Houses

We have more than 300 houses in our care, from the grand and imposing to the small and quirky

A family exploring inside Osterley Park and House, London

Ham House, Surrey, is thought to be one of our most haunted places

11 of our most haunted places

Ghost stories abound at some of our oldest places. Discover tales about the ghost of a former Prime Minister's father, a headless queen and many more.

Land Army girls outside Gibside Hall during the First World War

Country house life during the First World War

Many country houses were transformed during the First World War to help the war effort. We explore their stories and others told in The Country House at War by Simon Greaves.

The sixteenth-century Gate Tower on the West Front at Coughton Court, Warwickshire

Connections to the Gunpowder Plot

Links to the 1605 Gunpowder Plot can be found at historic houses and former hunting forests we look after including Lyveden New Bield, home to infamous plotter Francis Tresham.

Visitors at the West front of Petworth House, West Sussex — Mike Leigh’s film, Mr Turner, was partly filmed at Petworth House

Our greatest houses

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to the houses we look after. From the biggest to the smallest, the most innovative to the most scandalous, discover the amazing variety of houses in our care.

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Women and Power: Exploring women’s history at our places

Explore the lives of those who fought for and against women's suffrage as we mark 100 years since some women were granted the right to vote. Uncover the previously untold stories of the women who helped shape our places with exhibitions, art installations, podcasts and more. This month a new exhibition opens up at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, re-examining the life of Bess of Hardwick.

Houses we recommend

A restoration country house built 1685-88

Belton House

Grantham, Lincolnshire

The perfect English country house?

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Killerton

Exeter, Devon

A family home and a great estate. Glorious landscape garden surrounded by parkland with fine 18th-century house

Partially open today
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Springhill

Magherafelt, County Londonderry

Pretty 17th-century 'Plantation' home with a significant costume collection

Partially open today
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Interior design through the ages

The Zodiac roundels on the Boudoir’s ceiling at Knightshayes Court, Devon

The Winter Parlour at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire

Interior design: Georgian

You can see the elegant styles that were in fashion during the Georgian period at places including Croft Castle in Herefordshire and Basildon Park, Berkshire. Here's our short guide.

Victorian Interior Design - Buildings & Houses

Visit our places like Penrhyn Castle, Wales and Tyntesfield, Somerset, to see examples of Victorian interior design. Here's a short guide to the eclectic styles of the era.

Interior design: 20th century

Coleton Fishacre, Devon, and The Homewood, Surrey, both boast striking Modernist décor. Learn more about this 20th-century design movement and where to see it.

Tudor Interior Design - Building & Houses

The Tudor period was an age of prosperity, often resulting in lavishly built and decorated houses. We look after some beautiful examples, including Montacute House, Somerset, and Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire.