Burghley House
Burghley House
4.5
About
This historic Elizabethan house (circa 1587) features a serpentine park that was designed by Lancelot Brown and a gothic greenhouse and stables.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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- leigh5556Northamptonshire, United Kingdom13 contributionsWonderful SundayWe had a fabulous time here. We saw the house and gardens and stayed for five hours including a break in the Orangery. There was so much to see. The house was fantastic and the information from the guides in each room was first rate. We loved the Garden of Surprises! We also did the Halloween quiz, although we may have been a little old for it....We were blessed with glorious weather but I'm sure the experience would be great in most weathers. The walk round the park was fantastic. Every member of staff we met was lovely. The only quibble-the queue in the Orangery was horrendous, but to be fair, it was Sunday lunchtime. I'd thoroughly recommend a trip to Burghley House.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 October 2023
- Chas DUnited Kingdom17 contributionsExcellent venue, well worth the travel and the price. Highly recommended.Having run out of National Trust and English Heritage sites to visit, we have started visiting other venues. I recall visiting Burghley House about 40 years ago and being very impressed and decided to make it one of our weekly trips. We were not disappointed, in any way. I am disabled and parking facilities were provided nearer to the entrance than the main car park. At the ticket counter to the house, we were pleased to find that we were given a discount for being English Heritage members. It is very difficult to comment on the experience of the house itself. The rooms and exhibits are nothing less than stunning and extensive and it hard not to express a superlative on entering every room or part of the house. So many wonderful paintings and astonishing ceilings. There were staff available to help explain various exhibits and plenty of chairs available for people like myself who have several health problems and need to rest occasionally. The only disappointing experience was in the cafeteria, where one piece of carrot cake and 2 teas cost over Ā£9, which does seem rather a lot. However, no-one seemed deterred. We would certainly visit again and highly recommend this very special placeVisited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 October 2023
- Felicity2018Woking, United Kingdom51 contributionsA fabulous tripOut of the very many stately homes we have visited over the years, Burghley stands out by far as the best, from the excellent entrance right to the very end we were enthralled by each room and the very knowledgable guides. The video on admittance was so informative about the ancestry etc., a brilliant production. A visit to the gardens is a must as even a5 this time of year, are beautiful. I would highly recommend Burghley to be on everyoneās list of things to do if in the areaVisited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 26 October 2023
- pabPeak District National Park, United Kingdom287 contributionsLong overdue tripLive in the area but never done the house tour. So looked forward to it and even decided to go on the guided tour with Kevin. Was not disappointed and found it fascinating. Would well recommend it and Kevin was very knowledgable. Ask him about Olivia Coleman š Gardens good as well but didnāt give enough time to do both. You need 3 hrs minVisited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 27 October 2023
- AdrianS2403Enfield, United Kingdom709 contributionsA beautiful country house with a rich history.I used to live in Stamford and have not visited Burghley House for a long time. It was great to see the improvements to the visitor experience since the mid 1970's! Such a rich tapestry of artwork, furniture and china. Well worth a visit.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 March 2024
- Helene DCwmbran, United Kingdom35 contributionsIt's a must!Omg this place is amazing. It was our anniversary and we decided to go to Burghley not knowing much except it was the home of Robert Cecil. It is much much more. The visitor experience is excellent, 10/10. It's imaginative and engaging as well as educational. The restaurant was lovely, the staff could not do enough for you and it was very busy. And the Garden of Surprises. My husband and I had so much fun, it's wonderful, such a brilliant idea. If you're in the area, it's a must, well worth the entrance fee, it's a whole day outVisited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 March 2024
- Martin MGreater London, United Kingdom9 contributionsGreat family day outWe had an amazing day out as a family. The kids loved the adventure playground, and the Easter egg hunt in the sculpture park was great. The team did at Burghley did a brilliant job bringing Easter to life.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 31 March 2024
- joseptuRetford, United Kingdom126 contributionsA lovely dayFirst time visiting the house and gardens today and we were really pleased by our visit and had a lovely enjoyable day. We went round the house first and thought it was one of the best we had been around. You get to see plenty of rooms and they are done out well. The house is not overcrowded and the art on the walls and ceilings is fantastic. We then called at the orangery for a bite to eat. We both ordered the lamb burger which came promptly and we thought the price very reasonable for what we had. We then went round the gardens and although not the biggest were nice for the time of year and the garden of surprises was very different. We enjoyed sitting by the lake and relaxing for a while before heading back for another drink and piece of cake at the orangery as the garden cafe was busy and no seats available. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our day out and thought the price of the house and gardens was fantastic value for money in comparison to other houses we have been round. Also think itās fantastic you can park your car and enjoy the park for free with your dog. We will be coming back.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 April 2024
- Oggie43Cambridge, United Kingdom35 contributionsGreat tour guide ....When we arrived we were lucky to get the last two spaces on a guided tour...and what a tour it was. Big shout out to Rob who led it for being informative, interesting and funny. It was an hour and a half tour and the quality remained throughout. He kept everyone's attention and was just brilliant. Burghley was fabulous. We ran out of time to see the gardens but the ticket lasts for a year so we plan to return.Visited April 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 15 April 2024
- Kev575Boston, United Kingdom150 contributionsExcellent gardens visited under NGSWent here for the second year on the trot as part of the National Garden Scheme open day. The gardens were even better than we remembered, the water garden is especially good. It is great to wander around & see all the interesting sculptures in the landscape. The garden centre & garden cafe are excellent & surprisingly good value as well.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 April 2024
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4.5
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stationhouse26
Southend-on-Sea, UK67 contributions
Jun 2021 ā¢ Solo
Dear Burghley House. I have a few suggestions as someone who has visited a fair number of stately homes.
1). Shutting the gardens between 1-2pm so, as we were told, the staff can have lunch, is a tad annoying, we especially didnāt appreciate being herded out as it was due to shut. Because the gardens are shut at lunchtime, everyone made straight for the cafe ) where there was a long queue as it appeared junior staff had been left on their own at peak time). Therefore, there was not a seat to be had as there are only 3 benches by the gardens.
2) Paying an extra Ā£6 for 2 audio guides on top of the entry price was unexpected and unwelcome. - We were at Castle Howard the previous week and they had a good system of scanning a QR code on your phone and listening to an audio guide that way.
3) There are no room descriptions to read. I know there are knowledgeable guides stationed in the rooms but they were preoccupied with other guests and sometimes itās nice to read about a room at your leisure.
4) Numbering the sculptures in the garden and putting up a brief description of the artwork so that we can relate them back to something would be an idea . Everyone was milling about having no clue what they were looking at.
We felt a bit of an inconvenience to be honest and itās probably the least welcoming house weāve been to. We didnāt get offered the annual upgrade but probably wouldnāt return anyway.
1). Shutting the gardens between 1-2pm so, as we were told, the staff can have lunch, is a tad annoying, we especially didnāt appreciate being herded out as it was due to shut. Because the gardens are shut at lunchtime, everyone made straight for the cafe ) where there was a long queue as it appeared junior staff had been left on their own at peak time). Therefore, there was not a seat to be had as there are only 3 benches by the gardens.
2) Paying an extra Ā£6 for 2 audio guides on top of the entry price was unexpected and unwelcome. - We were at Castle Howard the previous week and they had a good system of scanning a QR code on your phone and listening to an audio guide that way.
3) There are no room descriptions to read. I know there are knowledgeable guides stationed in the rooms but they were preoccupied with other guests and sometimes itās nice to read about a room at your leisure.
4) Numbering the sculptures in the garden and putting up a brief description of the artwork so that we can relate them back to something would be an idea . Everyone was milling about having no clue what they were looking at.
We felt a bit of an inconvenience to be honest and itās probably the least welcoming house weāve been to. We didnāt get offered the annual upgrade but probably wouldnāt return anyway.
Written 14 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian T
Marlow, UK254 contributions
Aug 2020 ā¢ Friends
we visited for a friends birthday in August and we came in the morning. A parking space was relatively easy to find on the grounds and we parked up and entered the house. We were told that a mask had to be worn throughout which wasn't a problem however we did see gas without a mask which during the Covid pandemic is unacceptable and I feel like staff should be in forcing this and gas should be a little more respectful as they're in such an attraction.
we then went to the sculpture garden apart however our visit was cut short after a member of staff told us to leave as they said the gardens were closing. We felt like this was slightly unreasonable given that we've only spent 15 minutes in the sculpture garden and that there were still people queueing to get into the garden as we left.
we then went to the sculpture garden apart however our visit was cut short after a member of staff told us to leave as they said the gardens were closing. We felt like this was slightly unreasonable given that we've only spent 15 minutes in the sculpture garden and that there were still people queueing to get into the garden as we left.
Written 10 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WispyFairyWings
East Midlands, UK306 contributions
Aug 2020
Burghley House is a grand sixteenth-century English country house and it is stunning! We loved it here and it was also nice and quiet due to COVID-19 circulating. All staff had visors on and their one-way system worked wonderfully. Parking was free, the shop was nice and clean and we were able to get a free carers ticket. The only bad side is that there are lots of portraits around and not enough information on them in the room :(
In the shop, there is a portrait guide which is a bit unfair 1) because the shop is at the end 2) this is a mean way of making sure people buy the guide and return again and for that reason i've knocked a star off. There are so many portraits with wonerful stories but there's too many to ask the volunteer in the room about.
Toilets were nice and clean.
In the shop, there is a portrait guide which is a bit unfair 1) because the shop is at the end 2) this is a mean way of making sure people buy the guide and return again and for that reason i've knocked a star off. There are so many portraits with wonerful stories but there's too many to ask the volunteer in the room about.
Toilets were nice and clean.
Written 30 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KatieLiz58
Northamptonshire, UK14 contributions
Sept 2022
Very enjoyable time throughout our visit on Sat 24th Sept with the house and gardens all in immaculate condition.
Loved the 'Garden of Suprises' including the mirror maze, water features and sculpture garden. Coffee and delicious gluten-free cake enjoyed in the Orangery restaurant served by friendly smiling staff.
We were especially impressed with the room guides (who can make or break a visit like this). They made history come to life, explaining the subtle meanings behind the paintings, origins of the house contents and architectural changes to the house layout over the years in an informative yet charming way. With just the right balance of friendliness and professionalism they have very obviously been hand picked.
Great value at Ā£20pp especially as your ticket covers unlimited return visits for a whole year.
Will certainly be back in the Spring as too much to see on our first visit. Thank you for a lovely day.
Loved the 'Garden of Suprises' including the mirror maze, water features and sculpture garden. Coffee and delicious gluten-free cake enjoyed in the Orangery restaurant served by friendly smiling staff.
We were especially impressed with the room guides (who can make or break a visit like this). They made history come to life, explaining the subtle meanings behind the paintings, origins of the house contents and architectural changes to the house layout over the years in an informative yet charming way. With just the right balance of friendliness and professionalism they have very obviously been hand picked.
Great value at Ā£20pp especially as your ticket covers unlimited return visits for a whole year.
Will certainly be back in the Spring as too much to see on our first visit. Thank you for a lovely day.
Written 24 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom H
Alton, UK15 contributions
Nov 2022 ā¢ Friends
What a disappointment. Oversold event causes complete chaos and Christmas disaster. The event had sold out online which meant that it was already at capacity, however, they continue to sell hundreds of tickets on the gate (as these were more expensive). You could not access any of the stalls or food options. There were floods of people everywhere and you had to queue to enter or leave any area. This was an extremely poor Christmas fair. And they had the audacity to charge tickets to enter. There is no excuse for this. Do better. Stop putting money above the experience.
Written 30 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bob
Oakham, UK7 contributions
Nov 2021 ā¢ Friends
We have 3 favourite Great British Country House that we love to visit and never, ever get bored. Thatās Chatsworth, Burghley and Longleat. They are all privately owned and allow us jo blogs to invade their space And share the beauty of their house and land and how lucky are we, that I am truly grateful.
We are lucky enough to have Burghley on our doorstep and they never close the grounds to anyone.
Today we visited the Christmas Market and although it didnāt cost a lot to enter for a family of 4. We both came away 30mins after entering saying that wasnāt worth Ā£10 and went home.
There was nothing Christmassy about it. You walked up to a white picket fence and a line of tents with small businesses peddling their wares. None of them had any festive cheer. Just a steady stream of present finding peeps. Then there was the food court yard. Usually long slow queues, but I have to say better layout and used of space than 2 years ago.
The whole event lacked the main theme āChristmasā there was a bit of the nutcracker playing somewhere. No decorations, nothing remotely Christmassy. No random data of elves mooching about. It was a glorified open air market like any other day.
They missed a trick not having mulled wine stalls and hot chocolate stores near the gates or randomly sprinkled around or a few kids rides, a Santa and where where the big Christmas decorations stalls or ginger bread stalls. More to the point where weāre the Christmas decorations for a market?
We left with 2 hungry kids as the only really kid friendly stall had one poor young lady trying her best to fed a queue of about 50 whilst the boss sat at the back having what looked like a moment of melt down. We all have them!
Come in Burghley you do events well and this was so very very under average .l. If youāre selling and marketing a Christmas event at least have the main theme show up!
We are lucky enough to have Burghley on our doorstep and they never close the grounds to anyone.
Today we visited the Christmas Market and although it didnāt cost a lot to enter for a family of 4. We both came away 30mins after entering saying that wasnāt worth Ā£10 and went home.
There was nothing Christmassy about it. You walked up to a white picket fence and a line of tents with small businesses peddling their wares. None of them had any festive cheer. Just a steady stream of present finding peeps. Then there was the food court yard. Usually long slow queues, but I have to say better layout and used of space than 2 years ago.
The whole event lacked the main theme āChristmasā there was a bit of the nutcracker playing somewhere. No decorations, nothing remotely Christmassy. No random data of elves mooching about. It was a glorified open air market like any other day.
They missed a trick not having mulled wine stalls and hot chocolate stores near the gates or randomly sprinkled around or a few kids rides, a Santa and where where the big Christmas decorations stalls or ginger bread stalls. More to the point where weāre the Christmas decorations for a market?
We left with 2 hungry kids as the only really kid friendly stall had one poor young lady trying her best to fed a queue of about 50 whilst the boss sat at the back having what looked like a moment of melt down. We all have them!
Come in Burghley you do events well and this was so very very under average .l. If youāre selling and marketing a Christmas event at least have the main theme show up!
Written 28 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LesGUk
East Anglia, UK730 contributions
Aug 2021 ā¢ Couples
Lots of rooms open, far more than at many National Trust properties we have been to. The painted walls in the rooms and Hell's Staircase are unbelievable, they are fantastic. The kitchen reminded us of the one we had seen at Hampton Court, very impressed. Treasury held some interesting artifacts. The variety and quality of the furniture and painting on the wall was amazing.
Burghley gardens
Lots to see for young and old, plenty of open space as well for enjoying the outside. The sculpture garden is well worth strolling around, try to get a map before you go in so you don't miss anything.
The garden of surprise's is just that, something new at every turn, lots of water features. Very easy to take too many photos here. There are toilets near the entrance and the Garden Cafe. We had a small quiche and a cup of tea each it cost Ā£14.50, it was nice, service was good but prices are high.
Burghley gardens
Lots to see for young and old, plenty of open space as well for enjoying the outside. The sculpture garden is well worth strolling around, try to get a map before you go in so you don't miss anything.
The garden of surprise's is just that, something new at every turn, lots of water features. Very easy to take too many photos here. There are toilets near the entrance and the Garden Cafe. We had a small quiche and a cup of tea each it cost Ā£14.50, it was nice, service was good but prices are high.
Written 15 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loraine L
2 contributions
Mar 2023 ā¢ Couples
Enjoyed a beautiful walk around the grounds , admiring the magnificent house . Appreciated the free parking but was disgusted with the prices and ptns at the āGarden cafe ā spent just under Ā£12 on 2 drinks and a very thin slice of GF carrot cake , was standing waiting ages for drinks as only one staff making drinks and 1 machine . Firstly they wouldnāt accept Cash- which I really cannot understand why? and when finally got drinks , discovered cups only half full! A lady next to me in the drinks que opened her pricey Ham cob to discover 2 tiny pieces of ham not even visible without opening it up and hardly covering the bread. Rip off!! If the cafe is a private business within the Estate then it is greatly letting down the namesake and if it is part of Burleigh- maybe you should revise your portions and price accordingly!
Written 25 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WENDEB
Gainsborough, UK15 contributions
Jul 2021
The house and gardens are amazing and you can walk at your leisure around the grounds. Plants are available to buy. Parking is free. At this time though be prepared with your credit card as no cash is accepted. I wanted to buy some jewellery and had to ask a friend with me to use her card as I had only brought with me cash. The same in the coffee shop and restaurant, only cards. If you do not want to enter the eating areas, we took a picnic and sat near our car watching the deer while we ate. I do think some food is slightly overpriced, a scone with jam for example Ā£5.50. Meals in the restaurant are reasonable for where you are, the staff are amazing and very helpful. All wear masks and most visitors were as well. All in all a very enjoyable day out. Dogs are also welcome with plenty of grass playing areas for children as well.
Written 25 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie P
United Kingdom2,025 contributions
Aug 2021
Definitely worth a visit. We're a member of Historic Houses so this was one on the list we hadn't done. We ate in the Orchard restaurant before doing the house which was a bit disappointing. Limited menu and the chicken we chose was flavourless with lots of salad and few potatoes.
The house however was fabulous and there's lots to see. Guides in the rooms were knowledgeable and friendly. Afterwards we did the garden. I was expecting it to be bigger but actually it was a manageable size. Started with the Garden of Surprises which is fun - even for adults, then wandered round most of the sculptures. Sadly most of the sculptures are unnamed, so I bought a booklet afterwards, so I can read more. Didn't have time for the parkland, lake or Lion bridge. Plenty of parking. There are steps and no lifts in the house and some of the surfaces are uneven and rough.
The house however was fabulous and there's lots to see. Guides in the rooms were knowledgeable and friendly. Afterwards we did the garden. I was expecting it to be bigger but actually it was a manageable size. Started with the Garden of Surprises which is fun - even for adults, then wandered round most of the sculptures. Sadly most of the sculptures are unnamed, so I bought a booklet afterwards, so I can read more. Didn't have time for the parkland, lake or Lion bridge. Plenty of parking. There are steps and no lifts in the house and some of the surfaces are uneven and rough.
Written 24 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Visiting the area for the weekend. We have a 10 year old and a dog, is it worth it?
Written 9 August 2024
Can you pay to go into the gardens without going into the house l.
Written 11 May 2021
Yes. In fact this is / was the only option when we visited about a month ago. The was shut due to filming but also covid etc I believe.
Written 3 June 2021
I see that the orangery and gift shop are open but are there any toilets open as the website states that visitor toilets are closed. December 2020.
Written 9 December 2020
They were open in October but Iām not sure. Sorry x
Written 10 December 2020
Is the house wheelchair friendly?
Written 6 October 2019
Not sure, most of the rooms open to the public and on the first floor. I did see a stairlift on the stairs on the way out but not sure if that would help.
Written 9 October 2019
Hi there. Please can you tell me how many rooms are open to the public
Written 10 July 2019
Hi julie , there are 35 major rooms spread over ground and first floors , with 80 lesser rooms . The best room of all was the cafe ....lol .a beautiful house tho
Written 17 July 2019
Dogs are allowed on a leash in the wider gardens, but not in the walled areas.
Written 26 July 2019
Has the house management ever sought advice from disability aware organisations or individuals on managing the concept if having disabled visitors ?
Written 12 June 2018
Wouldn't it be helpful to receive an answer from Burghley House management. So far, the issue has been fudged. If the main attractions - The Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Chatsworth, Blenheim and others can make full provision for disabled access then so can Burghley. The 'Elizabethan' argument is eroneous as he vast majority of the building is 19th century, so heritage restrictions do't apply.
Written 17 June 2018
Is national trust membership accepted at burghley house?
Written 22 May 2018
Thank you for query. We are owned by an independent charity, not the National Trust and so we do not accept National Trust membership for admission.
Written 22 May 2018
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