longleat safari park map

Explore the UK's first safari park at Longleat

Longleat, wiltshire.

Feed giraffes by hand and walk on the wildside with lemurs at this popular safari park, found in the picturesque grounds of historic Longleat House.

First opened in 1966, Longleat Safari Park was the first drive-through attraction of its kind outside Africa, and it's still running strong today. With countless species of animals and attractions like Penguin Island, Stingray Bay, Jungle Cruise and an adventure castle, it's a great day out for the entire family. Explore the animal habitats on a road tour through the park, before stepping onto the Main Square and venturing into koala habitats, outdoor playgrounds and hedge mazes.

Special events run throughout the year, including the ever-popular Festival of Lights over the Christmas period; this large display of illuminated Chinese lanterns adorns the entire parkland and adds a touch of festivity to everything. And, of course, visitors can also extend their stay in the area with a tour through Longleat House and its surrounding pleasure gardens.

Longleat Safari Park is due to re-open on Monday 15 June - make sure to check the website through the link below for availability and opening times.

• Find out more about Longleat
• Find more wildlife and nature reserves in Wiltshire

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Top Family Attractions - Plan Your Visit To Longleat

Barmy aristocrats, a family feud, a great Elizabethan house and lions in the backyard - why would anyone not want to visit Longleat?

Not too long ago the BBC program All Change at Longleat   offered viewers a revealing behind-the-scenes look at what's been going on since the endearingly loony Lord Bath (Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath) handed over the business reins of the Longleat estate to his much less colorful son and heir, Viscount Weymouth.

The show was better than a soap opera as Ceawlin (the Viscount, whose name is pronounced Syoolin ) and his new wife Emma took over the place and immediately fell out with the old man. It's available on YouTube and it's worth a look in for a giggle.

Meanwhile, life goes on as normal for visitors to the great stately home and amazing safari park. Here's what you need to know to plan a visit.

First A Bit of Background

Longleat has been welcoming visitors since the late 1940s. The house an outstanding example of High Elizabethan architecture in England , was the first stately home ever opened to the public on a commercial basis. In a way, Henry, the 6th Marquess, father of the current Marquess of Bath, pioneered the tourism genre of stately homes as multiple activity attractions.

In 1966, Longleat opened the first drive-through Safari Park outside of Africa. It has since been seen by millions, worldwide, through the BBC's Animal Park television series.

Today, Longleat, set within 900 acres of Capability Brown landscaped park and 8,000 acres of woodland, lakes and farmland, is crammed with family activities and attractions, including:

Longleat House

Completed by 1580, Longleat was already a splendid house when it was visited by Queen Elizabeth I in 1574. Today's visitors can enjoy the remarkable collections of one family who have looked after the house for 14 generations, over 400 years. Among its treasures are masterpieces of Italian Renaissance and seven libraries (some of which are included in tours) filled with 40,000 books - the largest private collection in Europe.

One of the gorier items in the family collection is the bloodstained waistcoat worn by King Charles I at his execution. You can see it displayed in the Great Hall.

The notorious murals and portraits painted by the current Lord Bath decorate the private apartments and can be seen on morning guided tours of the ground floor. One reason for the family feud, as seen in the BBC documentary, was Viscount Weymouth's removal of one of the murals - his wife said they smelled. She meant they smelled of oil paint, but some art critics have been of the same opinion.

Longleat Safari Park

When Longleat first opened its safari park in the 1960s, the locals worried about lions roaming around the Wiltshire countryside. It's not an idle worry.

One of the revealing snippets of All Change at Longleat was the fact that estate managers carefully check the three miles of fencing around the safari park every day. They don't expect the big cats to tunnel out. But if a large branch falls in the night, it could provide a ladder for a lion or tiger to climb over a fence.

Visitors don't have to worry - as long as they stay safely locked in their cars. As you drive through, you can expect close encounters with wolves, giraffes, rhinos, two prides of the famous black-maned Longleat lions and, if you are lucky, the shy Siberian tigers. Thegangs of Rhesus monkeys that commit all kinds of mayhem on cars passing through the monkey jungle are very popular with families. And, if you take a boat ride on the park's lake, you may spot members of the new colony of lowland gorillas on the island in the middle. This was once the home of Nico, the park's Silverback gorilla who was one of the world's oldest known Silverbacks and a widower. He lived in splendid isolation on his own island. Sadly, Nico died at 56 years of age in 2018. The new gorillas are now settling in.

Also settling in is the family of Koalas. The park has created an Aussie paradise for them at Koala Creek.

Besides being a park attraction, with more than 100 species to see, Longleat plays a vital role in international breeding, conservation and rescue programs. Every year there are new arrivals. In 2019 the park celebrated the birth of two Amur Tiger cubs. This endangered species is the world's largest cat. Later in the year, seven wolf cubs were born in Wolf Wood.

Longleat Essentials

• Where: Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7NW England
• Phone: +44 (0)1985 844 400  
• Visit their website
• Open:  Longleat House, the Safari Park and the Adventure Park (with a superb Maze) are open from late March to November 1, from November 13 to December 6 and from December 11 to January 3, except for Christmas Day. Last admission and closing times vary based on daylight hours. Check the website for dates and times because opening days and hours vary slightly from year to year.
• Admission: Adult, child and senior tickets (for 60+) are available for the whole park, including Longleat House, or for the house and garden only. No family tickets are offered but online tickets cost 15% less than full price.
• By car: Longleat is just off the A36 between Bath and Salisbury on the A362 Warminster – Frome road. It's about 106 miles and 2.5 hours from London.
• By train: From London, take the Paddington to Penzance service to Westbury Station, 12 miles from Longleat. Warminster Station, 5 miles away, can be reached from London Waterloo, changing at Salisbury or from London Paddington, changing at Bath Spa. Check National Rail Enquiries for times and prices.    Taxi s from both stations can be booked.

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Warminster England, Wiltshire

Introduction.

Longleat is a landscape park covering around 505 hectares, with 19th and 20th century formal gardens of 2.5 hectares. The site is now primarily known as the safari park introduced by the Marquess of Bath in 1964.

The ground slopes generally from south to north.

The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):

A grand C16 mansion surrounded by formal gardens and pleasure grounds with elements of the early C19 layout, added to in the mid C19 by William Taylor, in the mid C20 by Russell Page, and in the late C20 by the seventh Marquess of Bath. These sit in extensive parkland, largely of mid C18 origin by Lancelot Brown, with additions by Humphry Repton who produced a Red Book in 1804, by Jeffry Wyatville, and by Russell Page in the 1930s.

This entry is a summary. Because of the complexity of this site, the standard Register entry format would convey neither an adequate description nor a satisfactory account of the development of the landscape. The user is advised to consult the references given below for more detailed accounts. Many Listed Buildings exist within the site, not all of which have been here referred to. Descriptions of these are to be found in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest produced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.SUMMARY DESCRIPTION Longleat lies in a rural location on the western border of Wiltshire, c 8km south-west of Warminster. The park covers an area of c 505ha bounded to the north by country lanes and farmland, to the south by Horningsham estate village, and to the east and west by extensive woodlands. Shear Water is included as a detached area within the registered site. The ground slopes generally from south to north, with the house at the level of the lakes and the park laid out on slopes rising to the surrounding woodland on higher ground. The setting is largely agricultural land with substantial areas of estate forestry.

There are two main approaches to Longleat. One enters from Horningsham estate village in the south, through Wyatville's arched lodge (listed grade I) and along the straight south drive to the south front. Although the lodges are early C19, the drive itself is early C18 and was lined with a double avenue of elms; these were replaced with groups of Tulip trees by Russell Page in the mid C20. A second row of horse chestnuts has recently (2000) been planted. The second approach enters the estate woodlands c 3.5km to the east-north-east of the house and runs along the Longcombe Drive, planted with mixed exotics in the mid C19, to emerge on the top of Park Hill where extensive views look west across the park towards the house. The drive drops gently through the park, crosses the string of lakes, and arrives at the south front. Two further minor drives enter the park, one through High Woods to the west, past Wyatville's County Cottage lodge (listed grade II), and the second from the northern boundary beside Stalls Farm.

The gardens lie to the north and east of the house which sits to the west of centre of the park, c 100m to the west of the largest of the string of lakes, known as Half Mile Pond. The east front lawn is planted with two low mazes of box (late C20), the terrace below the east front running north parallel to the lake bank, through an avenue of pleached limes planted by Russell Page in the early C20, to a covered Palladian bridge (Wyatville, listed grade I) over an inlet from Half Mile Pond. Early C19 walled enclosures below the north front contain a rose garden (seventh Marquess of Bath, late C20) and the early C19 Orangery by Wyatville (listed grade I). A small garden, enclosed by a hedge, has been laid out by the seventh Marquess on the west front during the late C20. To the south-west of the house, c 250m from the south front, an ornamental iron gateway leads to a path through a wooded pleasure ground (Brown, mid C18) to the mid C18 walled kitchen garden which lies c 900m south of the house, on the southern boundary of the park.

The extensive parkland is almost entirely retained under grass and is scattered with parkland trees of various ages, the mature specimens being predominantly oak. A string of six ponds or lakes runs from Upper Pond in the south to Half Mile Pond in the north through the centre of the park. These were created by Brown in the mid C18 and altered by Repton in 1804. The ground rises sharply to the east as far as Park Hill and Prospect Hill, on the top of which a viewpoint known as Heaven's Gate (mentioned in Repton's Red Book) looks out over the park. The slopes are planted with hanging beech woods, proposed by Brown but planted towards the end of the C18. Beyond Park Hill dense woodlands of mixed conifer, hardwood, and ornamental species are cut through with rides and drives, the most formal of which is known as The Red Way, extending eastwards from the Longcombe Drive and into the estate woodlands (beyond the boundary of the registered site). The planting of the Longcombe Woods was started in the late C18/early C19 although much of its ornamental character dates from the mid C19 and parts of it were replanted after the Second World War. During the C19 carriage drives led from Longcombe Woods south-east into Aucombe Woods, in the south-east corner of which lies Shear Water, a boating lake created in the 1790s by the first Marquess. Repton's boathouse on its shore no longer survives.

The Longleat Safari Park, created by the sixth Marquess in collaboration with the Chipperfield family in 1964, is located in the north-east quarter of the open park and contains a heavily wooded area, developed since the late C18, which includes The Grove. Further late C18 hanging beech woods lie beyond the Safari Park along the northern boundary.

Note. There is a wealth of published material about this site. The key references are listed below.

J Kip and L Knyff, Britannia Illustrata, (1724-9)

C Campbell, Vitruvius Britannicus 3, (1725)

Country Life, 2 (14 August 1897), pp 154-6; 12 (18 October 1902), pp 496-503; 105 (22 April 1949), p 926; (29 April 1949), pp 990-3

J Sales, West Country Gardens (1908), pp 227-32

C Grosvenor and C Beilby, The First Lady Wharncliffe and her Family I, (1927), p 214

P J Toynbee (ed), Horace Walpole's Journals of Visits to Country Seats etc (Walpole Society XVI, 1927-8), p 45

D Stroud, Humphry Repton (1962), pp 131-2

D Lindstrum, Sir Jeffry Wyatville (1972)

D Stroud, Capability Brown (1975), pp 85-6

B Cherry and N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire (2nd edn 1975), pp 308-13

D Burnett, Longleat: the Story of an English Country House (1978)

J Harris, The Artist and the Country House (1979), p 69

G Carter et al, Humphry Repton (1982), p 163

Garden History XI, i (1983), pp 6-36

The Longleat Estate: a brief history, (Historic Landscape Management 1998) [contains a comprehensive list of references]

Maps [All reproduced in HLM 1998]

C Campbell, Plan of the gardens, plantations etc of Longleate..., c 1725 (in Vitruvius Britannicus 3, 1725)

J Ladd, Map of the manore of Horningsham in Wiltshire..., 1747 (private collection)

Enclosure maps for Horningsham and Corsley parishes, 1783 (Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office)

T Davis, Estate map, 1804 (private collection)

C Greenwood, Map of the County of Wiltshire, 1820 (Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office)

Tithe maps for Horningsham and Longbridge Deverill, 1844 (Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office)

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1884

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1884

Illustrations

Jan Sieberechts, paintings, 1675-8 (private collection) [reproduced in Burnett 1978]

J Kip and L Knyff, engravings of gardens, 1702-07, (in Britannia Illustrata 1724-9)

Archival items

The extensive Longleat archive is held in a private collection.

Description written: November 2000

Register Inspector: FDM

Edited: May 2005

Access contact details

The gardens are usually open daily, with some exceptions.

http://www.longleat.co.uk/plan...

The site is on the A362 Frome-Warminster road.

Marquess of Bath

Other Websites

• http://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000439
• https://www.historichouses.org/house/longleat-house/visit/

The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit the The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):

www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list

This entry is a summary. Because of the complexity of this site, the standard Register entry format would convey neither an adequate description nor a satisfactory account of the development of the landscape. The user is advised to consult the references given below for more detailed accounts. Many Listed Buildings exist within the site, not all of which have been here referred to. Descriptions of these are to be found in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest produced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

In 1529 the priory which formerly stood on the site of the present Longleat House was dissolved and in 1546 the site, together with its mill, was purchased by Sir John Thynn who began to accumulate land and property. Following a fire which destroyed the priory in 1567, Thynn began the construction of a grand new mansion, designed by Robert Symthson (c 1536-1614), beside the brook which had powered the mill. The result, together with its enclosed formal gardens, is recorded in paintings by Jan Sieberechts, dated 1675-8, which show the house and grounds surrounded by an enclosed park grazed by deer. During the C17 the estate's land holdings in other counties increased, funding the grand expansion and development of Longleat. In 1683, Thomas Thynn, newly created first Viscount Weymouth, commissioned George London (d 1714) and the Brompton Park Nurseries to create a great formal garden in the Franco-Dutch style which covered c 28ha and included a canalised section of the brook, fountains, mazes, plats, and a large wilderness plantation known as The Grove. These gardens were recorded in engravings by Kip and Knyff between 1702 and 1707. The first Viscount died in 1714 and during the early part of the C18 the formality of the landscape began to soften. The second Viscount turned the Great Canal into a 'serpentine river' and created the South Drive, flanked by a double avenue, between Horningsham village and the south front of the house. In 1757, following his succession in 1751, the third Viscount Weymouth commissioned Lancelot Brown (1716-83) to lay out a park and remove the remaining formal elements of the gardens. Brown retained The Grove but altered the character of its planting to blend into the new park, and relocated the walled kitchen garden to a site reached from the house through a new wooded pleasure ground. He also created a string of informal lakes along the course of the brook. During the same period an area of rough pasture, moorland, and common was purchased to the east of the park which was enclosed and thrown into the park and farm (estate accounts). The third Viscount became the first Marquess of Bath in 1789, by which time his passion for forestry had seen an average of 50,000 trees planted annually on the moorland and common. In 1790 he began to create a large new boating lake, known as Shear Water, beyond the new plantations. The first Marquess died in 1796, to be succeeded by his son, the second Marquess who carried on his father's work on the landscape, commissioning Humphry Repton (1752-1818) to prepare a Red Book in 1803-04. He made alterations to the water beside the house, designed a gothic boathouse for Shear Water, and collaborated with Jeffry Wyatville (1766-1840) who designed the new stables and the Orangery in the gardens. Wyatville also added a north wing to the house and built the Horningsham Lodge and County Cottage. In 1852, Alexander Thynn, the fouth Marquess, laid out, with his Head Gardener William Taylor, complex formal gardens to the east and north of the house. At the end of the century he added ornamental plantings along the Longcombe Drive. Following the First World War the fifth Marquess simplified the gardens and in 1929 commissioned Russell Page (1906-85) to redesign both them and the approach to the South Front. The fifth Marquess was succeeded in 1946 by his son Henry who, in 1964, created a Safari Park in part of the park. The seventh Marquess inherited in the estate in 1992, since when he has added several new features to the gardens and has developed further visitor attractions on the north-west side of the house. The site remains (2000) in single private ownership.

• Lancelot 'Capability' Brown
• Mr Humphry Repton
• George London
• Jeffry Wyatville
• Mr Russell Page
• Robert Smythson

Designations

The national heritage list for england: register of parks and gardens.

• Reference: GD1407
• Boating Lake
• Description: In 1790 a large new boating lake, known as Shear Water, was created.
• Earliest Date: 31 Dec 1789
• Latest Date: 31 Dec 1789
• Description: Nine granite standing stones to mark the millennium.
• Water Feature
• Description: Serpentine river, developed from the Great Canal.
• Description: Gothic boathouse for the Shear Water.
• Kitchen Garden
• Description: Lancelot Brown relocated the walled kitchen garden to a site reached from the house through a new wooded pleasure ground.
• Stable Block
• Description: A string of informal lakes along the course of the brook.
• Earliest Date: 31 Dec 1750
• Description: Longcombe Drive.
• Great House (featured building)
• Description: Elizabethan mansion house in Italian renaissance style.
• Earliest Date: 11 Dec 1566
• Latest Date: 11 Dec 1579

Educational

Principal Building

Recreational

Open to the public

Civil parish.

Horningsham

• Carter, G. et al, {Humphry Repton Landscape Gardener 1752-1818} (Norwich: Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, 1982), p. 163 Humphry Repton landscape gardener 1752-1818
• Sales, J., {West Country Gardens} (Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1980), pp. 227-32 West Country gardens : the gardens of Gloucestershire, Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire
• {English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest}, (Swindon: English Heritage, 2008) [on CD-ROM] Historic England Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest
• Stroud, D., {Capability Brown} (London: Faber, 1975), pp. 85-6 Capability Brown
• Pevsner, N. and B. Cherry, {The Buildings of England: Wiltshire} (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1975), pp. 308-13 The Buildings of England: Wiltshire
• Harris, J., {The Artist and the Country House} {London: Russell Chambers, 1979), p. 69 The Artist and the Country House
• Stroud, D., {Humphry Repton} (London: Country Life, 1962), pp.131-2 Humphry Repton
• Historic Land Management {Longleat Heritage Management Plan Revision of Heritage Management Plan} (2003) Longleat Heritage Management Plan Revision of Heritage Management Plan
• Historic Land Management {Longleat Historic Landscape Management Plan} (1998) Longleat Historic Landscape Management Plan
• Historic Land Management {Longleat Conservation Plan} (2012) Longleat Conservation Plan

Parkland Conservation Plan - Consultation Draft, Vols 1 &2 - Hard copy

Historic Landscape Management, Lyng, Norfolk - 2012

Report on the History of Landscape - Digital copy

Elizabeth Banks Associates - 1991

Longleat House & Safari Park – Lions, Mazes and Wifelets

Longleat House is a place of firsts. In 1547, it was the first house in England to be built in the Classical Rennaisance style.

In 1947, it was the first privately-owned stately home opened to the public.

In 1966, it opened the first drive-through safari park outside Africa and in 1975, it became home to the longest hedge maze in the world.

Here then is our guide to this most singular of stately homes.

Table of Contents

Longleat House

The story of Longleat begins in the 16 th  century – long before the safari, the hedge maze and the 7 th  Marquis with his seventy ‘wifelets’ (we’ll get to that) – with the son of a farmer named John Thynne. Thynne rose rapidly through the social ranks during the reign of Henry VIII to become a trusted steward of Edward Seymour, Lord Protector of England and the Duke of Somerset.

Somerset rewarded Thynne with a knighthood for his service and loyalty on the battlefield of Pinkie in 1547.

The design of Longleat is Thynne’s very own. Perhaps it was the freedom of designing a house without the advice of an architect that allowed Thynne to create an English country house like no other. Longleat was created in the Italianate or Classical Renaissance style and was ground-breaking in its time.

Instead of creating a central courtyard with rooms looking inward, Thynne designed a giant cube of a house with all the major rooms facing outward to give views of the surrounding park.

Queen Elizabeth I

Thynne must have known that he had reached the uppermost echelons of English society and that his home was something of a masterpiece when  Queen Elizabeth I  chose it as one of the stops on her great summer progress of 1575.

At that time, the house was only two storeys high but soon grew to three. Three is the magic number and the façade at Longleat incorporated all three classical ‘orders’ or styles of column in its design: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Today, the exterior of Longleat House is almost exactly as it was in the 16 th  century.

Historic Treasures

In contrast, the interiors were massively altered in the 19 th  century and only the great hall survives as testament to the first John Thynne’s elegant taste. In the early 1800s Sir Jeffrey Wyatville was hired to give the interiors of Longleat a new lease of life, a task that was later continued by J.D. Crace in the 1870s.

The collection at Longleat, amassed by 15 generations of the Thynne family, features several stunning paintings. A series of hunting scenes painted in the 1730s by John Wooten dominate the cavernous great hall, while paintings by the likes of Titian can be seen hanging elsewhere in the house’s 130 rooms.

Longleat is also home to exquisite tapestries, beautiful examples of hand-painted Chinese wallpaper and a rare collection of large Meissen porcelain.

Longleat is famous too for its libraries.

The first John Thynne began the family tradition of collecting books and manuscripts and created the first library at Longleat in 1577.

Today, Longleat is home to eight libraries in total, including the unique Bishop Ken’s library which runs along the third floor of the entire east front of the house. Bishop Ken of Bath was a friend of the then Lord Weymouth and lived in exile at Longleat from 1691 until his death. The Bishop had been expelled from the church for refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to King William and Queen Mary.

Other Royal Connections

Elizabeth I was not the only reigning monarch to spend the night under the roof of Longleat House.

In 1663 King Charles and Queen Catherine felt secure enough on their throne to leave their home and visit the second John Thynne at Longleat in 1663, just two years after the Restoration.

In thanks, Charles II granted the Thynne family the title Lord Weymouth, a title descendents of the first John Thynne hold to this day.

After the Great War

Which brings us nicely to Longleat in the 20 th  and 21 st  centuries. In the years following the First World War traditional English country houses, especially those of the Ducal variety, became something of an elephant in the room. Times had changed and the country house, as a symbol of privilege, wealth and power, seemed to have no place in the brave new world.

By the time the Second World War had come to an end most of the country houses in England were either badly damaged by bombings or dilapidated, having been used as hospitals and barracks for the last five years.

The post-war years were hard on everyone, the wealthy included, and few could afford the mounting tax bills and costly repairs needed to keep their ancestral piles inhabitable.

Open To The Public

It was in this context that Henry Thynne, 6 th  Marquess of Bath took the unheard of step of opening up his stately home to the public. Amidst a blaze of publicity, Longleat became the first country house to transform itself into a lucrative tourist destination. Soon, a wave of other struggling aristocrats followed suit.

By the mid 1960s, however, the lure of touring Longleat House to catch a glimpse of how the other half lived had begun to wear off. Financial difficulties again threatened the Marquess of Bath’s estate and in an attempt to secure Longleat’s future for the long term he took a bold step.

In 1966, the 6 th  Marquess opened a safari park on the grounds of Longleat, the only such park outside Africa. Longleat soon became synonymous with the lions that roam its grounds and today there are over 500 animals living in the park.

A Colourful Marquess

Longleat is almost as famous for the private life of the 7th Marquess of Bath, Alexander Thynn, as it is for its roaming lions. Alexander took over the marquessate from his father in 1992, by which time he was already notorious for his eccentric and polygamous lifestyle.

As soon as he had the keys to the castle, Alexander set about redecorating the residential parts of Longleat House with his own painted murals. One such mural depicts portions of the karma sutra while others include portraits of Alexander’s seventy ‘wifelets’, many of whom live in cottages on the Longleat Estate.

Alexander is also a great lover of mazes and was responsible for installing the incredible Longleat Hedge Maze in 1975. The longest maze in the world, the hedge maze was later accompanied by the smaller Lunar Labyrinth, Sun Maze, Love Labyrinth and King Arthur’s Maze.

 By Rurik (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

In 2010, Alexander passed the marquessate and the management of the Longleat business to his son Caewlin.

Less than approving of his father’s lifestyle and taste in art, the 8 th  Marquess caused a well-publicised family rift when he removed some of his father’s murals from Longleat’s living quarters.

His father retaliated by refusing to attend his wedding.

Longleat Today

Today, the current Lord and Lady Weymouth and their two children continue to open their home to visitors every day of the week. The safari park at Longleat is a major family attraction that draws in visitors from all over the world, but it is Longleat House itself, an Italianate mansion built by the son of a farmer and visited by Queen Elizabeth I, that is truly extraordinary.

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LONGLEAT SAFARI PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• Mon - Thu 10:00 - 17:00
• Fri - Sun 10:00 - 19:00
• (0.41 mi) Longleat Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite
• (1.57 mi) Mill Farm Horningsham
• (4.87 mi) Stay at Penny's Mill
• (4.81 mi) Old Parsonage House
• (5.22 mi) Home Farm Boreham
• (1.02 mi) The Royal Oak
• (1.79 mi) Las Iguanas
• (3.91 mi) Taste Deli
• (3.34 mi) The High Pavement
• (2.72 mi) The Fox
• (0.62 mi) Longleat House
• (0.47 mi) Longleat
• (1.48 mi) Aqua Sana Longleat Forest
• (8.08 mi) Great Western Airsports
• (3.60 mi) JET-EX Simulation

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Longleat house and gardens and safari park, warminster, wilshire, ba12 7nw.

Accessibility:

Please check the venue website for more in-depth accessibility details.

There are designated parking facilities in the car parks.

Queue Assist Scheme is available.

Toilet facilities : Accessible toilets are located at/or near the following areas

Entrance to Safari Drive-Through, Bat Cave(A changing bench and hoist is located here), Jungle Cruise, Cellars Cafe; Chameleon Tree and Coffee House.

Baby changing facilities are available as above.  A Baby Centre is located near the Nature's Kingdom which has baby warming facilities and high chairs.

Wheelchair hire must be booked prior to your visit.

Please note: Assistance dogs/dogs are NOT allowed in a number of areas, please check the venue website.

Longleat House

Access to the house for limited mobility/wheelchair users is located at the rear.  A lift is available which allows access to all floors.

Due to conservation reasons - Low levels of light are in in operation.

Only TWO wheelchairs are permitted in the house at any one time, due to fire restrictions.

Pushchairs are NOT permitted into Longleat House. There is a pushchair park at the rear of the house.

Jungle Cruise

Pushchairs are not permitted.

Limited mobility and wheelchair users can access the area, a ramp to and from the boat is available. A restriction of 4 wheelchair users per boat is in operation.

Longleat Railway(Santa Train)

It is advisable to pre-book tickets for the railway as it is a popular experience.

A specially adapted carriage is available for wheelchair users. Limited to one place.

Pushchairs can be left at the pushchair park.

Longleat Hedge Maze

This area is unsuitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs.

Adventure Castle

Wheelchair and pushchair friendly.

Other attractions and areas.

Narrow pathways, cobbled pathways, steps and steep ramps exist in a number of areas.

Chameleon Tree Restaurant and Coffee House

Pushchair and wheelchair - fully accessible by ramp access

Cellar Cafe

Accessible via the rear of Longleat House for pushchair and wheelchair users.

Brief description:

Longleat House is a fine example of an Elizabethan Stately House completed in 1586, with gardens and grounds landscaped by Capability Brown. The estate has been owned by the Thynne Family for 15 generations and is now occupied by the 7th Marquess of Bath.  There are guided tours of the house interior available every day.

The Drive-Through-Safari Park opened in 1966 was the first of its kind in Britain.  There are a number of wild animals to be observed on the tour and within other areas of the park.

Longleat House, Warminster, Wilshire, BA12 7NW

[email protected]

01985 844400

https://www.longleat.co.uk/

Directions:

Longleat House and Safari Park is located between Bath and Salisbury off the A36.

The M3 (Junction 8); the M4 (Junction 17); the A303; A36; all serve and are easily accessible routes for reaching Longleat House and Safari Park.

Opening Times:

Open daily 10.00 - 5.00 

Please check the venue website for up-to-date and extra opening hours and additional events.

Adult : £34.95; Concession : £31.45; Child : £26.20; Carer's : Free admission

15% Discounted tickets available if purchased online.

Tickets allow entrance to: Safari Park, Cheetah Kingdom, Monkey  Drive Through, Lions of Longleat, Jungle Kingdom, Monkey Temple, Hedge Maze, Longleat House and Gardens.

There is a regular bus service around Wiltshire.

For more travel information go to- http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/parkingtransportandstreets/publictransport/transporttimetableinformation.htm .

Longleat House and grounds have a number of restaurants and cafes on site, there is also a gift/souvenier shop located in the Stables Courtyard.

The town of Bath is approximately 18 miles away

The City of Salisbury is approximately 25 miles away

Both places have supermarkets, shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants.  There are railway/bus stations available in both areas.

Nearest Venues

The Bath Arms, Horningsham, Wiltshire

1.14 miles*

Horningsham, Wiltshire

1.24 miles*

St John's Church, Horningsham, Wiltshire

1.30 miles*

Congregational Chapel, Horningsham, Wiltshire

1.43 miles*

Centre Parcs (holiday resort), Longleat Forest, Wiltshire BA12 7PU

1.71 miles*

West Woodlands, Somerset

2.27 miles*

*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.

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The History Hit Miscellany of Facts, Figures and Fascinating Finds

• United Kingdom

Wiltshire, UK

Sarah Roller

18 feb 2021, @sarahroller8, about longleat.

Longleat House & Safari Park is the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, as well as being notable for having the first safari park constructed outside of Africa. It is located in West Wiltshire, UK.

History of Longleat

Longleat was originally an Augustinian priory: the house was bought for Sir John Thynn in 1541, but burnt down shortly afterwards in 1567. By 1580 the house was rebuilt, mainly to a design by Sir John. The house has remained with the family ever since: Sir James Thynne employed Sir Christopher Wren to work on the house in the 17th century, and his son, Thomas Thynne, commissioned formal gardens and landscaping by George London.

Various other alterations happened in the 19th century under John Crace, adding some Italian Renaissance style interiors. The house was used as a temporary hospital during World War One and was used as a the base for an evacuated school in World War Two.

Longleat was opened to the public at the end of the 1940s in order to generate revenue, and the safari park was opened in 1966, becoming the first drive-through safari park outside of Africa. Part of the 900 acre estate was also leased to Centre Parcs in more recent years.

The house still has an impressive art and book collection today, and the formal gardens are exceptionally pleasant. The present Marquess’ father loved mazes, and planted several across the grounds which are worth getting lost in if you have the time.

Longleat today

The house is accessible via free flow, self-guided visit or via tour: there are multiple themes to choose from, including ‘Scandalous History Tours’ which dish the more salacious gossip on the Thynne family, including the current Marquess’ father, who kept his mistresses in grace and favour cottages across the estate and painted explicit murals in his house – be warned if you plan on taking children!

The safari park remains the star attraction for most visitors: the majority of it is drive through: the monkeys are particularly mischievous and have known to steal car aerials if you’re not careful. The park has a wide variety of animals, including lions, cheetahs, giraffe and zebras amongst many more – the novelty of seeing lions amongst the bluebells in spring is somewhere you won’t find elsewhere.

Getting to Longleat

Longleat is located just off the A36, roughly halfway between Bath and Salisbury, on the A362 between Warminster and Frome. Public transport options are somewhat limited: the nearest stations are Frome and Warminster respectively, although are both approximately 5 miles away and there is no bus service to speak of.

The drive through the grounds can be particularly lovely and atmospheric so be sure to enjoy it!

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• Check prices

Find your break

Highlands End

Graston copse.

Immerse yourself in the animal kingdom with a visit to the UK’s original safari park. Are you ready for six and a half miles of incomparable drive-through experience with over 40 different species to see? Enter a land of adventure where lions roam, tigers stalk and monkeys swing.

In the main square there is plenty to see, including koala creek, giant otters and crocodiles, a jungle cruise on the lake, the gorilla colony, jungle kingdom, monkey temple, the bat cave and more. There are family-friendly activities including the hedge maze, the family farmyard, adventure castle and the longleat railway.

Make your visit even more memorable with a VIP experience. Feed the gorillas, get up close and personal with penguins or go behind the scenes with red pandas. Explore the Longleat House with its sweeping corridors and grand rooms that transport you back in time. Exploring this stunning example of high Elizabethan architecture is a day out in itself. Discover 15 rooms of the stately home, see the art collection, explore the formal gardens and view the exhibitions.

Events throughout the year include a food & drink festival, the sky safari with hot air balloons, firework displays and the festival of light, which is not to be missed. Longleat is open throughout most of the year and tickets can be booked online in advance or on the day upon arrival.

Book online to guarantee your entry

Where to find Longleat

Based on 21606 reviews

Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 7NW

/// hope. quilt. racing

55.2 miles from Highlands End and Eype Beach

56.0 miles from Golden Cap

56.3 miles from Graston Copse

48.8 miles from Sandyholme

01985 844400

Visit website

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THE 10 BEST Moscow Parks

Parks in moscow.

• Playgrounds
• Bodies of Water
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3rd Transport Ring (TTK)
• District Central (TsAO)
• Garden Ring
• District North-Eastern (SVAO)
• Good for Kids
• Budget-friendly
• Good for Couples
• Good for Big Groups
• Honeymoon spot
• Hidden Gems
• Adventurous
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Kuskovo Estate

2. Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory)

3. Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

4. Sokolniki Park

5. Victory Park

6. Patriarch's Pond

7. Neskuchny sad

8. Izmailovsky Park

9. Hermitage Garden

10. Park Zaryadye

11. Serebryanyi Bor Park

12. Filevskiy Park

13. Sad Baumana

14. Boulevard Ring

15. Yekaterininskiy Park

16. Meshherskiy Park

17. Ostankino Park

18. Park Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo

19. Park Vorontsovo Estate

20. Troparevsky Forest Park

21. Kuzminki Park of Culture and Leisure

22. Park 50th Anniversary of October

23. Park Novodevichi Prudy

24. Nature Historical Park Bitsevskiy Wood

25. Presnenskiy Park

26. Timiryazevskiy Park

27. Golosov Ravine

28. Izmailovo Natural and Historical Park

29. Landscape Park Mitino

30. U Lukomor'ya

What travelers are saying.

• Victory Park
• Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure
• Kuskovo Estate
• Sokolniki Park
• Neskuchny sad
• Patriarch's Pond
• Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory)
• Meshherskiy Park
• Park Novodevichi Prudy

Get the most of your stay in Moscow

TOP-11 Moscow Parks to Visit

I have chosen the best 11 Moscow parks to visit and spend a beautiful time for you. Do not miss and choose one that you like the most – cycling, festivals, flowers, panoramic views and many other things are waiting for you!

Gorky Park (The Central Park of Culture and Leisure) – The main one of the Moscow Parks

In my opinion this park could be called the main park of the city. Why? Because of its huge territory, the central location and the amount of people visiting the park daily.  It was founded in 1928 and in 2011 it was totally reconstructed. Now it pleases visitors with modern objects and soft green lawns.

• Oktybrskaya or Park Kultuty metro station, Krimsky Val, 9

The Gorky park is a the right choice for everyone! The youth will like a free WiFi, bicycles, skateboards and other rentals; the couples will enjoy spending time near the river, watching a sunset; parents will appreciate colorful playgrounds and a room for mother and child. Everyone can find something for themselves: from yoga classes  to watching movies in a cozy summer cinema, from dance classes to volleyball playground. Gorky Park is also the venue for all kinds of exhibitions, festivals, events for children and adults. During the winter there is one of the biggest skating rinks in the park.

Museon Art Park – A Second Gorky they say

“Museon” is located on the opposite side of Krimsky Val street. And right now some people believe that Gorky and Museon together is a one space sharing the same beauty.

• Oktybrskaya or Park Kultuty metro station, Krimsky Val, 2

The Park of Arts was named this way because there is the largest composition of open-air sculptures in Russia. In its territory there are already more than 1000 unique exhibits: from monuments of the socialist realism era to various kinds of contemporary art. But this is not all the attractions of the park. In recent years, “Museon” has become an important cultural site of the city. The park regularly hold many different concerts, festivals, educational projects in the field of art and design. There is a Central House of the Artist, a comfortable summer cinema and other attractions on territory. Be sure to stroll pedestrian Crimean embankment, which looks like a modern park.

Neskuchny Garden – True Russian Nature is Here

Neskuchny garden is located on the right bank of the Moscow River. Today it is also seen as a part of the Gorky Park. This landscape park is one of the oldest in the city and is protected by the state. Its name was received from the Neskuchnoye Estate of  Prince Trubetskoi which is still located in the park.

• Leninsky Prospekt metro station, Leninsky Prospect, 30

This park is famous mostly for its location close to the Gorky park. It is a quite place with true nature, lots of trees and squirrels and also ancient architecture. As in every park, there are sports and playgrounds, cafes and even a football field.

Zaryadye Park – 5 Steps Away From The Red Square

The area of this brand new park was opened only in September 2017 and located in the very heart of Moscow – right near the Red Square.

• Open from 10AM to 10PM
• Teatralnaya, Okhotnyi ryad, Ploschad Revolutsii

The park has 4 zones, each of them represent different parts of Russian landscapes. Above the river there is a floating bridge from where you get to see one of the best panoramic views on Moscow. Other attractions of the park are 5D cinema where you can take a flight above Moscow, few cafes and restaurants, pretty lakes with fishes and old preserved churches. In addition there is still being built a  philharmonic hall, covered with a huge dome and an Ice cage where the temperature will always stay below zero degrees.

When you are on the Red Square do not miss it!

All-Russia Exhibition Center (VDNKh) – The Soviet Style Moscow Park

Park VDNKh – one of the most famous parks in Moscow. This park is one of the sights of the city as it hasn’t changed much since the Soviet era.

• VDNKh metro station, Prospect Mira, 119

The symbol of VDNKh is a fountain with 16 women symbolizing the friendship of the nations of the USSR. Around this fountain there are all the pavilions representing 16 republics. Now inside the pavilions you find various shops, cafes and exhibitions. If you go deep inside the park you will find a rocket Vostok and and an aircraft. What is funny the inside of the aircraft there is actually a photo exhibition. Near the northern entrance you there is a famous sculpture “Worker and Kolkhoz Woman”. It is extremely famous among Russians as all the movies by Mosfilm corporation used to start with the picture of this statue. But if you go further inside the park you will reach a very calm area. A lake is there, forest and birds singing. Since the park occupies a large area I suggest you to rent a bicycle.

Sokolniki Park – A Place For A Hunt Or For Leisure?

The park got its name because of the royal falconry, which took place there in the past when there was a dense forest. (Sokol means a falcon.) In 2011 it was significantly transformed: updated lawns, landscaped ponds and picnic areas, restored summer cinema and theater, a large rose garden, sports grounds, bicycle paths and other things.

• Sokolniki metro station, Sokolnichesky Val, 1, p. 1

From the main entrance along the alley you can walk to the Sokolniki circle, where 8 alleys form 9 sectors, in each of them you will find trees of the same breed.  The park is famous for its rosary, as well as flower decoration. On the territory of the park there are concert halls, a library, amusement zone, dances zone and many many other attractions. In winter the park has a skating rink (a free of charge one) and ski runs. During the warm season you can rent a bicycle.

Tsaritsino Park – A Different World Inside Moscow

Here you can walk for hours, admiring the most beautiful nature and magnificent architecture.

• Open from 6AM to 12AM
• Tsaritsyno metro station, Dolsky, 1

The most amazing part of the park is the lake with a light and musical fountain. Every evening the fountain starts the show. Lights and music combined make you feel like you are not in Moscow but in a fairy tale. The park is also well equipped for sports lovers and healthy lifestyle. There are volleyball and basketball courts, a tennis court, sports facilities for acrobatics, bodybuilding equipment.

What I personally like about this park is the atmosphere. This place is actually far from the city center but I love going there anyway. Whenever I go there I feel like I left Moscow with all its hectic lifestyle. It is the place where I relax, enjoy myself or a company of my friends and feel kind of different. By the way totally suggested for a date!

Kolomenskoye Park – Combination Of Reserve and Architecture

The Kolomenskoye park is actually a Museum-Reserve. It is a former residence of Russian tsars and one of the most scenic places in Moscow.

• May to September – open from 8AM to 12AM, October to April – from 8AM to 9PM
• Kolomenskoye metro station, Andropov Ave, 39

 Alike with Tsaritsino park Kolomenskoye park has its own special atmosphere with all the architecture, trees, ponds and even a river bank. The park regularly hosts various folk festivals and different fairs. In summer time you can play with kites or rent a bicycle and ride around the huge area of the park.

I love the view that you get on the city from one of the hills near the river. I love the apple trees alleys and the beautiful churches. It is also a bit far from the city center but yet worth going there. One of my best friends even celebrated her wedding there.

Aptekarsky Garden or Botanical garden of the Moscow State University – The Best Botanical Garden in The World

Aptekar in Russian language means a pharmacist so basically it is a pharmacist’s garden. It was founded in 1706 by Peter The Great for growing medicinal plants for the royal family. But later they moved it from under the walls of the Kremlin to the current location.

• Open from 10AM to 8PM
• Prospect Mira metro station, Prospekt Mira, 26

In the botanical garden there are no attractions and noisy crowds of tourists. The area of the garden is not as big as any other park in Moscow. And the entrance is not free. But this exactly what makes this park one of the most comfortable in the city. In the Aptekarsky garden they grow thousands of different plants, flowers and trees. Some of the trees are more than 300 years old. They held different festivals there: flowers festivals, sand and ice sculptures expositions.

For me it is one of the most beautiful parks not only in Moscow but in the world. I have never seen so many different flowers and plants anywhere else. And trust me I am a real park lover. And what is more the staff really takes care about every single tree or plant there, some of the trees have names and stories. I love it there and I think the price is really worth what you get.

Victory Park – A Park That Makes Us Remember The War

The park is located on the Poklonnaya Hill and it has one of the world’s largest memorial complexes dedicated to the World War II. The park was opened for the 50th anniversary of the Victory on May 9, 1995. It is also one of the main venues in the city for holding a variety of mass events.

• Park Pobedy metro station, Brothers Fonchenko, 7

On the main avenue of the park there are with 1418 fountains – exactly as long as the war lasted. Fountains make five water terraces, symbolizing five years of military operations. And in the center of the park there is the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. If you are interested in the history of the war do not miss it. The Poklonnaya Hill is a part of the park and from the hill you get one of the best views on the city of Moscow. And I could say this is the best place for watching the fireworks during the mass celebrations. But be aware it gets too crowded then. As in most of the other big parks you can rent a bicycle or rollers there.

Izmailovsky Park – A Mix of a Big Forest and Attractions

Izmaylovsky Park occupies a huge green territory, making up a large part of the Izmailovo district. The park consists of two parts: Izmaylovsky Park of Culture and Rest and the forest park of Izmailovo. First part is full of attractions and restaurants while the second one is like a real forest with pine trees, birch groves, beautiful clearings and ponds.

• Izmaylovskaya, Shosse Entuziastov or Partizanskaya metro stations, Izmaylovsky Park

It is easy to spend there a whole day. A large landscaped area and a lot of various entertainments for children and adults will help you not to get bored. An observation wheel, a boat station, children’s playgrounds, a dance floor, sports grounds, a skate park – all this is only a small part of the possible leisure activities. In the park there are bike paths and a rental services.

I don’t go there often to be honest. But the park is very very close whenever to a souvenir market on Partizanskaya metro station. And whenever the weather is nice and I have enough of free time I stroll through the alleys of the park and enjoy the nature. So if you are going to the souvenir market too and you have enough free time then do go to the park too.

5 thoughts on “TOP-11 Moscow Parks to Visit”

Pingback: Places to visit in Moscow – Sheran Bhattacharyya

Yes, sure 🙂 This is my top list 🙂

Yes, sure. These are my favorites!

I like this blog very much. Please keep sharing it in future too.

Thanks for sharing.

Thank you! 🙂

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