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

About

Bowood House & Gardens will open to the public for its 47th year in 2022.

Bowood is the magnificent family home of the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne.

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.

Rhododendron Walks:

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.

NEW for 2022, A new area 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 is located at the entrance to the grounds, serving a selection of freshly made meals or delicious homemade cakes; Bowood provides an ideal family day out!

Guide Prices

Please visit Bowood website for prices.
Group rates (for groups of 12 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 Rhododendron Walks are open mid-April to early June. See website for dates and prices.

Opening Times

2022 (1 Apr 2022 - 1 Nov 2022)
DayTimes
Monday11:0018:00*
Tuesday11:0018:00*
Wednesday11:0018:00*
Thursday11:0018:00*
Friday11:0018:00*
Saturday11:0018:00*
Sunday11:0018:00*

*
Bowood House & Gardens is open for the 2022 Season from 1 April until 1 November 2021

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

Facilities

Accessibility

  • 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
  • On site parking
  • Parking (free)

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.

You may also like...

Wednesday, 8th June 2022 - Wednesday, 8th June 2022

Clive Nichols Photography Workshop at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Friday, 10th June 2022 - Friday, 10th June 2022

New Creations Collective Ltd presents 'The Secret Garden' by Frances Hodgson Burnett, live dance adaption
more info

Wednesday, 15th June 2022 - Wednesday, 15th June 2022

Vase Arrangement Workshop by the Crafty Gardeners at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Saturday, 25th June 2022 - Sunday, 26th June 2022

Bowood House Triathlon at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Wednesday, 6th July 2022 - Wednesday, 6th July 2022

Creating Garden Plans with the Crafty Gardeners at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Friday, 22nd July 2022 - Saturday, 23rd July 2022

Classic Ibiza at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Thursday, 28th July 2022 - Thursday, 28th July 2022

Heartbreak Productions Outdoor Theatre - David Walliams 'Awful Auntie' at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Wednesday, 10th August 2022 - Thursday, 11th August 2022

A Midsummer Night's Dream at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Saturday, 13th August 2022 - Sunday, 14th August 2022

Wiltshire Game & Country Fair at Bowood House & Gardens
more info

Thursday, 9th June 2022 - Thursday, 9th June 2022

Friday, 17th June 2022 - Friday, 17th June 2022

Wednesday, 22nd June 2022 - Wednesday, 22nd June 2022

Thursday, 7th July 2022 - Thursday, 7th July 2022

Monday, 11th July 2022 - Monday, 11th July 2022

Friday, 29th July 2022 - Friday, 29th July 2022

Friday, 12th August 2022 - Friday, 12th August 2022

Thursday, 18th August 2022 - Thursday, 18th August 2022

Friday, 9th September 2022 - Friday, 9th September 2022

Private Walled Garden Tours
more info

Saturday, 2nd July 2022 - Saturday, 2nd July 2022

Plein Air Painting Competition at Bowood House and Gardens
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.

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

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4 of 5 stars
803 reviews
    • Excellent
      410
    • Very Good
      234
    • Average
      102
    • Poor
      39
    • Terrible
      18

    Recent Reviews:

    • D462HJcharlotter
      Trip Type:
      Family
      Good fun for kids poor cafe
      3 of 5 stars
      Tuesday, 26th October 2021
      We did the autumn trail which was good and the children played in the adventure playground, which is excellent. We went to the cafe for lunch and despite it being half term at 12.30 there were no... Read full review
    • annie20061
      Tidworth, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Couples
      Impressive house & gardens
      5 of 5 stars
      Saturday, 7th May 2022
      We arrived just before Bowood opens at 11.00am and went straight to the house. We were the first ones in the house and had it all to ourselves. The guide at the door was very knowledgeable and... Read full review
    • vald2022
      Well worth a visit.
      5 of 5 stars
      Saturday, 21st May 2022
      Beautiful Gardens, lovely to stroll around. Spectacular views.. House has so much history in it, and well worth a look. Nice cafe, huge play area for kids, nice shop. Read full review
    Write a review
    © TripAdvisor 2022

    Awards

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

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