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Burghley House & Gardens

Burghley House & Gardens
Attraction: Nature & Wildlife, Tours, Lakes & Parks, Historic Buildings & Gardens
Activities: Walking, Running / Jogging, Areas to Play
Admission Charge: Child less than £5
Age Range: Ages 11 to 18 years, Ages 5 to 11 years, Under 5's
Town: Stamford
County: Lincolnshire
Post Code: PE9 3JY
Telephone: 01780 752451
Website: http://www.burghley.co.uk
Facilities: Indoor Activities, Food & Drink, Outdoor Activities, Toilets
Opening Times: 11am to 5pm
Opening Days: Daily
Opening Periods: All Year
Description
Burghley House & Gardens gives a glimpse of the way great houses have been furnished and inhabited from the days of Queen Elizabeth 1 through the 17th and 18th centuries, to the present day.  The building of Burghley House extended over 32 years from 1555 to 1587. There can be little doubt that William Cecil was his own architect, although he did have some help in design and execution from an Antwerp Mason called Henryk.

The stone used to build Burghley House came from a local quarry in Northamptonshire, so hard and durable that the stonemasons marks can still be seen on the South Front.

The Tudor nature of the building can still be seen in the inner courtyard which, on a guided tour, is visible through the Ante-Chapel windows. It is also evident in the gatehouse which can be seen on the west front. This was the original entrance to Burghley House and is as magnificent and awe inspiring today as it must have been when it was first built, the windows lighting up like fire when the sun sets across the parkland on a summer afternoon, at the time when visitors might have arrived.

Like all houses Burghley has seen periods of ‘modernisation’. In the 17th Century, the open loggias around the ground floor were enclosed and although the House was built in the letter E in honour of the Queen, it is now missing its north west wing. During the period of the 9th Earl’s ownership, and under the guidance of ‘Capability’ Brown the south front was raised to alter the roof line and the north west wing was demolished to allow better views of the new parkland. In the 19th century the 2nd Marquess employed J P Gandy to construct a two storey corridor around the inner courtyard, blocking views of the courtyard from the State Rooms, but allowing much needed space for bathrooms and allowing servants easier access to rooms.

More recently Burghley House & Gardens were the location for some scenes in 2005 shot for The Da Vinci Code; Dan Brown's novel starring Tom Hanks.

New in 2006 is the Brewhouse Centre which is a new interactive visitor interpretation centre incorporating learning spaces for the young and old plus an audio visual introduction to Burghley House.

The Sculpture Garden occupies 12 acres of reclaimed woodland with mown paths and lakeside walks.  Spectacular in the spring when the daffodils bloom and new exhibitions are organised for each open season.   Burghley gardens and park provide a great location for walking, jogging, running or cycling.

OPENING DAYS:    Burghley House is open daily (excl fridays) between April to October 11am to 5pm 

SPECIAL EVENT :  Burghley has been holding the Autumn 3 day event horse trials on its estate since 1961 when it ceased to be held at Harewood. It holds the record for the staging of championships on an international horse trials site, two world championships, six European and one Young Riders European, and is the longest, continuous running international event. The Trials are usually held early in September each year. 



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