Lydiard House, home to the Viscounts BolingbrokeImage 1 of 5 | © Jane Gifford

One of the luxurious bedroomsImage 2 of 5

Lydiard House and Park has many lawns to picnic onImage 3 of 5 | © Jane Gifford

The drawing roomImage 4 of 5

John Greenhill's Portrait of a Gentleman identified as 3rd Earl of Warwick was Art Funded in 2010Image 5 of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Overview

The impressive, yet compact, Lydiard House was the ancestral home of the St. John family, also known as the Viscounts Bolingbroke. The daughter of the 3rd Earl of Warwick, Lady Mary Rich, married Henry St. John, 1st Viscount St. John and their son, Henry, became the 1st Viscount Bolingbroke and was a notable Tory politician, historian and philosopher. Apart from original Georgian walled gardens and rolling parkland the Palladian house and accompanying St Mary’s Church offer plenty of family history to explore.

Permanent collections

The state apartments contain exceptional plasterwork, original furniture and furnishings, family portraits from the 15th to the 19th century, and a dressing room devoted to the 18th-century society artist Lady Diana Spencer – don't miss the intriguing 17th-century painted window by Abraham Van Linge depicting over 100 pieces of exquisitely painted glass figures, flowers, tiny flies and even an elephant.

Art Funded works

Make sure you seek out John Greenhill's Portrait of a Gentleman traditionally identified as Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick which was back for the house with help from the Art Fund in 2010. The portrait was believed to have hung in the State Bedroom at Lydiard House until the house was sold to Swindon Corporation in 1943 and some paintings were sent to auction.
Bolingbroke at Lydiard Tregoze by John Piper is a depiction of the interior of St. Mary's Church which stands directly behind Lydiard House and is famous for the quality of its 17th Century monuments and stained glass. See if you can match the painting with the real view.

Visitor information

Outside, the restored Georgian Walled Garden is filled with historic flowers and rare fruit trees where visitors are invited to picnic or book a BBQ. The house has a unique programme of events from dog shows, balloon fights and open air theatre.