A lavish family home re-imagined as a Venetian Palace in the rural Dorset countryside.
We're looking forward to welcoming you back. Read this article to find what you can expect from your visit, how to book and how to change your booking. We've made some changes to our usual offer, to help keep everyone safe.
Discover Kingston Lacy, an opulent family home built to resemble a Venetian Palace.
There’s plenty to see, from spectacular artworks to beautiful landscapes. Enjoy a summer picnic on the south lawn, or let little visitors run wild in nearby play areas. Wander through the Japanese Garden to the Kitchen Garden, where Queen Victoria once sent her own gardeners for inspiration. Or explore the vast 8,500 acres of estate, featuring Iron Age hill forts, colourful heathland, water meadows and the world’s oldest pedigree herd of Red Ruby Devon cattle.
Kingston Lacy has a dynamic history. Over centuries the Bankes family built, altered, embellished and rebuilt their house. Their wealth came from extensive estates and profitable marriages, including inherited wealth from Caribbean plantations supported by the Atlantic slave trade.
William John Bankes created the house we know today. Forced into exile for homosexuality, he lived in Venice and remotely remodelled the house, as well as creating lavishly decorated interiors such as the spectacular Spanish Room. Displaying remarkable paintings by renowned artists like Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and Brueghel, the house is a miniature ‘national gallery’ for the South West, and includes Bankes' collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts, the largest private collection in the UK.
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | N/A | £13.00 |
| Child | N/A | £6.50 |
| Family | N/A | £32.50 |
| One adult family | N/A | £19.50 |
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | N/A | £15.00 |
| Child | N/A | £7.50 |
| Family | N/A | £37.50 |
| One adult family | N/A | £22.50 |
Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points.
Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets:
If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you a clear choice between the Gift Aid Admission prices and the Standard Admission prices at the admission point. It's entirely up to you which ticket you choose.
Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below:
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid by visitor | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Tax refund from Government* | £2.75 | £0.00 |
| Total received by the National Trust | £13.75 | £10.00 |
*Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
Free entry for National Trust members. On weekdays you don’t need to pre-book your visit. At busier times, like weekends and school holidays, booking is recommended to guarantee entry. If you do not book we cannot guarantee admission.
If you are visiting Badbury Rings on the wider estate please note that there is a car parking charge for non members of £1 for two hours or £3 for the day.
The garden, parkland, takeaway café and toilets at Kingston Lacy are open. To avoid disappointment please book your visit in advance, especially at busier times such as weekends and bank holidays. If you do not book we cannot guarantee admission. The house will be closed until further notice.
