Mompesson House
WiltshireHomely and welcoming 18th-century townhouse in the heart of Salisbury's Cathedral Close
The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EL
Important notice
M T W T F S S Open
Closed
Opening times for 15 May 2026
Asset Opening time House 11:00 - 16:00 Garden 11:00 - 16:00 Tea-room Closed Second-hand bookshop 11:00 - 16:00 Last service in the tea-room is 30 minutes before closing. Last entry to the house is 30 minutes before closing.
Garden
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £1.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £0.50 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £2.50 1 Adult and up to 3 children £1.50 House and Garden
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £11.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £5.50 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £27.50 Group (Adult 18+) £10.45 Group (Child 5-17) £5.23 1 Adult and up to 3 children £16.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Assistance dogs only
Throughout the property.
- Bookshop
Second-hand bookshop with a variety of books and jigsaw puzzles.
- Guided tour
Introductory talks available throughout the day.
- Tea-room
Garden tea-room serving drinks and light bites
- Toilet
Two toilets, one of which is accessible
Limited Blue Badge parking available. Ground floor of house accessible. Level access to garden. Manual wheelchair available. Accessible toilet.
- Accessible toilet
Two toilets, one of which is accessible.
- Designated parking
Limited spaces for Blue Badge holders; please book in advance by phone or email
- Level access/terrain
Ground floor of house accessible. Level access to garden.
- Seating available
- Wheelchairs available
A manual wheelchair bookable in advance by phone or email
Entrance to Mompesson House - what3words: ///grab.grace.search
- On foot
- From city centre follow tourist signs to the Cathedral. Enter the Cathedral Close through the High Street Gate and take the turning to the right in front of Choristers' Green. Mompesson House is on your right.
- Cycling
Public cycle parking is located on Choristers' Green next to the telephone box. Cycle parking is also available in Mompesson's courtyard; please speak to the Welcome team at the front door.
Mompesson House is located in the city centre, on Choristers' Green, close to the Cathedral. Salisbury is relatively flat with lots of cycle routes so cycling is a great way to visit. National Cycle Network routes 24 and 45 run right past Choristers' Green and are great routes to explore further after your visit.
Plan your route to Mompesson House via the cycling link below. (This journey planner uses Open-Street Map data which is generally excellent but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you come to a footpath or other cycle-prohibited track, please don't ride on it.)
For information on cycle hire available across Wiltshire visit - https://archive.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/cycle/cycle-hire/
- By bus
- Buses to city centre from surrounding area.
- By train
- Salisbury train station ½ mile. Turn left out of the station. Follow the road until you get to the zebra crossing. Cross here and continue down Fisherton Street. When you get to Barclays bank, turn right into the High Street and continue walking until you arrive in the Cathedral Close (through the medieval gate).
- By road
- Park and ride on all main routes into city.Parking: Pay and display available in the city centre (not National Trust).
Planning your visit
There is no need to book to visit Mompesson House. Please just arrive on the day for entry.
Group visits
If you're interested in visiting Mompesson as a group, please phone 01722 335659 or email mompessonhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk for more details.
Ceremonies and events at Mompesson House
Mompesson House, with its city-centre location and picturesque 18th-century townhouse, is the ideal setting for your ceremony or special event.
Highlights
House
18th-century town house with tea-room in the heart of Salisbury's Cathedral Close.
Garden
Tranquil walled garden with traditionally planted herbaceous borders and pergola.
Tea-room
Peaceful tea-room with indoor and outdoor seating. Enjoy cakes, bakes, hot and cold drinks and light lunches in this former summerhouse with views over the garden.
Second-hand bookshop
A large range of modern and antiquarian books available, with new stock coming in weekly.
Things to see and do
Things to see and do at Mompesson House
Step inside the 18th-century town house, wander through the atmospheric rooms and discover a tranquil walled garden in the heart of Salisbury’s historic Cathedral Close. Take a moment to relax and treat yourself in the peaceful tea-room.
Family-friendly things to do at Mompesson House
Count the hidden faces in the plasterwork, imagine yourself back in time and check out the creaky staircase. Enjoy sensory play during baby tree time.
Top trails
A walk around Cathedral Close, Salisbury
While visiting Salisbury, take this walk around the historic Cathedral Close and soak up the atmosphere and history of this special place.
Places to stay
89 Church Lawn
Sitting at the entrance to Stourhead, this secluded cottage has a world-famous garden on the doorstep.
Upcoming events
The social season: A Regency year at Mompesson House
Join us in moving through a Regency year in the social calendar, from the Portmans family's return to Mompesson House in the spring, to their plans for a summer ball, and finally closing up the house again as they leave for the country in the winter.
Baby Tree Time (sensory baby outdoor play)
Take a moment to relax with your baby under the shady boughs of our golden rain tree in the tranquil city garden at Mompesson House. Meet up with a group or come by yourself, all are welcome.
A Regency Half Term
The Portman family kindly invite you to spend your half term holidays enjoying all that Mompesson House has to offer.
May Book Fair: Fiction!
Get ready for the summer with our book fair celebrating fiction. We'll have plenty of modern paperbacks and hardbacks as well as lots of older classics, from Shakespeare to Hemingway.
Design, print and take home a tote bag
Use nature as your tool box and take home your own tote bag!
Northumbrian Pipers at Mompesson House – Music in the Garden
Mompesson is welcoming back the Salisbury Northumbrian Pipers to play in the garden.
Conservation in Action with Lucy
Join Lucy from our collections team and learn how we take care of our house and contents.
The Regency Social Season: Mrs Portman's Ball
You are cordially invited to Mrs Portman's summer ball.
About Mompesson House
Visiting Salisbury’s Cathedral Close is like stepping back into a past world. Mompesson House, which featured in the film Sense and Sensibility, has been called 'home' by many different families.
The main features of this quintessential Queen Anne town house are the plasterwork, graceful oak staircase and fine period furniture. Mompesson has one of the finest displays of English 18th century drinking glasses in existence.
The garden, with traditional herbaceous borders and pergola, is an oasis of calm in busy Salisbury.
History
History of Mompesson House
Mompesson House stands on the north side of Choristers’ Green, within the Cathedral Close of Salisbury, Wiltshire. It is a picture–perfect townhouse of the early 18th century. Leased to a succession of different families, its history is tied to the city, the cathedral and to the many people who have called the house their home.
Our work
Our conservation work at Mompesson House
Discover how the team at Mompesson House are restoring the house for future generations to enjoy.
Art and collections
Mompesson House's objects and collections
Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Mompesson House on the National Trust Collections website.
Support us
Volunteering at Mompesson
If you're interested in volunteering at Mompesson in 2026, please phone 01722 335659 or email mompessonhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk for more details.
Supporter groups in Wiltshire
There is one National Trust supporter group in Wiltshire where you can join to meet like-minded people, make new friends and learn more about the work of the National Trust.
