Burghley House

Historic Houses & Building

A beautiful historical building

BURGHLEY HOUSE, home of the Cecil family for over 400 years, was built as a country seat during the latter part of the 16th century by Sir William Cecil, later Lord Burghley, principal adviser and Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth. The House was completed in 1587 and there have been few alterations to the architecture since that date thus making Burghley one of the finest examples of late Elizabethan design in England. The interior was remodelled in the late 17th century by John, 5th Earl of Exeter who was a collector of fine art on a huge scale, establishing the immense collection of art treasures at Burghley. Burghley is truly a `Treasure House', containing one of the largest private collections of Italian art, unique examples of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and superb items of 18th century furniture. The remodelling work of the 17th century means that examples of the work of the principal artists and craftsmen of the period are to be found at Burghley: Antonio Verrio, Grinling Gibbons and Louis Laguerre all made major contributions to the beautiful interiors. Park and GARDENS The house is set in a 300-acre deer park landscaped by `Capability' Brown. A lake was created by him and delightful avenues of mature trees feature largely in his design. The park is home to a herd of fallow deer and is open to visitors at all times of the year. An Arboretum and Sculpture Park has recently been created in an area of the garden that had become overgrown. New plantings of trees and shrubs have replaced brambles and exciting contemporary sculptures are being introduced. This part of the garden is open at the same times as the main house. The gardens surrounding the house are only open for the display of Spring bulbs. Please telephone for details. Historic Houses Association Member. Opening dates and times: The House is open from 31st March to 28th October 2007 from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm (last entry 4.30). The house itself is closed on Fridays. The Gardens: we now sell a combined gardens ticket for the Sculpture Garden and Garden of Surprises. Gardens only tickets can be purchased for the following prices: Adult £6.00; Child (5-15) £3.00; Seniors/Students £5.00; Family (2 adults and 2 children) £15.00, Adult Party (over 20 people) £4.80 per person. Guided tours: There is now a free flow system in the house operating everyday with a guided tour available once a day