Free for members
Montacute House was built in the 1590s for Sir Edward Phelips, the lawyer who opened the prosecution of the Gunpowder Plotters, and its honey-coloured Ham Hill stone front, with statues of the Nine Worthies between the windows, makes it one of the best-preserved Elizabethan houses in England. The top-floor Long Gallery, at 172 feet the longest in the country, shows Tudor and Jacobean portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, and the house doubled as Greenwich Palace in the BBC's Wolf Hall. The gardens combine yew topiary, herbaceous borders, twin garden pavilions and an orangery; a 30-minute walk up St Michael's Hill reaches the 18th-century folly tower and views across south Somerset. Dogs are welcome on a short lead in the garden and parkland and at dog-friendly tables outside the cafe, but not in the house. Reviewers like the cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating, and rate the gift shop and second-hand bookshop above the usual. One important tip from visitors: the staircases are being repaired, so at present only the ground floor is open and the Long Gallery cannot be seen; check before making a long trip.
House
Prices, non-members
Free entry for National Trust members. The below are reduced ticket prices to reflect ongoing project work and the closure of the upper floors in the house.
The upper floors of Montacute House remain closed due to the 'Saving the Staircases' project. Ticket prices are reduced to reflect ongoing work.
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Dogs, with restrictions
Circular, 1.5 miles (2.4km) full trail or 1 mile (1.6km) short trail, easy, 30 to 60 minutes, eight stages. Mostly flat unmade paths with some undulations that can become muddy. Starts at Montacute House, grid ref ST499169, entering the parkland from the picnic area behind Lord Curzon's pavilion. Address Montacute House, Montacute, Somerset TA15 6XP.
Dogs, with restrictions
Circular, 1.45 miles (2.32km), moderate, 30 to 60 minutes, seven stages, with a short but moderate climb through woodland. Paths through woodland and open fields that can become muddy and boggy. Starts at Montacute House, grid ref ST499169, entering the parkland from the picnic area behind Lord Curzon's pavilion.
Dogs, with restrictions
Circular, 2 miles (3.2km), moderate, 60 to 120 minutes, thirteen stages. Starts at Montacute House, grid ref ST499169, address Montacute House, Montacute, Somerset TA15 6XP, entering the parkland from the picnic area behind Lord Curzon's pavilion; the route leaves the estate across the road by the West Drive, crosses the village playing fields and climbs the wooded St Michael's Hill to the 11th-century castle earthworks. Nearest stations Yeovil Pen Mill 5.5 miles and Yeovil Junction 7 miles; South West Coaches bus 81 stops at the Borough, Montacute, five minutes' walk from the start.
