holiday accommodation longleat, self catering wiltshire, salisbury vacation, visit stonehenge longleat, holiday accommodation, acomodation accomodation acommodation, english country cottage, family rural retreat

Work started on building Longleat House in 1540 when John Thynn purchased the ruins of a priory for £53. Thynn was a remarkable man who rose in 40 years from working in Henry VIII's kitchen to acquiring great wealth and social position.

The first house was destroyed by fire but Thynn bought a quarry of Bath stone and rebuilt it. The house and estate has remained in the Thynn family and each generation has added their personal touches. Although many owners of the estate allowed it to fall into disrepair there were always descendants determined to take after John Thynn.

The 1st Viscount Weymouth built up the estate and created beautiful gardens. However, his work was neglected and ruined by his successor. The 3rd Viscount found favour at court and was elevated to the rank of Marquess of Bath by George III who visited the house in 1789. Nevertheless, the 1st Marquess died in debt and his son had an immense struggle to save the estate. He succeeded and also carried out major improvements to the house. James Wyatt was employed to do this work which took ten years to complete.

The prosperity of the Victorian age brought many changes. There was lavish entertaining and the state rooms were remodelled in baroque style. The Breakfast Room and Lower Dining Room date from 1870 and are modelled on the Venetian Ducal Palace. The present owner, Alexander Thynn, the 7th Marquess of Bath, has decorated the family apartments with his own vast, colourful murals.

Today the Great Hall is the only room that belongs to John Thynn's time.

In 1949 Longleat was the first stately home to be opened to the public. This was done to raise funds to maintain and preserve the house and estate. In 1966 the grounds landscaped by 'Capability' Brown were transformed into a safari park. There are more attractions today including 'The World's Longest Hedge Maze', the Longleat Railway and the Adventure Castle as well as exhibitions and activities..

Lydiard Park is an impressive neo-Palladian Georgian mansion set in a country park on the outskirts of Swindon. The house dates in its present form from 1743 when an older H-plan house was remodelled by the 2nd Viscount St John, half-brother of the well-known Tory politician, Lord Bolingbroke.

The St John family first came to Lydiard Tregoze in the 15th century and the estate remained in their hands until the 20th century when financial problems led them to sell the house and park to Swindon Corporation in 1943. The property was empty when the local authourity purchased it and they have restored and refurnished it. Much of the original furniture and all of the portraits have been brought back to Lydiard Park.

The exterior of the house has changed little since it was rebuilt in 1743. The two-storey facades are constructed of beautifully cut limestone ashlar. The entrance or south front has a central pedimented feature and there are four Italianate towers at the corners of the building. Much of the old structure survives behind the classical elevations.

There have been few changes to the interior since the 18th century. Many of the rooms were created within the walls of the original house. These are strung out on either side of the Hall. The Hall has Palladian decoration with a coved ceiling, frieze and cornice. Busts on wall-brackets and a fine chimneypiece add to the rooms classical appearance.