Snowshill Manor is the Cotswold house that architect and collector Charles Paget Wade bought in 1919 and turned into a stage set for more than 22,000 handmade objects, from Samurai armour to musical instruments and toys; he never lived in the manor, sleeping in the Priest's House across the yard, and gave everything to the National Trust before his death in 1956. The Arts and Crafts garden, designed with his friend Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott in 1920, is a series of outdoor rooms, plus Wolf's Cove, a model Cornish harbour Wade built to amuse guests. Volunteers in every room draw consistent praise from reviewers. Tips from regulars: the manor is a hilly 500-yard walk from reception, though a volunteer-run buggy usually helps; you get a timed slot for the house on arrival, so see the garden first if there is a queue; and guard your sandwiches from the bold doves. Dogs on short leads may use the orchards and lawns but not the manor.
