Longleat House and Safari Park (Wiltshire)

Magnificent Elizabethan house, gardens and safari park.

Summary 16th century buildings Art and sculpture Guided tours Gift shop Information provided Learning facilities Gardens Children's play area Free car parking (on site)

Food and Drinks Restaurant Tea Room Picnic area

Introduction

Longleat is an English country house, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset.

It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set in over 900 acres of parkland with 8,000 acres of woods and farmland. It was the first stately home to open to the public.

The house was built by Sir John Thynne, and designed mainly by Robert Smythson, after the original priory was destroyed by fire in 1567. It took 12 years to complete and is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Elizabethan architecture in Britain. Longleat is currently occupied by Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath, a direct descendant.

Price:

Passport ticket to all attractions: Adult - £24.00 Child - £17.00 Senior - £19.00

Safari Park only: Adults - £12.00 Child (3-14) - £8.00 Senior - £9.00

History to the present day

Longleat was purchased by Sir John Thynn in 1541. He was the first of the Thynn 'dynasty'. He completed his magnificent home in 1580, shortly before his death. Though the exterior remains very much a testament to the Tudor style, the interior has changed a great deal over the years and much of the furnishing is now Victorian. Fine art dating back to the 16th century hangs on the walls.

Longleat Safari Park was opened in 1966 and was the first drive-through safari park outside of Africa. It was considered to be a massive breakthrough in the way in which captive animals were kept, with the animals roaming freely and the visitors in cages (cars). Today Longleat's collection comprises over 500 animals.

Food and Drinks

Longleat has a number of cafes to suit all tastes. The Cellar Cafe offers traditional Wiltshire dishes whilst the Wessex Pavilion offers sandwiches and cakes.

Grounds and gardens

The gardens at Longleat cover over 900 acres of parkland and were landscaped by the 18th Century Landscape Architect Capability Brown. Within the grounds is the safari park where visitors can see lions, rhino, zebra, giraffes and hundreds of other animal species. The Hedge Maze is made up of more than 16,000 Yews and can take up to an hour to negotiate.

Other facilities

There are other attractions next to the Safari Park including Longleat House, Adventure Castle, Hedge Maze, Pets corner, Butterfly garden, Railway, Postman Pat Village, Old Joe’s mine and motion simulators.

A `Safari Bus' service is also available, at £6 per person, for those who arrive on public transport or with soft top vehicles.

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Longleat House and Safari Park, Wiltshire, , United Kingdom

Address: Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7NW

Opening Times: 

13 February - 31 October 2010. 10am to 5pm (5.30pm on weekends, Bank Holidays and during state school holidays). Longleat House will close 1/2 hour after advertised last entry time.

How to get there:

By Road: Longleat located on the A362 between Frome and Warminster, just off the A36 main Bath - Salisbury road.

By train: The nearest train station, Warminster, is approximately 5 miles from Longleat. Warminster is on the Cardiff to Portsmouth line.

Westbury station is approximately 12 miles from Longleat and connects directly with London, being on the Paddington to Penzance line.

Both train stations are serviced by taxis which will bring you directly to Longleat.

For details on train times please contact the National Rail Enquiry line on 08457 484950 or visit their website www.nationalrail.co.uk 

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