I am often asked by my followers who are visiting England, what to see outside London. In fact, there’s so much to see that it can take a few months!
This time I’m going to take you around parts of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. Those areas are easily reachable from London and are just perfect for a weekend getaway with a bit of history.
Waddesdon Manor
If you only visit one place in Buckinghamshire, make it Waddesdon Manor. This country house was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 19th century in the Neo-Renaissance style of a French Loire Valley château.
It is currently managed by the Rothschild Foundation and is part of the National Trust. If you are planning to visit only the grounds, you can buy a ticket at the gate when you arrive but if you’d like to visit the house as well, I’d recommend booking online in advance as the tickets get sold out very quickly, especially at Christmas and weekends.
Interesting to note, that Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild left his estate to his youngest unmarried sister Alice. She established a set of housekeeping rules ‘Miss Alice’s Rules’ – guidelines for the care and preservation of the collections which even today form much of the basis of National Trust conservation guidelines. She did not allow even King Edward VII to touch the furniture!
Wrest Park
Wrest Park is a country estate in Bedfordshire with a Grade I listed 19th century country house set in restored garden landscape originating from the 17th century. You can easily spend a day there admiring the beautiful gardens, the sculptures and exploring the house. I imagine it’s particularly lovely in summer.
Wrest Park was used as a hospital during the First World War. Nan Herbert (Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas’ sister) was responsible for setting and running the hospital, and under her leadership Wrest Park became recognise
d as one of the best-run country house hospitals.
Where to stay
While exploring the area, I was invited to stay at Woughton House - MGallery in Milton Keynes.
I have previously stayed at MGallery hotels in Cheltenham and Bath and was happy to stay with them again. What I particularly like about MGallery hotels, is that they are addressing the needs of female travellers. They have recently launched a special ‘Inspired by her’ offering designed especially for women.
If you are looking for a place to surprise your mum on Mother’s Day, have a look at what Woughton house has to offer – starting from cocktails on arrival to lovely in-room amenities and ladies afternoon tea.
Stowe House and gardens
Stowe House is a grade I listed country house in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It is now home to the independent Stowe School, while the gardens are owned by the National Trust. I haven’t visited the house because I didn’t book tickets in advance, but as it was a beautiful day, I had a lovely walk in the gardens.
Orangery of Castle Ashby
Last but not least, Castle Ashby gardens, located in Northamptonshire, but still easily reachable from Milton Keynes/Buckinghamshire. The unique Orangery dates back to the 19th century and houses a large central pond filled with fish and water lilies. It’s a very beautiful space for a photo shoot.
In partnership with MGallery. All opinions are my own.