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Country home of playwright Bernard Shaw for 44 years
Ayot St Lawrence, near Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 9BX
Book a visitAsset | Opening time |
---|---|
House | 12:30 - 17:00 |
Garden | 10:00 - 17:00 |
We offer two guided tours Thursday to Sunday at 10:15am and 11:15am. These take place before the house opens at 12:30pm. Guided tours must be pre-booked. You do not need to pre-book to visit the house after 12:30pm.
Ticket type | With Gift Aid | Without Gift Aid |
---|---|---|
Adult (18+) | £12.10 | £11.00 |
Child (5-17) under 5s free | £6.10 | £5.50 |
Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) | £30.30 | £27.50 |
Family 1 Adult, 2 Children | £18.20 | £16.50 |
Assistance dogs only inside the house.
Second hand book shop inside our kiosk.
Small car park.
Dogs welcome on leads in garden.
Pre-booked guided tour of the house at 10.15 and 11.15. Non-bookable free-flow access thereafter.
Books, plant sales, small food and drink offering.
Small selection of plants available to buy.
Toilet to the right of the house.
Blue Badge parking. Step access to toilet. Steps up to house entrance, gardens partially accessible.
Accessible toilet is available.
Two spaces available.
Induction loop at our visitor reception.
Large print guide available for the house.
Narrow corridors in the house
2 single mobility vehicles for use around the garden.
Portable ramps available to access the house and kiosk.
Seats available in the garden and foldable seats available for the house.
Some uneven terrain and inclines in the garden. Steps to the upper floor of the house only.
Virtual guide available for the upper floor of the house.
We have a wheelchair available.
Plan your route to Shaw's Corner using the CycleStreets journey planner via the by bicycle link below (This journey planner uses OpenStreetMap data which is generally excellent by accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you come to a footpath or other cycle-prohibited track, please don’t ride on it).
Join us in the garden for a summer of outdoor theatre and film. 25 - 26 July = Arms and the Man 23 August = Sense and Sensibility 24 August = Robin Hood 25 August = Shakes versus Shav April Booking essential.
Shaw's Corner's season has now ended. The house and garden will reopen in March 2025.
We believe Shaw's Corner should be open and accessible for all. Read on to discover how best you can visit to experience and enjoy nature, beauty and history.
The garden at Shaw’s Corner extends to 3.5 acres and is in a conservation area. Kept as Shaw liked it, the garden looks just the same today.
Dogs are welcome to explore the garden at Shaw's Corner on a short lead. Read more to find out how to make the most of your visit with your four-legged friend.
Starting October 2024, read about the work that goes on behind the scenes! Track our progress and discover what our Senior Gardener and his team of loyal volunteers get up to...
Edwardian country home of playwright, politician and philosopher George Bernard Shaw, with Arts and Crafts features and collection.
Tranquil garden with rolling lawns, vibrant summer borders, a fruit orchard and Shaw’s iconic rotating writing hut.
Bookshop fully stocked with pre-loved books including an extensive Shavian and playwrights section.
The garden at Shaw’s Corner extends to 3.5 acres and is in a conservation area. Kept as Shaw liked it, the garden looks just the same today.
Shaw's Corner is open for pre-booked house tours Thursday - Sunday at 10.15am and 11.15am. Find all the information and to book your visit here. Visits to the house from 12.30pm-5pm and visits to the garden only do not require pre-booking.
Discover Shaw’s Corner, the home of playwright, George Bernard Shaw. Explore the beautiful Arts and Crafts interiors and find fascinating links with the past.
The enclosed garden at Shaw's Corner provides the perfect location for a family visit. From family trails to garden games, there's plenty on offer.
Walk in the footsteps of the playwright George Bernard Shaw and visit his former home on the Wheathampstead to Shaw's Corner circular walk.
Bernard Shaw loved his vegetable patch, especially when it was made into rhubarb pie! This summer, help our housekeeper and gardener look after our imaginary patch on this interactive garden trail.
With Shaw's Corner as the backdrop, DOT Productions presents the Jane Austen classic: ‘Sense & Sensibility’
Who’s ready for an adventure? With Shaw's Corner as the backdrop, DOT Productions presents their 2025 family show: Robin Hood
This August Bank Holiday Monday, join us for a garden screening of madcap puppet film, Shakes Versus Shav: a fresh and fitting tribute to two of the greatest writers in the English language…with strings attached.
Get up close and personal to Bernard and Charlotte's fabulous art collection.
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a National Trust gardener? Join this bespoke tour of our garden to find out!
Move over pumpkins – this autumn, the humble apple takes centre stage at Shaw’s Corner!
Playwright, politician, philosopher and wit George Bernard Shaw lived in this Edwardian villa for over 40 years from 1906. When he moved in, he was at the height of his fame. If you'd been walking up the drive 70 years ago, you would have been coming to visit one of the most famous, most photographed and most quoted men in the world.
Today, his home remains much as he left it. You can walk from room to room, enjoying the beautiful Arts and Crafts inspired interiors, and finding fascinating links with the past. The tranquil gardens are a restorative and relaxing place at any time of year. They provide you with a space to reflect on the wit and wisdom of this great man of words - and maybe find the inspiration to write masterpieces of your own.
Discover the history of Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire and George Bernard Shaw – the playwright, activist and Nobel Prize winner who lived there.
Discover more about the collection at Shaw’s Corner. From the bust of Shaw sculpted by Auguste Rodin to a Best Screenplay Oscar for the film adaptation of Pygmalion and the daily tools of a writer, the collection at Shaw's Corner is full of treasures. The bust by Rodin is now one of the National Trust’s 125 treasures.
Do you have some spare time to help us look after Shaw’s Corner? Find out about the different volunteering roles such as room guide and play reader, and how you can join the team.
Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever. Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership.
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