Visiting Barrington Court's house

Visitors on the South front of Barrington Court, Somerset | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Barrington Court is home to a beautiful Tudor mansion that went through an impressive restoration during the 1920s. Nestled in the Somerset countryside, the home is full of mystery and has a real sense of freedom. It doesn’t have a collection, which means visitors are free to explore the space and discover the soul of the house while also appreciating the passion that went into its restoration.

Court house closure

Court House is currently closed after weather conditions damaged part of the roof. The house will remain closed for some time as we need to carry out research to ensure we restore and repair using the correct materials and tools whilst minimising environmental impact.

Colonel Lyle’s collection

Barrington Court was taken on by Colonel Lyle and his wife ‘Ronnie’ in 1920. The next five years saw a major restoration project at the Tudor mansion. Colonel Lyle had a passion for collecting historic woodwork and fireplaces rescued from lost houses.

With the help of the architect James Edwin Forbes, Lyle put a lot of his collection to good use at Barrington Court. For example, the staircase in the east hall is believed to have been saved from a Scottish castle. Other items he acquired include linenfold panelling, fireplaces and surrounds.

The Great Hall

Barrington Court’s Great Hall resonates with the atmosphere of parties past. This is where people would have gathered to celebrate a family occasion, have a weekend party with friends or even hold a fancy dress ball.

The room would have been full of laughter, music and dancing, while the golden stars shimmered in a midnight-blue ceiling. You can imagine gossiping guests gazing down on the room from the minstrels’ gallery.

The bath taps and blue-and-white Delft tiles in the bathroom at Barrington Court, Somerset — The taps and tiles in Barrington Court's bathroom | © National Trust Images / Andrew Butler

Historic bathrooms

There are several historic bathrooms to discover at Barrington Court. Visitors can glimpse the Tudor garderobe on the climb up the east staircase. However, the master bedroom is home to a more sophisticated bathroom, which boasts an Edwardian flushing water closet.

All of Barrington’s ‘modern’ bathrooms contain beautiful hand-painted tiles, selected by Ronnie Lyle.

The Long Gallery

One of Barrington Court’s most stunning features is the Long Gallery. Running the length of the attic floor, it would have been used for indoor exercise during the Tudor era.

However, by the 20th century, it was in need of repair. In fact, when Canon Rawnsley, co-founder of the National Trust, visited Barrington Court in 1907 he described the Long Gallery as being ‘full of holes, providing a great home for owls’.

Fortunately, Colonel Lyle restored the gallery’s walls using his collection of panelling. In fact, many pieces contain wonderful details and marquetry, including a skull and crossbones as well as an axeman’s block.

Strode House

Barrington Court is a house of two halves. Strode house was originally a stable block, built in 1674. The grand, red brick building bears the initials of William Strode II, who displayed his wealth by housing his horses and carriages in style.

Almost 250 years later, the Lyles remodelled and restored Strode House. This included adding a connecting corridor from the main building to Strode House.