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Lytes Cary Manor
Intimate manor house with Arts and Crafts-style garden. Please note that Lytes Cary is closed for the winter and will re-open on Saturday 10 February 2024. Nearby Montacute House and Barrington Court are open, see website for details.
near Somerton, Somerset, TA11 7HU
Important notice
Please note that Lytes Cary is closed for the winter and will re-open on Saturday 10 February 2024. Nearby Montacute House and Barrington Court are open, see property website for details.
Opening times for 4 December 2023
Asset Opening time Manor house Closed Estate walks Closed Garden Closed Tea-room Closed MTWTFSS2728293012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031OpenPartially openClosedWhole property
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £13.20 £12.00 Child £6.60 £6.00 Family £33.00 £30.00 1 adult family £19.80 £18.00 Group Adult £11.40 Group Child £5.70 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Assistance dogs only
Assistance dogs only in the formal garden, house and tea-room.
Dogs
Dogs welcome on the wider estate and the tea-room courtyard.
Book shop
Tea room
Car park
Toilet
Blue Badge parking. Accessible toilet. Garden has uneven and narrow paths. Ground floor of house mostly accessible with assistance.
Accessible toilet
Steps/uneven terrain
Conservation work is happening in the garden, which will affect access for disabled people in September and October 2023.
Designated parking
Wheelchairs available
Narrow corridors
By road
off A372. Signposted, 1 mile from A303 (London to Exeter)
Parking: 40 yards
By train
Yeovil Pen Mill 8 miles; Castle Cary 9 miles; Yeovil Junction 10 miles
By bus
Wells to Yeovil; Taunton to Yeovil (passing close Taunton train station). Both pass within ¾ mile Yeovil Pen Mill train station. Alight Kingsdon, 1 mile
By bicycle
Planning your visit
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Visiting Lytes Cary Manor with your dog
With plenty of space for country walks your dog will enjoy adventures here. Discover the best places to take your dog and facilities available. Lytes Cary Manor is a two pawprint rated place.
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Group visits to Lytes Cary Manor
Whether you’re spending a whole day here or simply need somewhere to stretch the legs during a group tour around the South West, Lytes Cary Manor is a real hidden gem.
Highlights
House
A medieval manor house originally the home of Henry Lyte. Restored by Sir Walter Jenner in the early 20th century.
Chapel
Completed in 1348, the chapel predates the manor house.
Farm buildings
Clustered around the manor house are stables, a milking parlour and cattle houses where barn owls roost.
Garden
An Arts and Crafts-inspired garden with a collection of topiary, herbaceous borders, croquet lawn and orchard.
Estate
A 350-acre estate with farmland, woodland copses, meadows and a stretch of the River Cary. Three waymarked walks.
Tea-room
A small tea-room with indoor and outdoor seating that serves a range of hot and cold drinks, and light snacks.
Book Barn
Small second-hand book shop located in the old cow sheds.
Natural play area
Wooded play area along the White Walk on the estate.
Things to see and do
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Things to see and do in Lytes Cary Manor house
Find out about exploring the manor and the objects on display inside. See a 16th-century herbal book translated into English, leather mannequins and an embroidered mirror.
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Things to see in the garden at Lytes Cary Manor
Explore the garden and see the unusual shaped topiary trees and hedges or catch the light on the sundial in the orchard.
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Exploring the estate at Lytes Cary Manor
Get outdoors and explore the waymarked paths through the historic country estate. Look out for wildlife including chiffchaffs, roe deer and water voles that call this place home.
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Family-friendly things to do at Lytes Cary Manor
Learn about some of the wildlife that thrives here and the carved characters and creatures you may spot in the house or simply enjoy some quality time in the great outdoors.
Eating and shopping
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Eating and shopping at Lytes Cary Manor
The tea-room serves light bites, drinks and sweet treats. Browse the selection in the second-hand book barn and find a pre-loved read to take home.
Places to stay
Lytes Cary
Stay in the west wing of Lytes Cary Manor within the Arts and Crafts inspired garden.
3 Lytes Cottage
Stay in the grounds of the Lytes Cary estate in this pretty Victorian cottage.
Tintinhull House
Stay in part of this idyllic Somerset house among the formal garden of Tintinhull.
Odcombe Lodge
A grade II-listed gatehouse with a pretty, private garden, at the entrance to Elizabethan masterpiece Montacute House.
Montacute South Lodge
A decorative gate lodge with a spacious interior that retains many original features.
1 Strode House
An elegant stay in the grounds of Tudor manor, Barrington Court.
Lyle's Apartment
A unique apartment in the grand former stables of Barrington Court, sitting right next door to the incredible Tudor manor house.
About Lytes Cary Manor
Lytes Cary Manor is an intimate medieval manor house with a beautiful Arts and Crafts-style garden where you can imagine living.
Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herball book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner.
The garden rooms contain a magical collection of topiary and herbaceous borders, while tranquil walks on the estate take you along the River Cary.
To complete your visit, take a stroll among our community allotments and discover their creative and colourful designs.
Art and collections
Lytes Cary Manor's objects and collections
Explore the objects and works of art we care for at [Property name] on the National Trust Collections website.
History
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History of Lytes Cary Manor
Find out about the people who lived here including those rewarded by royalty and a couple who rescued the manor from decay. See how the manor and garden changed over time.
Our work
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Our work at Lytes Cary Manor estate
Volunteers, staff and farm tenants worked to improve flower-rich grasslands and Lytes Cary has been designated as one of two exemplary sites for the endangered shrill carder bee.
Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management kindly supports South Somerset
Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management has a long-standing relationship with the National Trust in the south west. Aiming to offer the highest ethical principles and best service standards of any financial adviser in the UK, with locally based offices across southern England. These include Sherborne, and a newly opened location in Richmond-upon-Thames. We’re very pleased that they’re kindly continuing to support the South Somerset portfolio.
Support us
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Volunteering at Lytes Cary Manor
As a small property, Lytes Cary is grateful for the help and commitment of volunteers and we’re happy to hear from people interested in joining us. Find out more about how to apply.