Book your visit
If you would like to plan your day you can book a ticket for the manor in advance. We recommend booking at busier times such as summer weekends and bank holidays.
Things to do in Snowshill Manor
Snowshill Manor is a treasure trove of quirky and curious objects. The collection was created by Charles Wade, a man fascinated by anything hand-crafted and made with skill. Items on display range from mechanical doorbells and a village in miniature to suits of armour and a variety of masks. The manor is a stage for his collection of objects, from the everyday to the extraordinary.
Out-of-the-ordinary rooms
Snowshill Manor is a collectors dream with rooms entitled ‘Dragon’, Mermaid’ and ‘Hundred wheels’ giving an insight into the imagination of the former owner.
Each room is filled with an unusual collection chosen with three essential criteria in mind: design, colour and craftsmanship.
Combining creative and artistic skills
The manor house itself provided Wade with the stage, an architectural backdrop, for his collection. His aim was to create an interesting and decorative effect rather than a museum. It was a home where he could combine all his creative and artistic skills in one place for the first time.
Displaying the collection
Take a look at the variety of hand-crafted musical instruments in the Music Room. The attic space named Hundred Wheels displays the collection of bone-shaker bikes and hobby horses. Every available corner is used to display the collection including hanging bikes or model ships from the wooden rafters to gain additional space.
‘What a joy these old things are to live with – each piece made by the hand of a craftsman, each has feeling and individuality that no machine could ever attain.’
- Charles Wade
Priest’s House
Next to the manor house is the Priest's House, a small cottage and workshop where Charles Wade lived. This building gives you a glimpse into the home life of Wade. It's dark and also full of weird and wonderful items he liked to collect.
Wade's workshop
The Priest's House was also home to Wade's workshop, where he repaired and restored many of the items in his collection.
The Collection
The current collection contains over 16,000 objects. These are displayed or stored in a way that represents Wade and his passion for collecting whilst protecting the collection for future generations to see.
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Eating and shopping at Snowshill
The café at Snowshill will provide welcoming refreshments during your visit. The shop stocks a wide range of gifts and souvenirs, and there's also a second-hand bookshop for picking up a pre-loved page-turner.
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History of Charles Paget Wade at Snowshill
Find out more about Charles Paget Wade (1883–1956, an avid collector who donated his entire home and collection to the National Trust.
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History of Snowshill's garden
Designed by Charles Wade and his friend, prominent Arts and Crafts architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott, in 1920, discover how this former farmyard became a country manor garden.
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