National Trust on the Great West Way®

Great West Way, a multi-modal route from London to Bristol, can be travelled by bike, road, rail, canal or on foot, making it the first of its kind. The new touring route travels through six counties from London to Bristol and encompasses 500 miles of navigable routes along waterways, a railway, the A4 and walking and cycling trails. Find out about the seven National Trust places you can find on the Great West Way and eight more which are within easy reach of it.

Visitors walking towards the house in winter at Dyrham Park, Gloucestershire
Dyrham Park   Gloucestershire

Dyrham Park

At this ancient deer park, 17th-century house and garden, an historic herd of fallow deer roams freely in the 270 acres (110 hectares) of ancient parkland. Colourful borders, idyllic ponds and a wildflower orchard are all features of the West Garden which is being sensitively developed as a 21st-century garden with echoes of the past.

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Newark park house
Newark Park   Gloucestershire

Newark Park

Newark Park, a Tudor hunting lodge turned intriguing historic home set in a spectacular estatem stands proud on top of the Cotswold escarpment. The Newark estate is situated in an unspoilt corner of Gloucestershire. Barely a sign of modern life is visible in any direction in the views over the Ozleworth valley and to the Mendips beyond.

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The house at Tyntesfield, Somerset
Tyntesfield   North Somerset

Tyntesfield

This Victorian Gothic Revival house with gardens and parkland is just a stone’s throw away from Bristol. Not built as a statement of wealth, power or politics, its purpose was to serve as a family home. The garden and estate balance faded beauty and function with an abundance of nature; celebrated in ornate Gothic carvings that decorate the house.

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The winter view of the garden, and out over the city of Bath
Prior Park Landscape Garden   Somerset

Prior Park Landscape Garden

An intimate 18th-century landscape garden in Bath, where one of only four Palladian bridges of this design in the world can be crossed. Created by local entrepreneur Ralph Allen, with advice from 'Capability' Brown and the poet Alexander Pope, the garden is set in a sweeping valley with views of Bath. Restoration of the 'Wilderness' has reinstated the Serpentine Lake, Cascade and Cabinet.

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A view of the kitchen garden at The Courts Garden, Holt in winter.
The Courts Garden   Wiltshire

The Courts Garden

This garden is full of variety, showing shows the English country style at its best. Peaceful water gardens and herbaceous borders, with organically shaped topiary, demonstrate an imaginative use of colour and planting, creating unexpected vistas. You can stroll through the arboretum with its wonderful species of trees and naturally planted spring bulbs.

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A view of the front of Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, seen from the woods, with snowdrops in bloom in the foreground
Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village   Wiltshire

Lacock Abbey

Lacock Abbey, at the heart of the village within its own woodland grounds, is a quirky country house of various architectural styles, built upon the foundations of a former nunnery. The museum celebrates the achievements of former Lacock resident, William Henry Fox Talbot, famous for his contributions to the invention of photography.

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Stone circle and village
Avebury   Wiltshire

Avebury

At Avebury, the world's largest prehistoric stone circle partially encompasses a pretty village. Archaeologist Alexander Keiller excavated here in the 1930s, and there is a museum bearing his name. Avebury Manor, on the edge of the village, was transformed in a partnership between the National Trust and the BBC, creating a hands-on experience that celebrates and reflects the lives of the people who once lived here.

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The view from the gorge walk
Cheddar Gorge   Somerset

Cheddar Gorge

Within easy reach of the Great West Way, Cheddar Gorge is one of England's most iconic and spectacular landscapes. At almost 400 feet deep and three miles long, this is England’s largest gorge, and with its weathered crags and pinnacles, one of our most spectacular natural sights.

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King Barrow Ridge
Stonehenge Landscape   Wiltshire

Stonehenge Landscape

Within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, the National Trust manages 827 hectares (2,100 acres) of downland surrounding the famous stone circle. Walking across the grassland, not far from the Great West Way, visitors can discover other prehistoric monuments, including the Avenue and King Barrow Ridge with its Bronze Age burial mounds.

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Snowdrops at Stourhead, Wiltshire
Stourhead   Wiltshire

Stourhead

Just a stone's throw from the Great West Way, you can find this Palladian house and world-famous landscape garden. When Stourhead first opened in the 1740s, a magazine described it as ‘a living work of art.’ The landscape garden has at its centrepiece a magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, mystical grottoes, and rare and exotic trees, and offers a day of fresh air and discovery.

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The Main Facade showing the elaborate entry doorway at Mompesson House, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Mompesson House   Wiltshire

Mompesson House

At this 18th-century Queen Anne townhouse in Salisbury's historic Cathedral Close, you can admire the graceful plasterwork and oak staircase, and relax in the secluded walled garden.

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View of Montacute House from the west drive
Montacute House   Somerset

Montacute House

Montacute, within easy reach of the Great West Way, is a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design. With its towering walls of glass, glow of ham stone and surrounding gardens, it is a place of beauty and wonder. Sir Edward Phelips was the visionary force and money behind the creation of this masterpiece, which was completed in 1601.

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Daffodils on the South Lawn outside Barrington Court
Barrington Court   Somerset

Barrington Court

An atmospheric fragment of old Somerset, just off of the Great West Way: an empty Tudor manor house, beautifully restored in the 1920s, with farm buildings, abundant flowers and orchards.

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Spring flowers on the croquet lawn at Lytes Cary Manor
Lytes Cary Manor   Somerset

Lytes Cary Manor

Lytes Cary Manor is an intimate medieval manor house with an Arts and Crafts garden with a collection of topiary and herbaceous borders. Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herball book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner.

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The pool garden at Tintinhull in the spring sunshine
Tintinhull Garden   Somerset

Tintinhull Garden

The garden, complete with working kitchen garden and orchard, lies in the charming village of Tintinhull, Somerset, not far from the Great West Way. Glittering pools, secluded lawns, colourful borders and clipped hedges provide the perfect spot to relax and unwind away from the hustle and bustle.

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