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Mottisfont
A romantic house and gallery set in beautiful riverside gardens
near Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0LP
Important notice
Please note that the Ladies toilet in the lower corridor of the House is closed until further notice due to unforeseen structural issues. Alternative facilities are available at the Welcome Centre, Stables Courtyard, and Kitchen Garden.
Opening times for 21 May 2025
Asset Opening time Garden 10:00 - 17:00 Art gallery 11:00 - 16:30 House 11:00 - 16:30 Café 10:00 - 16:45 Shop 10:00 - 17:00 Play area 10:00 - 17:00 Kiosk 10:00 - 16:00 MTWTFSS282930123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930311OpenPartially openClosedStandard admission
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £24.20 £22.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £12.10 £11.00 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £60.50 £55.00 1 adult, 2 children £36.30 £33.00 Group (Adult 18+) £20.90 Off-peak admission
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 1 adult, 2 children £18.20 £16.50 Group (Adult 18+) £10.45 Peak admission
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £25.30 £23.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £12.70 £11.50 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £63.30 £57.50 1 adult, 2 children £38.00 £34.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Adventure playground/play area
The Wild Play area includes three large wooden structures built for climbing, balancing and exploring.
- Bookshop
Second-hand bookshop located in the Stables
- Café
Old Kitchen Café and Coach House Café open daily, and additional facilities during busy periods
- Car park
Free parking in car park adjacent to the welcome centre. Please do not park on roadsides or verges in Mottisfont village as this can block access for emergency vehicles
- Dogs allowed
Dogs on leads welcome in most of the gardens and the wider estate. Dog-friendly indoor café area in the Stables. Assistance dogs only in the walled gardens, formal lawns behind and in front of the house, and the Old Kitchen Café
- Electric vehicle charging point
Ten electric vehicle charging outlets available in the main car park. Chargers can be accessed via mobile app, RFID card or contactless payment device. Visit our EV charging partner, RAW Charging's website (www.rawcharging.com/drivers) to download the app before your visit. Chargers only available during property opening hours. User helpline: 020 7519 5052.
- Guided tour
Volunteer-led guided garden walks are available on select days. Please ask at Reception which tours are available today.
- Kiosk
The walled garden kiosk opens in summer from 10am - 4pm.
- Picnic area
There are picnic benches on both the north and south paddocks, with accessible picnic tables located near the shepherd's hut in the north paddock.
- Plant shop
Open daily, located next to the shop in the welcome centre
- Shop
Open daily, located in the welcome centre
- Toilet
We have toilet facilities available at the Welcome Centre, Stables, and Kitchen Garden. In the lower corridor of the house, we have restricted toilets available for Gents, Access, and Baby Change. Unfortunately, the ladies' toilets are currently unavailable due to plumbing and floor issues, which we are actively investigating.
Blue Badge parking and drop-off point. Wheelchairs available. Buggy service. Accessible toilets. Slopes and uneven pathways. Ramped or level entrances
- Accessible toilet
Facilities available in the welcome centre, the ground floor of the house, the stables and kitchen garden. Toilets equipped with alarm pull cords that alert staff if assistance is required
- Designated parking
20 spaces located close to the accessible ramp into the welcome centre
- Drop-off point
Outside the welcome centre entrance
- Level access to food outlet
- Level access to shop
- Narrow corridors
- Ramped access/slopes
- Seating available
Benches situated throughout the garden and grounds
- Steps/uneven terrain
The property is situated on a gentle slope. Paths are mostly wide and surfaced with a mix of stone and clay which is uneven in places, and can be muddy during wet weather. Exposed tree roots on riverside pathways
- Transfer available
Volunteer-driven mobility buggy service available on request for transport between the welcome centre, house entrance, stable yard (including Coach House Café), and entrance to the walled gardens
- Wheelchairs available
Five manual wheelchairs available from the welcome centre on a first come first served basis
- By road
If travelling on M27, take junction 2 or 3 (M271) following signs to Romsey. Once you have reached Romsey, follow signs to Stockbridge (A3057). 3.5 miles down the A3057 turn left, following the brown tourist information signs to Mottisfont. If travelling on the M3, take junction 8 – A303 towards Andover. Follow the road sign posted to Stockbridge and follow signs to Romsey (A3057). Approximately 3 miles from Stockbridge you drive through a village called Kings Somborne; drive through the village on the same road. Approximately 2 miles further on you will see a brown tourist information road sign on the right to Mottisfont.
Sat Nav: Use Sat Nav SO51 0LN to reach the car park
- On foot
Mottisfont is on the Test Way, a long-distance walking route spanning from Inkpen Beacon to Eling. You can use either Stockbridge to the north or Romsey to the south as starting points for a long walk to Mottisfont - both towns are roughly five miles away. Find out more about walking the Test Way via the Hampshire Country Council website: https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/countryside/walking/testway
- By train
Mottisfont & Dunbridge station is just over a mile away on foot, across fields and some country roads. There is no taxi rank at the station – the nearest taxi companies are based in Romsey. To walk, head north from the station, following the sign directing you to Mottisfont. Look out for the fingerpost sign which directs you into a field on the right. This is a public-access footpath, but please be aware that these fields will contain livestock for much of the year. Follow the path upward through the field, crossing into a second field via a gate at the top of the hill. Continue to follow the path, which will lead you across and out of the field to join on to a tarmacked lane, Hatt Lane. Head right here until you meet a small junction which joins Hatt Lane up to Oakley Road. Head right along this road, following the finger post to Mottisfont. This is a quiet country road, but it’s narrow with quite sharp turns in places and some poor visibility ahead, so please be careful while you walk. Keep following this road until you can turn into the visitor car park on your left.
- Cycling
The Test Way running from Romsey to Stockbridge. It is approximately 2 miles off the main route either off Lower Brook (if travelling from Stockbridge) or just past Awbridge and Kimbridge (if travelling from Romsey) Follow National Trust signs to the main entrance. We are also off the cycle route 24, which runs from Bath to Southampton. We are 0.2 miles off the main route. Bike racks are provided for those cycling to us.
Planning your visit
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Family-friendly things to do at Mottisfont
Discover Mottisfont’s Wild Play area, river and meadow. There are activities every school holiday, plus lots of places to picnic, plus snacks in our cafes. Baby changing facilities available.
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Visiting Mottisfont with your dog
Mottisfont is a two pawprint rated place. Dogs on a short lead are welcome to explore most of the garden.
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Visiting Mottisfont with your group
Whether you're looking to take in one of the exhibitions, discover Mottisfont’s history or simply stroll through beautiful gardens, we'll ensure that your group has a great day out.
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Highlights
House
18th-century house with medieval priory at its heart, which was transformed into a Neo-classical home in the 1930s
Art and exhibitions
Permanent collection of 20th-century art on display in the house and changing exhibitions in second-floor gallery
Garden
Riverside walkways and an ancient spring. Magnificent trees, seasonal planting, and significant collection of roses that flower in early summer
Estate
Enjoy winter walks of wildlife and flora-rich countryside at Mottisfont and beyond. Explore Hampshire’s stunning seasonal landscapes, from woodland walks, the marshes and downlands of Stockbridge, discover the New Forest and the natural beauty of Curbridge Nature Reserve.
Wild play area
Wooden climbing frames, platforms and balance beams
Eating
Treat yourself after a walk around the gardens with a hot drink or light lunch at one of our cafes.
Shopping
Explore our selection of local products in the Shop and gardening resources in the Plant Centre, located in the Welcome Centre.
Second-hand Bookshop
Tucked away in the corner of the stables, you will find our second-hand bookshop, stocked with hundreds of pre-loved books, spanning all genres and containing a good read for all ages.
Spotlight events
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New exhibition: The Making of the Mottisfont Angel
Explore the life and work of the Russian-born mosaicist, including his close connections to both Mottisfont and to creative collective the Bloomsbury group.
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Coming up for May half term
Grow and Play activities, 24 May to 1 June: Follow our trail to find six fun activities around the gardens. Test your wriggling and rolling skills in our Bug Olympics arena, plant up sunflowers to take home and tackle the Little Gardeners’ obstacle course with mini wheelbarrows and balance beams. Free, with normal admission.
Things to see and do
Article
Family-friendly things to do at Mottisfont
Discover Mottisfont’s Wild Play area, river and meadow. There are activities every school holiday, plus lots of places to picnic, plus snacks in our cafes. Baby changing facilities available.
Article
The Rose Garden at Mottisfont
The National Collection of Pre-1900 Shrub Roses reaches its peak flowering season in early summer for a spectacular annual display.
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The garden at Mottisfont
Enjoy every season at Mottisfont, with its ancient trees and babbling brooks, from rich autumn foliage and the scented Winter Garden, to spring bulbs and, of course, the world-famous Rose Garden.
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The house and gallery at Mottisfont
Explore Maud Russell’s 1930s neo-classical interiors, in an 18th-century house with medieval origins and enjoy changing art exhibitions in the spacious gallery.
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Explore the Mottisfont estate
Explore Mottisfont’s diverse estate, traversed by the crystal-clear River Test, and south Hampshire countryside sites of Stockbridge Down and Marsh and Curbridge Nature Reserve.
Top trails
Trail
Mottisfont estate walk
Discover the beautiful, diverse Mottisfont estate on a varied circular walk through ancient woodlands, historic farmland and Mottisfont village.
Eating and shopping
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Eating at Mottisfont
Treat yourself to a snack and drink at one of the cafés after a wander in the garden.
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Shopping at Mottisfont
Discover a delightful range of local products, from handcrafted soaps and hand creams to unique jewelry and locally sourced beverages. The plant centre features a seasonal selection, including winter plants and vibrant spring bulbs to brighten up your garden. For book enthusiasts, the second-hand bookshop at Mottisfont offers a wide range of genres too.
Upcoming events
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Women artists in the Derek Hill collection
To mark the launch of a fascinating new book Women Artists and Designers at the National Trust, Mottisfont is shining a spotlight on four important works from its own collection, by influential female artists, Gwen John and Barbara Hepworth and...
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The making of the Mottisfont Angel: The Artistic Legacy of Boris Anrep
Step into the world of Boris Anrep, the visionary artist behind some of Britain’s most celebrated mosaics. From the grandeur of the National Gallery to the intimate setting of Mottisfont.
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Grow, Explore, Play - May half-term
This May half-term, bring your little explorers to Mottisfont for 6 exciting activities around the grounds - perfect for outdoor fun and discovering the wonders of nature!
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Guided walks along the River Test at Mottisfont
Tuesdays and Wednesdays until September, 11.30am and 2pm: a rare chance to walk along the banks the River Test, to find out more about the importance of chalk steams and the work we do to protect them.
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Rose Garden Late Evenings at Mottisfont
Experience the annual spectacle of Mottisfont’s world-famous rose garden as day turns to dusk. Our beautiful walled garden, home to the National Collection of pre-1900 shrub roses, is at its most spectacular in early summer; a fragrant, romantic...
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Dear Future: I Leave This Place For You - Mottisfont Christmas Special
Find out how a gift in your will can help us protect and preserve the special places in our care.
About Mottisfont
Ancient trees, bubbling brooks and rolling lawns frame this 18th-century house with a medieval priory at its heart.
Maud Russell made Mottisfont her home in the 1930s, bringing artists here to relax and create works inspired by Mottisfont’s past, including an extraordinary drawing-room painted by Rex Whistler. We continue those artistic traditions today, with a permanent 20th-century art collection and major exhibitions in our top-floor gallery.
Outside, carpets of spring bulbs, a stunning walled rose garden, rich autumn leaves and a colourful winter garden make Mottisfont a feast for the senses all year round. Our world-famous collection of old-fashioned roses flowers once a year in June. Winding paths meander through stately trees, with the sound of water never far away.
There’s space to run, jump and play, and always something for families to do.
We also look after 1600 acres of woodland and tenanted farmland in the local area, including Stockbridge Down and Marsh, and Curbridge Nature Reserve. Our wider estate is a wonderful place to explore, take a relaxing walk and take in the sights of some of Hampshire's most glorious countryside.
History
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The history of Mottisfont
Discover Mottisfont’s eight centuries of history and transformation. From medieval priory to the 18th-century structure, housing Maud Russell’s stylish 20th-century redevelopment.
Art and collections
Mottisfont's objects and collections
Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Mottisfont on the National Trust Collections website.
Our work
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Our work in the garden at Mottisfont
We make compost in vast quantities at Mottisfont, keeping the soil healthy and ensuring the garden, including the famous rose collection, is looking its very best.
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Our work on the estate at Mottisfont
Our work managing Mottisfont’s river and woodlands aims to create a wildlife-rich habitat, find out more about how we care for the estate.
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Our work in the south-west Hampshire countryside
We’re doing lots of work to look after the countryside sites of Stockbridge Down, Stockbridge Marsh and Curbridge Nature Reserve in order to provide key habitats for rare species.
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From Addis Ababa to Hampshire: developing climate-resilient gardens
As part of the International National Trust Organisation’s Withstanding Change project, National Trust teams at Hinton Ampner and Mottisfont in Hampshire have been working closely with Heritage Watch Ethiopia to learn about adapting their gardens to climate change.
Support us
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Volunteering at Mottisfont
Find out how you could join us - whether you're looking to make new friends, develop skills or simply want to be part of something you're passionate about.