Petworth House and Park

Important notice -

In line with government guidance, only outdoor spaces are open for local visitors to access for walks. You need to book your garden visit in advance. If the car park for the park is full please return another time - please don't park on the verges.

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

Please book ahead before visiting Check availability

More about this place

Visitors walking through a garden in spring

Visiting this spring 

Our gardens, parks and countryside sites are open. Cafés are takeaway only and shops, houses and other indoor areas are currently closed. The safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors from the nearby community remains our priority. We strongly advise booking your visits in advance, especially over Easter when places may be very busy. Please note that in line with Welsh Government legislation, places in Wales are only open for Welsh residents. Please check the property webpage before you visit and follow government guidance on travel.

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Petworth House and Park

What's on 

Petworth   West Sussex

Please book ahead before visiting

We are in a national lockdown. In line with government guidance the house and Servants Quarters are closed. The garden is open for local visits, 10am to 5pm daily. The car park, takeaway kiosk and toilet facilities are open. We've introduced advanced booking to keep everyone safe and maintain social distancing. Pre-booking is essential. Petworth park is currently open for local visitors to access for walks and does not require pre-booking. If the car park for the park is full please return another time. Please do not park on roadsides or verges. Thank you for helping us stay open safely by following Government guidance and staying local.

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Upcoming events

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Timed entry to Petworth (12 Apr - 18 Apr)

Mon 12 Apr 2021
10:00-16:00
Book your timed entry to visit Petworth.
Spring into family fun at Killerton.

Easter Egg Hunts at Petworth 

Take part in our 2021 Easter egg hunt. Discover your local family-friendly trail at Petworth with fun activities to do along the way. Complete the trail and earn your chocolate reward at the end.

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Petworth House and Park

Things to see and do

The rotunda built in 1766, and daffodils in the park at Petworth House, West Sussex

The Petworth Garden: a 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.

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.

Spaniel at Petworth Park

Walking your dog at Petworth  

We love dogs here at Petworth, in fact Spaniels were the favourite pet of the 3rd Earl of Egremont. We welcome dogs to stretch their legs in Petworth Park and in the garden.

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Petworth House and Park

Eating

Coffee cup

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 cakes. We have safety measures in place to keep our team and you safe including screens at our till and collection point, and way marked routes. We’ll also only be accepting card payment. We look forward to welcoming you on your next visit and know that you’ll support us to make this a safe experience for everyone. ​

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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.

A photograph of St Mary's Church in Petworth

The history of Petworth Town 

Find out more about the history of Petworth town and how it has connected to Petworth House and Park for generations. Petworth House is part of the Petworth Heritage Partnership, a celebration of the history of this remarkable town which you can explore through a virtual experience.

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

Petworth House downloadable house tour 

Unfortunately the house is now closed due to the national lockdown but you can discover more about Petworth House with our downloadable house tour.

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

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Petworth House and Park

Art and collections

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 Red Room, 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

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