Description
Explore Althorp House and stroll through the park and relax in the beautiful gardens, open during July and August. Start with a relaxing walk down a tree lined avenue to the house, enjoy the remodelled gardens and perhaps take the opportunity to reflect in the peaceful surroundings of the poignant Round Oval.
Explore nineteen rooms in the House, including some of the Spencer Family's private apartments. Discover magnificent interiors and one of Europe's finest private collections of furniture, pictures and ceramics - the result of one family's uninterrupted occupation for over 500 years.
Be touched by the award winning exhibition, Diana: A Celebration. Reflect on the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Picnic in glorious surroundings in the grounds or enjoy excellent food and drink at reasonable prices in Althorp's cafe. Finally, browse through the carefully chosen memorabilia in the Althorp visitor shop.
As you walk round Althorp House, you will see the accumulation of paintings, furniture, china, and sculpture, which have appealed to the tastes of my family over the generations. I hope that, beyond the art, you will also notice that Althorp is very much a home. The exterior may be imposing, with its stark tiling; and the park may appear to be huge and impressive; but the inside is warm and welcoming.
As Charles Spencer, 9th Earl of Spencer has written:
As you walk round Althorp House, you will see the accumulation of paintings, furniture, china, and sculpture, which have appealed to the tastes of my family over the generations. I hope that, beyond the art, you will also notice that Althorp is very much a home. The exterior may be imposing, with its stark tiling; and the park may appear to be huge and impressive; but the inside is warm and welcoming.
I believe this is down to the fact that one family has used this house as a home, in an unbroken line. What you feel as you go round it is part of the House's soul. When my ancestors first settled here, they did so as large scale sheep farmers. Since then, they have been politicians, courtiers, sailors, ambassadors, and preachers. These were the men, of course. But the women of the Spencer family have an impressive record, too: some have been considered highly fashionable; others deeply charitable; and many have been rated beauties. An independence of spirit is detectable throughout the Spencer women. It would be true to say that an appreciation of what is important, and a dismissal of what is irrelevant, have also been evident. Diana was the embodiment of these diverse qualities. It is therefore appropriate that she has returned to Althorp, to rest in peace, in the most beautiful of settings.
OPENING TIMES - July and August.
If you have Althorp House & Gardens attraction recently, please complete the feedback form below and share your views with all our families. |
