Overview
Bowood House & Gardens; home to the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, surrounded by 2,000 acres of Grade 1 listed ‘Capability’ Brown parkland.
An enchanting landscape awaits you, with a flowing mix of plantations and sweeping lawns leading down to a mile long lake. Bowood House hosts a wealth of art and antiques, with many historical treasures, such as Napoleon’s death mask and Queen Victoria’s wedding chair. The Italian inspired terrace gardens and the herbaceous border surrounding the Georgian house makes the perfect day out.
Children will be entertained for hours, with an adrenaline fuelled adventure playground, with a life-size Pirate Ship, aerial walkways and balancing beams. The Soft Play Area provides a safe, dry and fun environment, equipped with a ball pool, slide, and rope walks for the little ones.
A hop, skip and a jump away is Tractor Ted’s Little Farm with a barn full of friendly farm animals, where children can meet lambs, piglets, rabbits.
Today’s opening hours
Open 30 March to 3 November, 11am to 6pm (last admission 5pm).
Historic Houses members can visit 3 times for free, access does not include Woodland Gardens.
Corporate members not free.
Opening
2019
Open 30 March to 3 November, 11am to 6pm (last admission 5pm).
Historic Houses members can visit 3 times for free, access does not include Woodland Gardens.
Corporate members not free.
Find us
Driving
Please use the postcode SN11 0LZ. Bowood is easily accessible from the M4 at Junction 17 and is located between Chippenham and Calne, off the A4.
Public Transport
Bus - Routes 33 and X33 (Chippenham to Devizes) go through Derry Hill village. Route 55 stops on the A4 close to the turning into Derry Hill village.
Train – The nearest main line station is at Chippenham. Taxis are available or take the 55 bus to Studley crossroads.
Parking
Car park on site
- Free of charge
Taxi
VCars 01249 65 65 65
Admission
Historic Houses members visit free. Access to Bowood House & Gardens only. Does not include access to the Woodland Gardens. Limited to 3 visits per member.
Adult: (13 and over) £12.75
Senior: (60 and over) £10.70
Junior: (5 to 12 years) £9.70
Infant: (2 to 4 years) £7.70
Family Ticket: (2 Adults & 2 Children) £38.25
Accessibility
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
- Accessible toilets
- Accessible parking
- Guide dogs welcome
Group Visits
Whether you’re a tour operator, special interest group or planning to visit with friends and family, we have a variety of tours and packages at Bowood House & Gardens.
For more information, or to book, please contact Bethan Seymour:
01249 810961
Things to See
The Cascade, built by Hamilton of Painshill, 1785
Napoleon's Death Mask
The Sculpture Gallery
The Laboratory
Fun Facts
The landscape around Bowood House was designed by 'Capability' Brown.
Robert Adam worked on the interiors of the House.
Dr Priestley identified Oxygen at Bowood House in 1774.
Jan Ingenhousz worked on his discovery of Photosynthesis at Bowood House.
Bowood House was a Red Cross Hospital during WWI and a school following the war.
Weddings
Accommodation
Located in the heart of the Bowood Estate in the rolling Wiltshire countryside our luxury hotel is the ideal retreat for golf and spa breaks, weekend retreats, mid-week escapes, family breaks, corporate clients and even as a honeymoon destination. Our breaks and offers are updated regularly, so check back often for the latest deals available.
As one of the finest luxury hotels in Wiltshire, Bowood offers a wide range of modern facilities to create an experience rather than just your average hotel stay. These facilities set within the Bowood Estate and the grounds of the Historic Bowood House include boutique style hotel rooms, two restaurants; The Clubhouse Brasserie and the contemporary Shelburne Restaurant, a beautiful spa where we offer beauty treatments, not to mention a championship golf course and full practice facilities with driving range.
As one of Wiltshire’s largest estates, with so many things to do at Bowood, we offer a host of packages to combine our fine dining, state of the art spa and championship golf course that makes the perfect destination for him and her, to celebrate any occasion and a great retreat for the family.
The Swimming Pool
The Library
The Golf Course
The Luxury Parkland Four Poster Suite
Spa Treatment Room
Dinner at the Shelburne Restaurant
Corporate Hire
Corporate events
Set in the spectacular South West countryside, Bowood is an exceptional venue for meetings and events in Wiltshire. Offering extensive meeting facilities, a 43 bedroom hotel and a private Lodge, all set in acres of immaculate grounds, Bowood offers a truly unique event experience for your delegates.
Bowood can host everything from a large conference, 24 hour or day meeting, product launch, team building day or an intimate board meeting with private dining. We have a wide selection of meeting and event rooms that can be used from the smallest group of 5 delegates up to 200 plus.
The wonderful leisure facilities at Bowood, including the golf course, spa and the historical Bowood House and Gardens mean there are many options to add less formal, more relaxed activities to the agenda.
All our meeting packages include room hire and we can build them around your specific needs to ensure your corporate event is a success.
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The Old Dairy Meeting Room
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The Golf Course
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The Shelburne Restaurant
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The Parlour Meeting Room
School Visits
Bowood House & Gardens are now delighted to offer an educational programme for Primary Schools.
We can also offer the, recently renovated, Gardeners' Bothy with its warm welcome and area for teaching and practical activity sessions. The facilities within Gardeners’ Bothy include an overhead projector, DVD player, sound system, table and chairs, lavatories and an area for refreshments. Children can either enjoy their packed lunch in the Gardeners' Bothy or within the grounds.