Temple Newsam House
With a National Art Pass you get
Justifiably called the 'Hampton Court Palace of the North', Temple Newsam is one of the great English historic country houses.
This fine Tudor-Jacobean mansion, sited on the outskirts of Leeds, lies in 1,500 acres of parkland landscaped by 'Capability' Brown. Its name refers to the Knights Templar, who once owned the lands.
Temple Newsam is famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and was owned by the Ingram family for three centuries. It was acquired by the City of Leeds in 1922 and developed as a country house museum. The house has been extensively restored and holds some of the most comprehensive collections of paintings, furniture, silver, ceramics, textiles and wallpapers outside London. In an interview for Radio 4's Front Row in 2004, ex-Culture Minister Mark Fisher placed Temple Newsam House in the top three non-national museums in the country.
The home farm has Europe's largest collection of rare breeds, with over 400 animals. There are six national plant collections and a fine Georgian walled garden. Throughout the year, the grounds provide an ideal setting for open air concerts and fairs.
Look out for The Wild Escape at museums and galleries in the next few months. Many have special events, or you can use our audio introduction to help children get involved at any cultural venue.
Visiting with children?
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.
