West Wycombe Park

West Wycombe Park has been the Palladian home of the Dashwood family for more than 300 years, shaped by Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet, in the 18th century, and a regular filming location for Cranford, Little Dorrit, Downton Abbey and Bridgerton. Eight rooms are shown, with painted ceilings, marble walls and family portraits, and the 45-acre landscaped park holds a lake and cascade, classical temples, statues and grottos. The Trust also cares for the village of 16th- to 18th-century cottages and coaching inns and the 55-acre hill above, topped by St Lawrence's church and its golden ball, the Dashwood Mausoleum and the Hellfire Caves, none of them National Trust. The Trust's one-mile West Wycombe Trail runs over the hill and through the village. Reviewers praise the ceilings, the guides and the views across the water to the temples, and note that indoor photography is prohibited because the family still lives here. Opening is limited to afternoons for part of the year, house tickets cannot be pre-booked, and there is no cafe on site.