Petworth House and Park

Important notice -

To avoid disappointment, please book your visit to Petworth House & Pleasure Gardens in advance, especially at busier times such as weekends and bank holidays. North Car Park for deer park is open & does not require pre-booking.

Inspired by the Baroque palaces of Europe and nestled in the South Downs, Petworth House displays the finest art collection in the care of the National Trust.

Please book ahead before visiting Check availability

More about this place

Adults and two children taking an autumn walk amongst the trees

Which places are open and what you need to know before you visit 

More than 100 gardens and parks and hundreds of coast and countryside places are open in England and Northern Ireland. Many historic houses are open in England. To avoid disappointment please book in advance, especially at weekends and school holidays. In line with Welsh Government legislation, all places in Wales will close from 24 October to 9 November. Please check the property webpage of the place you wish to visit before you travel. Read this article to find out how to book and what to expect from your visit.

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Petworth House and Park

What's on 

Petworth   West Sussex

Please book ahead before visiting

Petworth House, the Pleasure gardens, shop and toilets have now reopened. We've introduced advance booking to keep everyone safe and maintain social distancing. To avoid disappointment please book in advance, especially at busier times such as weekends and bank holidays. However from Monday 21 September, where space is available on weekdays pre-booking may not always be necessary. We have a pop takeaway kiosk selling drinks and light bites. We're looking forward to welcoming you back. The Deer Park can be accessed using the North Car Park or on foot without needing to book,

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Upcoming events

See all events

Timed entry to Petworth (19 Oct - 25 Oct)

Thu 22 Oct 2020
10:00-10:30
Book your timed entry to visit Petworth.

Father Christmas Afternoon Tea

Sat 28 Nov 2020
12:00-13:30
Enjoy a festive afternoon tea in the historic stables at Petworth House with a visit from Father Christmas.
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Petworth House and Park

Things to see and do

The Marble Hall at Petworth House and Park

Our house reopening pilot 

The house at Petworth is part of a pilot, looking at how we can reopen our houses and buildings safely, whilst continuing to look after the many treasures they hold. Things might feel a little different, as we've put new measures in place to keep everybody safe. Those who have booked visits may be able to access the house from 13 July, and should look out for more information when they arrive.

Enjoy breathtaking views towards the South Downs

Petworth Deer Park 

Find out more about what you can do in the 700 acre Petworth Park from the walks you can wander, the wildlife you can see and further information about dog walking, access and safety.

White butterflies in pleasure ground at Petworth House and Park, West Sussex

The Petworth Pleasure Ground 

The formal gardens of Petworth were stripped away by Capability Brown in the 18th century. In their place he constructed the Deer Park and a seperate Pleasure Ground - a wooded walk with open spaces designed to inspire a range of emotions.

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Petworth House and Park

Eating

Woman holding takeaway hot drink

Feeling peckish? 

Our Meadow Takeaway Kiosk is open in the Main Visitor Car Park and is serving a limited range of takeaway hot and cold drinks and some light snacks including sandwiches and soup. We’ve introduced new safety measures including closure of our seating areas, screens at our till and collection points, and waymarked routes. We’ll also only be accepting card payment. We look forward to welcoming you back and know that you’ll support us to make this a safe experience for everyone. ​Please note that our indoor, seated cafe and coffee shop are still closed.

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Petworth House and Park

Shopping

The Servants' Quarters gift shop at Petworth

Servants' Quarters Shop 

Our shop has now reopened and every purchase made helps us to care for Petworth House and Park for everyone, for ever - thank you.

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Petworth House and Park

History

View of Petworth, West Sussex, seen over the lake, part of the Capability Brown landscaped parkland.

A snapshot history of Petworth House and Park 

Find out more about the history of Petworth from the family tree to the history of the building and even the story about the transformation of the formal garden to parkland.

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Petworth House and Park

Join or give

The West front of Petworth House

Dedicate a donation to Petworth House 

You can continue to support Petworth House & Park by dedicating a donation to someone special and adding your precious memories to our interactive map. A perfect way to celebrate a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, your donation will help us continue to care for Petworth House & Park.

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Petworth House and Park

Art and collections

Close view of a sculpture bust and picture frames in the North Gallery at Petworth House, West Sussex

Petworth House downloadable house tour 

To help you with your visit to Petworth House we have created this downloadable house tour to guide your around the state rooms.

The tour will give you an overview of the history of the house and family as well as pointing out highlights in the collection.

Part of a dessert service, soft-paste porcelain, painted and gilded, made by the Sèvres factory (France), 1773-4. The Egremont Collection.

Dining in style at Petworth House 

Petworth houses some of the finest ceramics in the National Trust. Our curator and collections team recently redisplayed some important 18th-century European porcelain dining services on loan from The Egremont Collection. While Petworth House is closed, and at a time when many more of us are dining at home, we have created this online version of the tableware displays for you to enjoy.

Characters from Spenser's Faery Queen watercolour by William Blake (detail)

William Blake's dreamy rendering of The Faerie Queene 

Epic and intricate, The Faerie Queene dazzled Queen Elizabeth I when it was published. Nearly 250 years later, William Blake painted the poem’s characters in ethereal watercolours. But what do the characters represent, and how does Blake illustrate them?

A photo of an open page of The 'Canterbury Tales' Chaucer manuscript at Petworth

Read a digitised version of Petworth's Chaucer manuscript 

There are incredible literary treasures at Petworth including one of the earliest copies of Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. We've digitised our copy so you can explore every page here.

The Molyneux Globe in the North Gallery at Petwoth House

The Molyneux Globe at Petworth House 

Made in 1592, this world-class object on view in the North Gallery is thought to be the earliest English terrestrial globe in existence and at its time would have been the most up to date representation of how the world was understood.

Our collections

Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Petworth House and Park on the National Trust Collections website

Search the collections
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© National Trust Registered Charity 205846 Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2NA

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