The Bridgerton factor has brought a stream of new visitors to Britain’s stately homes — including some where you can stay over. To celebrate the return of Netflix’s Regency soap opera here are the best self-catering properties for living out your lord (or lady) of the manor fantasies, from the west wing of a Scottish palace to a converted gatehouse that looks like a mini castle. The cravats and gowns are down to you.
1. Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
Stay overnight at one of Sudeley’s self-catering properties and you get free entry to the castle
Extravagant crenelations give Sudeley Castle the look of a picture book castle and, the final resting place of Henry VIII’s widow Katherine Parr, it has the backstory to match (£22; sudeleycastle.co.uk). It’s now home to Lady Ashcombe, who has used items from her furniture collection to decorate some of the 17 self-catering properties scattered across the estate. They include a spacious Cotswolds stone farmhouse and a converted gatehouse designed to be Sudeley’s “mini me”. Overnight guests benefit from free admission to the castle and gardens, where they can explore a rose garden beloved by four English queens and an aviary filled with wandering pheasants. The nearby market town of Winchcombe is full of half-timbered houses as well as independent shops and restaurants, including Michelin-starred 5 North Street.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for three from £359 (boltholeretreats.co.uk)
2. Houghton Hall, Houghton, Norfolk
The cosy West Lodge is one of four modest structures built to guard the entrances of Houghton Hall
JILL TATE
This Palladian-style mansion is home to the world’s largest private collection of model soldiers — joined this year by a shadow army of 100 lifesized sculptures by Antony Gormley (until 31 October, £22; houghtonhall.com). Houghton was built in the 1720s for Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first prime minister, and its cosy West Lodge is one of the modest structures added a century later to guard the entrances. It’s almost monastic in its simplicity, and the Lodge’s neat rooms have large windows looking out onto the surrounding woodland. It’s less than a half-hour drive to the knockout beach at Holkham. While you’re in mid-Norfolk walk a section of the 46-mile Peddars Way — an arrow-straight National Trail that follows the route of an old Roman road.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for two from £364 (landmarktrust.org.uk)
3. Florence Court, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
Rose Cottage has views of the orchard and after-hours access to 18th-century Florence Court
MIKE HENTON/NATIONAL TRUST
Newly acquired by the National Trust, red-brick Rose Cottage was once the residence of the head gardener at Florence Court, an 18th-century mansion famed for its rococo plasterwork and Irish antiques (£13; nationaltrust.org.uk). Guests at the creeper-strewn, two-bedroom hideaway have views over the apple orchard and after-hours access to the estate so they can meditate undisturbed in the shade of an ancient yew — said to be the mother of all Irish yews. On the horizon are the Cuilcagh mountains, five miles away, the summit of which can be reached by a boardwalk. Afterwards pop into nearby Enniskillen for a pint — Blakes of the Hollow is a well-loved Victorian pub and hosts live music.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for four from £270 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
4. Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne, Lincolnshire
Grimsthorpe’s Summer Folly has whimsical design, including handmade frescoes inspired by Pompeii
DAVID CURRAN/UNIQUE HOMESTAYS
The final creation of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh (who designed Blenheim Palace), Grimsthorpe’s Summer Folly began life as a seasonal party pad, a place for the resident de Eresby family to host visitors on fancy picnics. It’s still appealingly whimsical in feel, from its hand-painted, Pompeii-inspired frescoes and Moroccan-tiled kitchen to a cinema snug and a croquet lawn. A stay includes unlimited access to the castle’s magnificently ornate rooms, as well as the gardens and woodland landscaped by Capability Brown, and an adventure playground (park and gardens, £10, castle, £16; grimsthorpe.co.uk). For the full country experience book in for clay pigeon shooting or take a ramble around Rutland Water, a half-hour drive away.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £1,850 (uniquehomestays.com)
5. Osborne, East Cowes, Isle of Wight
Guests at the two-bedroom Pavilion Cottage have after-hours access to Queen Victoria’s private beach
ENGLISH HERITAGE
“It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot,” said Queen Victoria of her cherished palace by the sea. Italian-influenced and the colour of Amalfi lemons, Osborne is made for clement summer strolling amid ornate terraced gardens (£24; english-heritage.org.uk). Don’t miss the Alpine-style Swiss Cottage, former playhouse of the royal children, and the Rhododendron Walk to Her Majesty’s private beach — which overnight guests have all to themselves after hours. Choose between staying in one of the two former gatehouses or the charming converted cricket pavilion, ideal for squeezing in a quick over before breakfast. It’s Close to East Cowes and — over the river — Cowes, both great spots from which to watch boats bob by, even if you’re not in town for the famous summer regatta.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for four from £465 (english-heritage.org.uk)
6. Scone Palace, Perth, Perth and Kinross
Peacocks roam the grounds of the 19th-century Scone Palace
VISITSCOTLAND/KENNY LAM
Historically, Scottish monarchs were crowned at Scone (pronounced “skoon”), which gets a mention in Macbeth. The original palace was rebuilt into its castle-like form in the 19th century, and still looks suitably regal. Peacocks strut the dazzling grounds — which include a maze and butterfly garden — and inside lavish rooms are hung with noble portraiture (£19; scone-palace.co.uk). Overnight guests stay in the big house, in the plush Balvaird Wing, which has River Tay views, or the capacious West Passage (be sure to bagsy the four-poster). For the full aristo experience book dinner cooked by the palace’s private chef. It’s a little more than an hour’s drive north of Edinburgh, so swing by Loch Leven — and its atmospheric waterside castle — en route.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for six from £900 (scone-palace.co.uk)
7. Wallington, Morpeth, Northumberland
Wash House Cottage, in Wallington’s courtyard, is surrounded by walking and cycling trails
MIKE HENTON/NATIONAL TRUST
Donated to the National Trust by the socialist MP Charles Philips Trevelyan, this imposing grey mansion may look rather austere, but inside is a cornucopia of riches. Highlights include huge pre-Raphaelite paintings around the central hall, and the dining room’s rococo-style ceiling featuring double-headed eagles and garlands of flowers (£18; nationaltrust.org.uk). The grounds feel purpose-built for period intrigue, whether it’s a tryst in the walled garden hidden in the woods or a dawn excursion to spot otters and red squirrels. Self-catering options on site include a cosy former wash house as well as a luxurious lake house, and you’ll have free access to all National Trust properties during your stay — including the extraordinary Arts and Crafts mansion Cragside, a half-hour drive away.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for five from £385 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
Which is your favourite stately home? Let us know in the comments below
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