Longleat House
The family seat of the marquesses of Bath, Longleat House is one of southern England's most famous stately homes, and possibly the most ambitiously, even eccentrically, commercialized, as evidenced by the presence of a drive-through safari park (open since 1966) with giraffes, gorillas, monkeys, rhinos, lions, tigers, and more (there are also walk-through and boat versions). A two-hour, first-come, first-served Safari Bus tour of the park is provided twice daily (£9), as well. The house, considered one of the finest remaining examples of High Elizabethan style, was largely completed in 1580 for more than £8,000, an astronomical sum at the time. It contains outstanding tapestries, paintings, porcelain, furniture, and one of England's largest private collections of books (more than 40,000 volumes housed in seven libraries). Notable period features include Victorian kitchens, painted ceilings, and an Elizabethan great hall with massive wooden beams and a minstrels' gallery. House visits are by one-hour guided tour for a specific time slot and are included with a House and Gardens ticket. In addition to 900 acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown, plus formal and pleasure gardens, the property has a miniature steam railway, a koala family, Britain's largest (and fairly fiendish) hedge maze, and animatronic dinosaurs (summer only). All this makes it extremely popular, particularly in summer and during school vacations. Book your tickets online before you visit. You can stay at one of seven cottages on-site (from £500).
