Lady’s 9 Stately Homes Near London You Should Visit

I recently wrote about stately homes in London, and today I want to broaden my scope. There are a lot more of these houses dotted around the capital, and it’s worth venturing out of the city to visit them. If you want to know which ones are worth the trip, today I bring you A Lady in London’s guide to my top picks for stately homes near London.

Stately Homes Near London

If you’re unfamiliar with the term stately home, it’s a historic mansion. These buildings span centuries and architectural styles, but they’re all grand in their own way.

From Tudor gems to Georgian piles, they’re living testaments to their times and those that have followed.

Some of these houses have remained relatively unchanged over the centuries. Others have modernized with the times. Some retain their original art and furniture. Others require some imagination.

But what they all have in common is their appeal to those that want to step into another time, place, or world.

Visiting Stately Homes Near London

All the houses on my list are open to visitors, but check opening hours before you go to ensure they’re open when you want to see them. Some are closed on certain days or for entire periods of the year, and others have limited hours.

Most of these places are best accessed by car, as many aren’t close to towns and train stations. That said, some, like Hatfield House and Sissinghurst Castle, can be visited by train from London. You can find more information online.

Wherever, however, and whenever you go, I hope you enjoy visiting them.

1. Petworth House

In West Sussex, the pretty town of Petworth is home to an impressive stately home near London called Petworth House.

This 17th-century mansion has an outstanding art collection featuring paintings by Van Dyck, Reynolds, Titian, Turner, and Blake. There are also classical and Neoclassical sculptures and intricate wood-carvings by Grinling Gibbons.

The surrounding gardens and grounds at Petworth House were designed by acclaimed 18th-century landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

This is a great place to visit if you like fine art and landscape architecture.

2. Hatfield House

Up in Hertfordshire, Hatfield House is set in a large green space called the Great Park on the edge of the town of Hatfield.

Built in 1611 for Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, it’s a great example of Jacobean architecture and craftsmanship.

The interior of Hatfield House features fine carvings and rare stained glass, as well as art and historic mementos collected by the family over the course of their 400-year occupancy.

The deer park surrounding the house once belonged to Henry VIII. Today the grounds are full of gardens with yew hedges, water features, fountains, and flowers.

This is a great place to visit if you want somewhere easily accessible by train and enjoy seeing historic interiors.

3. Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle is another of the best stately homes near London. This stunning structure in Hampshire dates back to 1679 and was transformed into the house it is today by architect Sir Charles Barry in 1842.

The house, interiors, and grounds were used in the filming of Downton Abbey. It’s a popular place for fans to visit to feel like they’re stepping into the world of Lord and Lady Grantham.

It’s worth touring the house to see the rooms where Downton Abbey was filmed. There’s also an Egyptian exhibition in the cellars that details the discovery of the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

There’s a lot to see outside, too. The grounds were designed by Capability Brown and are worth exploring to see their gardens, follies, and views.

This is the perfect place to visit if you’re a Downton Abbey fan.

4. Polesden Lacey

Down in Surrey, Polesden Lacey is a beautiful Edwardian house in which its original owner, Mrs Greville, entertained royalty and celebrities during her time (Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, even came here on her honeymoon).

Inside, the Gold Saloon was designed to impress maharajahs, and there’s an important collection of art and ceramics. From Dutch Old Masters to Faberge specials, there’s a lot to admire.

The gardens at Polesden Lacey feature climbing roses, herbaceous borders, and views across the Surrey Hills. There are acres of countryside to explore and marked walking paths, so it’s a great place to get into nature as well.

This is the ideal place to visit if you like historic glamor or country walks.

5. Blenheim Palace

Out near Oxford, Blenheim Palace is among the top stately homes near London for good reason. It’s the only non-royal, non-episcopal English country house to hold the title of palace.

Winston Churchill was born here, and the enormous mansion and surrounding grounds are awe-inspiring. Visitors can take a tour of the State Rooms to see impressive paintings, tapestries, and furniture.

The Formal Gardens are worth a wander, and there’s a yew tree maze for kids of all ages to play in. There are regular events throughout the year, so it’s worth timing a visit to coincide with something special.

This is a great place to visit if you like lavish interiors and period decor.

6. Knole

Out in Sevenoaks, Kent, Knole is one of the largest stately homes near London. With over 600 years of history, it was originally built as an archbishop’s palace and is now home to the Sackville family.

Knole’s interiors are full of historic art and furnishings. There are paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough, and Van Dyck here, as well as internationally important 17th-century tapestries and furniture. The silver is impressive, too.

Outside, visitors can explore the grounds, which started life as a medieval deer park and still have a lot of deer today.

There’s everything from courtyards to an orangery to explore, as well as winding paths through the parkland. You can even do my Sevenoaks walk if you want to discover more of the area.

Knole is the perfect place to visit if you love a mix of art, history, and the outdoors.

7. Sissinghurst Castle

Also in Kent and also related to the Sackville family, Sissinghurst Castle was the home of writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson.

This stately home is known for its gardens, which have incredible flower beds in their series of cultivated rooms. There are also bluebell woods that come into bloom in the spring.

Visitors can enjoy panoramic views from the top of the tower, too.

This is a great place to visit if you love gardens or want to travel by train (it’s a bit of a walk from the station, but a pleasant one).

8. Dorney Court

Out in Buckinghamshire, Dorney Court is one of the best Tudor stately homes near London. Dating back to the 15th-century, this early Tudor manor house has changed little over its 600-year lifetime.

Inside the house, there’s a wealth of family portraits, traditional oak furniture, carved paneling, silks, and tapestries. The furnishings tell the story of the house’s history, with each successive generation having left its mark.

Outside, there are landscaped gardens and herbaceous borders. The house overlooks ancient yew hedges and flocks of sheep in the surrounding meadows, too.

This is the ideal place to visit if you like Tudor architecture and historic interiors.

9. Burghley House

Up in Cambridgeshire, Burghley House is one of England’s largest and grandest Elizabethan houses.

The interiors of Burghley House feature Italian Old Masters, Oriental and European ceramics, fine English and Continental furniture, 17th-century Objects of Vertu, and English portrait miniatures.

The house is also home to one of the Western world’s finest collections of Chinese Snuff Bottles.

Outside, the gardens and parkland were largely designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century. The Garden of Surprises and the Sculpture Garden in particular are worth seeing.

This is an ideal place to visit if you like a mix of historic interiors and beautiful gardens.

Stately Homes near London and Beyond

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through my list of stately homes near London.

There are a lot more historic mansions to visit throughout the rest of the UK, and they’ll inspire your inner history lover, art appreciator, or countryside adorer. Happy exploring!

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