Charlecote Park

We went to Charlecote Park on a scorching mid-week day at the end of June, without the kids. When I arrived at the home, I discovered that guided tours are only offered on Wednesdays, and because our visit fell on a Thursday, I had to settle for the next best thing, being a National Trust property, which is the volunteers who are spread throughout the house. We booked our flight tickets. My wife advised that once we arrived at Luton Airport, we would reserve an airport cab online. I looked online and discovered a cab service called company with positive user ratings. I phoned and reserved a cab from the airport; company informed me that the driver was just around the corner and would arrive shortly. The driver arrived in a matter of minutes, stowed our luggage in the trunk, and we continued our journey.

We got to the garden after several stops along the route. The driver handed us our baggage and then left. The house itself was a true find. Many rooms are available to the public and are filled with authentic furniture from the Victorian era, with the occasional Georgian artifact thrown in for good measure. As previously said, the home also houses numerous artifacts that once belonged to William Beckford, who was regarded as the top art collector of the time, a great reason on its own to visit the house.

If you haven't been to many National Trust buildings before, you should know that some of them were handed to the trust as empty shells and were rebuilt using whatever the trust had stored in its warehouses. Exploring a property with its original interior is thus a great joy and privilege. Don't miss the vases on top of the bookcases when you visit the library! These vases came back with the family from their European trip in 1840, and they date back to the ruins of Pompeii, which means they are around 2,000 years old (you should read more about this family trip in my stories because it was not your average trip: it started with eight people and ended with eight, but not the same people...).

After we completed touring the home, we decided to explore the gardens, which were a little smaller in comparison to other residences and, to be honest, we're not the major draw here, despite being lovely. Although we were not accompanied by children, we were curious about what was available for families, and there were no distinct sections dedicated to them. The mansion does, however, have a fantastic picnic spot directly on the banks of the Avon River. If you're planning a day out here, it could be worth bringing your toys and activities, as well as lunch.

To summarise, Charlecote Park is a fascinating property to tour, especially if you are interested in art and history. I would estimate that you can explore it thoroughly in under two hours, which is fortunate because it is close to both Stratford upon Avon and Warwick, both of which would make an interesting addition to your day out. If you've read any of our past reviews, you'll know that I like to compare castles to restaurants and the Michelin guide, and if that were the case, I'd think Charlecote Park merits at least one star for the original furniture and relics it houses.