Cliveden

We have a selection of formal gardens for you to enjoy across the estate which each have their charms across the seasons. From the 6 acre Parterre overlooked by the South Terrace reaching down to the river Thames, to the fruit-filled round garden and our elegant Water Garden.

The woods that line the steep cliffs above the Thames were famous long before the House and its gardens. There are miles of woodland paths to explore and stunning views back to the gardens and over the surrounding countryside.

The house tours are postponed until further notice. House tour would usual run from March to October, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, the doors to the glamorous ground floor of Cliveden house open to the public.

Discover Cliveden's 19th-century sculpture collection in the gardens. Curator Oonagh Kennedy looks back on the 'new' art of Cliveden's past. In the colder months, usually between November and March, we cover our stones statues and sculpture with bespoke covers to protect them from the damaging effects of the freezing weather and frosts. These pieces are made of materials better suited to warmer climates, so the covers are an important part of our conservation programme on site to conserve our collections for future generations.

The chapel, also known as the Octagon Temple, was originally designed as a place to admire the view or take tea but is now the final resting place for three generations of the Astor family.

For more than 300 years Cliveden was home to dukes, earls, viscounts and for a while a prince. A glittering hub of society, Cliveden hosted exclusive parties and political gatherings.

Did you know that at the start of the First World War a hospital was built on the estate with the Canadian Red Cross to treat the Armed Forces of the British Empire and the Royal Hospital, Chelsea? Over one hundred years on, you can visit a Memorial Garden dedicated to those who lost their lives.

Cliveden hit the headlines in 1963 when it became known that John Profumo had met Christine Keeler here by the swimming pool. Their affair proved a turning point in British politics and had profound implications for those involved.