For travelers on our private England tours with extra time in London, or repeat visitors to England who want to see more of the English countryside, we highly recommend having us arrange day excursions to one or more of the many heritage houses and gardens not far from the city.

Some of our favorite destinations for architecture, interiors, fine and decorative arts, and landscape design include:

Syon House

Located along the River Thames in west London and still privately owned by the Duke of Northumberland, Syon House is known for its magnificent neoclassical interiors designed by Robert Adam and beautifully landscaped gardens laid out by Lancelot “Capability” Brown in the English Landscape style. A highlight of the gardens is the landmark Great Conservatory, one of the finest surviving examples of early 19th-century glasshouse design.

Ham House & Garden

One of England’s best-preserved Stuart houses, Ham House & Garden is known for its richly decorated interiors with original furnishings and an exceptional collection of fine and decorative arts displayed in situ, offering visitors what is essentially a time capsule of 17th-century aristocratic life.

The 17th-century gardens include the famous Cherry Garden and a productive walled kitchen garden.

Cliveden

Cliveden is a grand English country estate with a 19th-century Italianate mansion set amid extensive formal gardens and woodland overlooking the River Thames. Managed by the National Trust, the historic house is now a luxury hotel and member of Relais & Chateaux. 

Hatfield House

Located in Hertfordshire, approximately 45 minutes from London by car, Hatfield House has been privately owned by the Cecil family since the early 1600s. The house has ornate Jacobean interiors, an important art collection including the iconic Rainbow Portrait (c. 1600–1602) of Elizabeth I and gardens that date back to the 17th century. 

Hever Castle

Hever Castle is a picturesque moated castle in Kent that was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife. In the early 20th century, William Waldorf Astor restored and expanded the estate, creating a large ornamental lake, a topiary maze and the celebrated Italian Garden to display his collection of classical sculpture.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson beginning in the 1930s, Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent is renowned as the quintessential Arts & Crafts garden. Along with Hidcote in the Cotswolds and the nearby Great Dixter House & Gardens, it’s one of the most iconic and influential early-20th-century gardens in England. 

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kew Gardens in southwest London has one of the world’s most important botanical and scientific collections. Highlights include the Temperate House, the Palm House, the Treetop Walkway and the Marianne North Gallery, which displays hundreds of botanical paintings created by the Victorian artist and traveler.

Chiswick House & Gardens

Built in the 1720s, Chiswick House & Gardens in west London is a masterpiece of English Palladian architecture. While the villa’s harmonious proportions and temple-like exterior reflect Palladian ideals of symmetry and classical restraint, the interiors are richly decorated and display Old Master paintings and antiquities.

The gardens are equally significant and are considered the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement, a more naturalistic landscape tradition with carefully composed sightlines, classical follies and sweeping lawns.

Strawberry Hill House

Commissioned by writer and politician Horace Walpole, Strawberry Hill House, built between 1749 and 1776, is one of the defining works of the Gothic Revival. Its theatrical interiors feature fan-vaulted ceilings, stained glass and other elements inspired by Gothic cathedrals and medieval castles.

Pitzhanger Manor

With neoclassical architecture, exquisite interiors and contemporary art exhibitions held in an adjacent gallery, Pitzhanger Manor, built between 1800 and 1804, is one of our favorite lesser-known house museums in west London. Formerly the country home of architect Sir John Soane, it offers a fascinating glimpse into Georgian design and the private world of one of Britain’s most influential architects.

Red House

Built 1859–1860 on the outskirts of London for William Morris, Red House is regarded as a foundational masterpiece of the Arts & Crafts movement. Conceived as a total work of art, the architecture, interiors, furnishings and decorative details were designed as an integrated whole in collaboration with Morris’s artistic circle.

Other favorite homes and gardens near London include Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s former estate in Kent, including his preserved art studio; Knole, one of England’s largest historic houses; Sandycombe Lodge, J.M.W. Turner’s cottage; Eltham Palace in southeast London, which combines medieval and Art Deco architecture; and royal residences such as Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private England tour customized to feature the best heritage homes and gardens near London and other favorite destinations, including the Cotswolds, Kent, the Peak District and Yorkshire.