About
Houghton House is the roofless shell of a mansion built around 1615 for Mary, Dowager Countess of Pembroke, above the Bedfordshire countryside. Its design mixes Jacobean and Classical ideas, with the ground floors of two Italianate loggias surviving; their possible association with Inigo Jones adds to the building's architectural interest. The house is also traditionally linked with the House Beautiful in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Information panels explain its owners and former hunting estate, while open windows and arches frame long views over the surrounding landscape. Visitors particularly recommend the setting for a picnic and describe the approach as part of the visit. Leave your car in the designated small car park before Houghton Park Cottages, then walk about 400 metres to the ruins. There is no turning space farther along the lane, and the gravel approach can be uneven. Dogs on leads are welcome.
Check today’s timesPick a day for times and prices
Today, Wednesday 28 October
- Houghton House10:00 – 16:00
Free entry
Opening times may change at short notice.
Open daily 10am-5pm or dusk, whichever is earlier.
No closer disabled parking. The pedestrian gate may be difficult with mobility aids; gravel, mud, steps and raised thresholds affect access.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome.
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