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A la Ronde
Characterful 16-sided house and grounds with views of the Exe estuary, built in 1796 by cousins Jane & Mary Parminter. Filled with curious mementoes of their Grand Tour travels, and handcrafted decorations from shell, feather and paper.
Summer Lane, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 5BD
Important notice
Friday 2nd May: The house will close at 2pm today due to lack of volunteers. The grounds, kiosk and bookshop will remain open. There will be no charge to come and visit after 2pm today. We are sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment.
Opening times for 2 May 2025
Asset Opening time House (Last admission 4pm) 10:30 - 17:00 Car park 10:30 - 17:30 Grounds 10:30 - 17:30 Second-hand bookshop 10:30 - 17:00 Takeaway trailer 10:30 - 17:00 MTWTFSS282930123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930311OpenPartially openClosedHouse and grounds
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £12.10 £11.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £6.10 £5.50 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £30.30 £27.50 1 adult up to 3 children £18.20 £16.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Assistance dogs only
Dogs (on leads) welcome in the grounds. Assistance dogs only in the house.
- Bookshop
With hundreds of books to browse. It is through your purchases that we are able to continue to look after A la Ronde forever, for everyone.
- Car park
Free parking for visitors visiting the house. Mobility parking in the main car park with two designated spaces.
- Cycle parking
Cycle parking next to Visitor Welcome hut in the car park.
- Dogs allowed
Dogs (on leads) welcome in the grounds. Assistance dogs only in the house.
- Guided tour
Estate Tours available, daily. A walk around the estate with a guide explaining the Parminters vision, can take up to an hour. Book on the day, tours free.
- Kiosk
Visit trailer for coffees, teas, and a wide variety of hot and cold sandwiches and cakes. Enjoy your take-away under the trees in the orchard, or gaze out on beautiful views from the lawn.
- Picnic area
Picnic in the Orchard or on the HaHa.
- Toilet
Toilets are available when the house is open. Mobility toilet - 30 yards from the car park.
Dogs on leads welcome in grounds. Assistance dogs only in the house. Free parking to visitors to the house. Mobility parking is in main gravelled car park, mobility toilet – 30 yards from car park.
- Accessible toilet
Mobility toilet - 30 yards from the car park
- Designated parking
Mobility parking in the main car park with two designated spaces
- Drop-off point
Drop-off point next to the visitor reception. Wooden gates can be opened by arrangement with visitor welcome to allow drop off near the house for those with mobility issues. Car needs to return to car park.
- Level access/terrain
Level access into the house. Access around the gardens and grounds is uneven underfoot. Accessible path in the meadow.
- Virtual tour
Enjoy a virtual tour of the shell gallery.
Virtual tour - more information
- By road
2 miles north of Exmouth off A376
Parking: free. Caravans and trailers telephone in advance. Two hard surface blue badge parking spaces
Sat Nav: our postcode doesn't always work on Sat Nav, please try using Summer Lane to find us.
- On foot
East Devon Way alongside. South West Coast Path 2 miles
- By train
Lympstone village 1 mile; Exmouth 2 miles
- By bus
Exeter to Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton, stops within ½ mile
- Cycling
National Cycle Network Route 2 is a route between Exeter and Exmouth, alongside the Exe Estuary. Towards the Exmouth end of the route is a turn up towards A la Ronde. At the top you will need to cross the main road at the crossing and make your way left towards Courtland Cross. Summer Lane is on the right by Haldon Motors.
Planning your visit
Article
Visiting A la Ronde with your dog
With a circular walk around our meadow, A la Ronde is a great place to walk your dog. Find out about dog walking at A la Ronde, including where you can go and what facilities are available.
Highlights
House
16-sided house built by cousins Jane and Mary Parminter in 1796.
Interiors
Intricate interiors hand-decorated with shell and feather. Geometric rooms, with furniture made to fit the angles of the space.
Collection
Bursting with Parminter family souvenirs, artefacts and handcrafts throughout.
The Room of Discovery
Inspired by the Shell Gallery and designed by visual artist Monica-Shanta, a sensory space to experience the fragile beauty of the historic interiors.
Music Room
Take a seat and play a tune on the baby Boudour grand piano in the music room.
Grounds
Views to the Exe estuary and sea. Sculpture bench trail, lawn, flower-rich meadow and orchard, with a mix of old Devon apple, fig and medlar varieties.
Countryside walks
Join the Exe Estuary trail close to A la Ronde – a 16-mile traffic-free cycle and pedestrian route linking Exmouth, Exeter and Dawlish Warren with river views.
Archaeology Exhibition
'Digging Deeper' explores how Mary Parminter's 1849 will inspired multiple excavations. Discover archaeological finds. a lost shell grotto, and interactive activities.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to see and do at A la Ronde house
Discover an enchanting 16-sided house filled with the treasures from two women’s travels around Europe, where every nook and cranny is crammed with curiosities.
Exhibition
The Compendium
The Compendium is a collection of stories to delight and surprise. You can explore all things A la Ronde here in one central place for the first time. We will be adding new stories for years to come.
Explore the Shell Gallery Virtual Experience
Open the door on an extraordinary creation and its conservation.
Article
Digging Deeper: Archaeology at A la Ronde
A new exhibition on the theme of ‘Archaeology at A la Ronde’ , starts with Mary Parminter’s original handwritten will from 1849. The tantalising description in her will of a garden lost to time inspired a search for evidence with an archaeological excavation to find the lost landscape elements.
Top trails
Trail
Orcombe Point circular walk
This circular walk around Orcombe Point, the most westerly point of the Jurassic Coast, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers views over the Exe estuary and out to sea.
Trail
Parminter walk
Follow in the steps of A la Ronde's two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, and enjoy a stroll on the accessible path around the meadow which is rich in flora, fauna and wildlife.
Places to stay
Forest Cottage
A fairy-tale thatch cottage in a magical forest setting.
Longmeadow Cottage
A thatch cottage with original features and a large garden, on the edge of the great Killerton estate with its 18th-century house, garden and parkland walks.
Mattress Cottage
A traditional thatch cottage stay on the border of the Killerton estate.
Broad Ley Cottage
A charming thatched cottage complete with open-beam ceilings and an inglenook fireplace.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About A la Ronde
This unique 16-sided house was described by Lucinda Lambton as having 'a magical strangeness that one might dream of only as a child'.
Due to its fragility there is no physical access to the Shell Gallery. To view it up close with a virtual tour go to 'Things to see and do' section on the website.
It was built for two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, on their return from a grand tour of Europe in the late 18th century. It contains many objects and mementoes of their travels.
Outside, there’s a sense of harmony around the orchard, hay meadow and colourful borders, and views over the Exe Estuary.
The orchard is home to old Devon varieties of apple trees, along with plums and medlar trees. A part of the grounds known as the Bee Garden, not usually open, is now a space for quiet reflection. The meadow is full of butterflies and crickets. Why not bring a picnic and enjoy it in the orchard or on the haha lawn?
History
Exhibition
The Compendium
The Compendium is a collection of stories to delight and surprise. You can explore all things A la Ronde here in one central place for the first time. We will be adding new stories for years to come.
Article
History of A la Ronde
Delve into the history of this characterful 16-sided house to discover how two women created a unique home and filled it with curios from their world travels.
Art and collections
Exhibition
The Compendium
The Compendium is a collection of stories to delight and surprise. You can explore all things A la Ronde here in one central place for the first time. We will be adding new stories for years to come.
Article
The Vesuvius Table
Learn more about the Vesuvius Table, its creation and collection, at A la Ronde, Devon.
Article
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust
Follow the journey of conservation at the places in our care in a new series, Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, broadcast on the BBC. Go behind the scenes and hear from the experts and conservators who look after many treasured objects, including the Shell Gallery at A la Ronde. Watch the series every Friday at 9pm on BBC Two or on BBC iPlayer from 10 May.
Our work
Article
Our Project - A la Ronde: Conserving the Past, Creating the Future
In 2022 we embarked on a major project to transform A la Ronde’s offer for our visitors, volunteers, and local community.
Article
Our Conservation Story: Conserving the past, creating the future
Learn more about the conservation work undertaken at A la Ronde during the 'Conserving the Past, Creating the Future' project.
Article
Our work at A la Ronde
Our conservation team work hard all year around to look after the special collections of A la Ronde. Find out more about the work they do.
Support us
Article
Volunteering at A la Ronde
Find out more about the volunteering opportunities at A la Ronde and how you can help care for this special place. We are always on the lookout for new additions to our team.