terraces immediately around the house.

Bowood Gardens:

Bowood House itself is set in the middle of Capability' Brown's grade 1 park.

The upper terrace was designed by Sir Robert Smirk in 1818, the lower terrace by George Kennedy in 1851.

The pleasure grounds, which form part of Capability Brown's grand design of 1760, contain an outstanding collection of trees and shrubs, all of which are labelled and can be identified with the aid of a tree guide.

There are, within the collection, nine champions.

The original plantings date back to the 1760's.

The Woodland Garden:

Bowood's separate Rhododendron Walks which are open late April to mid-June, depending on the flowering season are located almost 2 miles from the house.

The third Marquis of Lansdowne began developing this woodland area in 1854.

Almost thirty original hardy hybrid rhododendrons, which were thought to be extinct, have recently been discovered within the collection making it one of the earliest rhododendron gardens in the country.

Adventure Playground:

Families love the amazing Adventure Playground, one of the most exciting playgrounds in Wiltshire.

Bowood House boasts a life-size pirate ship, aerial rope walks, giant slides and the famous Space Dive.

The parkland provides ample space for games and picnics, the perfect location for children to burn off their endless energy.

The Activity Barn located within the Den focusing on fun activities for our intrepid under 7 and inquisitive under 4 visitors.

Eating Out:

The Treehouse Café  is located at the entrance to the grounds and The Stables is situated within the historical surroundings of the House, both serving a selection of freshly made meals and delicious homemade cakes.

Guide Prices

Please visit Bowood website for prices.
Group rates (for groups of 15 or more). All visitors with disabilities and their carers/assistants are charged at half the normal admission rate.
Tickets allow access to Bowood House and Gardens and the Adventure Playground. The Woodland Gardens are open mid-April to early June. See website for dates and prices.

Opening Times

2025 (1 Apr 2025 - 2 Nov 2025)
DayTimes
Monday10:3017:30*
Tuesday10:3017:30*
Wednesday10:3017:30*
Thursday10:3017:30*
Friday10:3017:30*
Saturday10:3017:30*
Sunday10:3017:30*

* Last admissions at 16:30pm

Dates and times marked with a '*' are provisional and may be subject to change

Facilities

Accessibility

  • Accessible to Wheelchair Users
  • Guide Dogs Permitted
  • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
  • Ramp/Level Access
  • Toilets for Disabled Visitors

Attraction Facilities

  • Childrens Play Area
  • No Dogs
  • Shop

Catering

  • On-Site café/restaurant - Licensed restaurant, for 80 max, coffee shop for 70 plus. Ice cream kiosk at certain times. (weekends and school holidays.)
  • Picnic Site

Establishment Features

  • Event venue
  • Printed Material in Foreign Languages
  • Tea / Coffee Shop
  • Toilets
  • Wedding Venue

Key Features

  • In countryside
  • Indoor Attraction
  • Max group size - 999
  • Min group size - 20
  • Outdoor Attraction

Parking & Transport

  • Coach Parking
  • Parking (free)
  • Parking On Site

Payment Methods

  • American Express accepted
  • Delta accepted
  • JCB accepted
  • Maestro accepted
  • MasterCard accepted
  • Solo accepted
  • Special group rates
  • TIC Staff Admitted Free
  • Visa accepted

Printed Material in Foreign Languages

  • Arabic printed material
  • Dutch printed material
  • French printed material
  • German printed material
  • Italian printed material
  • Japanese printed material
  • Spanish printed material

Specialist Features

  • Family Fun
  • Marketed towards children
  • Marketed towards families
  • Marketed towards senior citizens

Tours and Demonstrations

  • Educational Visits Accepted
  • Guided Tours Available for Groups
  • Guided Tours Available for Individuals

Travel & Trade

  • Group discounts available
  • Packed lunches available

Venue Facilities

  • Groups Accepted - Pre-booking preferable if catering is required.

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Sunday, 22nd June 2025 - Sunday, 22nd June 2025

A Walk to Remember
more info

Map & Directions

View Map

Road Directions

By Car:

Close to J17 of the M4. Nearest major road is A4.

Between Chippenham and Calne turn into village of Derry Hill.

Public Transport Directions

By Train:

Nearest station is Chippenham station.

Video

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facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BowoodHouseandGardens/

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.2 of 5 stars
859 reviews
    • Excellent
      434
    • Very Good
      239
    • Average
      114
    • Poor
      44
    • Terrible
      28

    Recent Reviews:

    • heath1958
      Chippenham, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Couples
      Great soup
      5 of 5 stars
      Monday, 21st April 2025
      Just had thai chicken soup in treetops cafe. Delicious soup with a lovely roll. Highly recommend. Would be good if we could also get this in the stables cafe too, Also a selection of sandwiches. Not... Read full review
    • Mike H
      Bath, United Kingdom
      Lovely day out, but overpriced and let down by poor café service
      3 of 5 stars
      Sunday, 27th April 2025
      We visited Bowood House this weekend as a family and had a brilliant time exploring the grounds. The park and activities were fantastic — the pirate ship, bouncing area, and boat swings were... Read full review
    • Charlotte B
      Good in parts
      3 of 5 stars
      Sunday, 4th May 2025
      The house was lovely, especially the art; and the gardens were enjoyable too. However, the catering was disappointing - the Treehouse Café had run out of most food by 1.30pm, and the area was poorly... Read full review
    Write a review
    © TripAdvisor 2025

    Awards

    • Regional and Miscellaneous Garden of the Year Award 2014
    • Regional and MiscellaneousWTTC Safe Travels WTTC Safe Travels 2021

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