The English countryside is studded with all manner of manors, castles and palaces. Many of these stately homes, as the English call them, were built in Victorian times by ridiculously rich aristocrats.
To maintain these lavish mansions and grounds, which have been crippled by taxes on both income and inheritances, many have opened their doors to visitors (some are managed by the National Trust, while others remain private).
These days, the most popular stately home to visit is Highclere Castle, where much of the television series Downton Abbey was filmed. An hour from London, Highclere has been home to the earls of Carnarvon since 1679, but the present, Jacobean-style house was rebuilt in the 1840s by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed London鈥檚 Houses of Parliament. The Egyptian exhibit there features artifacts collected by Highclere鈥檚 fifth earl, a keen amateur archeologist.
Due to the show鈥檚 popularity, Highclere tickets can be hard to come by. For a similarly grand experience, visit Blenheim Palace, 30 minutes from Oxford 鈥� my pick for the No. 1 stately home in Britain. Too many palaces can send you into a furniture-wax coma, but as a sightseeing experience and for simple visual grandeur, Blenheim is among Europe鈥檚 finest.
The palace was given to John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough, after he defeated Louis XIV鈥檚 French forces at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. This event marked a turning point in the centuries-long struggle between the two nations, as it put the skids on France鈥檚 rise and saved Britain.
Some historians claim that if not for his victory, we鈥檇 all be speaking French today. Nearly two centuries later, another famous Churchill, named Winston, was born at Blenheim. It鈥檚 inspiring to be here in the home of the two Churchills who saved Britain, first from the French, then nearly 250 years later, from the Germans.
The last time I was here, I nearly didn鈥檛 visit, thinking that on a gorgeous Saturday in July, this palace would be a mob scene. I decided to go late in the day (arriving two hours before closing) and I virtually had the place to myself. The light was warm, the vibe was mellow and I was able to really appreciate the fine interior, from the sumptuous state rooms used to impress visiting dignitaries to the private apartment, which provides an excellent behind-the-scenes peek at the palace. The 800-hectare grounds are as majestic to some as the palace itself.
Arundel Castle (in the south, between Brighton and Portsmouth) graces the valley below with straight-out-of-a-storybook appeal. Like many castles, Arundel was built on a historic site 鈥� an 11th-century motte-and-bailey castle (with a keep on a mound). But what we see today is the fancy of a fabulously wealthy nobleman in the 19th century. It鈥檚 got great wow appeal, but is all neomedieval rather than really historic.
The Duke of Norfolk 鈥� the top dog among all English dukes 鈥� still lives here. Paying the steep admission price and exploring the opulent interior caused me to think more about economic justice than fancy furniture.
But the place is undeniably impressive, including a wonderful library with rich mahogany woodwork and 10,000 musty leather-bound books on two levels, along with delightful themed gardens 鈥� especially the Collector Earl鈥檚 Garden, which contains an intriguing stumpery (upturned oak trees).
One of my favourite stately homes is Stanway House, in the Cotswolds. Like many rural mansions, it鈥檚 open to the public to help pay the bills. I鈥檝e become friends with the lord here. For a decade, I knew him as Lord Neidpath. Then he inherited a different title, and now he鈥檚 the Earl of Wemyss. When I think about British aristocracy, I think of people like him 鈥� eccentrics with a noble commitment to English high culture and all sorts of interesting stuff in their back closet.
The Earl of Wemyss is a good example of the challenges of today鈥檚 English aristocracy: He鈥檚 land-rich, but seemingly cash-poor. He likes to greet visitors and is fascinating to chat with.
His place feels like a time warp, from the one-piece oak shuffleboard table to the 1780 Chippendale exercise chair (half an hour of bouncing on this was considered good for the liver). It鈥檚 enthralling to tramp through here, and even look upstairs in his bedroom and see what he鈥檚 reading.
Near Stanway House, Snowshill Manor was left to the National Trust after its owner, Charles Paget Wade, died in the 1950s.
Wade was a recluse and a collector of anything and everything: bicycles, kitchen equipment, finely carved spinning wheels, samurai armor, even elaborate figurines carved by prisoners from the bones of meat served at dinner. After touring this ultimate hoarder鈥檚 house, you learn that the family motto is, fittingly, 鈥淟et Nothing Perish.鈥�
Visiting these stately homes provides more than just a chance to ogle some big, fanciful estates. Each one has an interesting story to tell about a far grander and more class-conscious time in England鈥檚 past.
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Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
