updates & changes

When the Third Edition was released (May 2016), every effort was made to provide accurate opening times and admission prices. However, these times and prices are subject to change, and readers are urged to seek current information on the websites of the stately homes included in this guide. The website addresses are listed in the text.

Most of the changes from 2015 in opening hours and admission prices are minor.

There also have been minor changes in the costs for the National Trust Touring Pass and the BritRail pass. Visitors can check the VisitBritainshop.com website for up-to-date information on these.

Click for Second Edition updates
 

There have been a few changes from 2015 in the directions to some of the stately homes in the guide. As always visitors should check for up-to-date directions, and currently the best source is www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk. Some of the more important changes are:

Blenheim Palace

The main route has been dropped, and the alternate route is now recommended:

From Paddington Station take the Great Western train toward Oxford and depart at Oxford Rail Station (about one hour). Walk about three minutes to Oxford City Centre Railway Station (Stop 5) and take Stagecoach Oxfordshire Bus S3 toward Old Woodstock and/or  Chipping Norton, West Street. Tell driver to drop you off at Blenheim Palace.

Burghley House

The reference to Great North Eastern train is obsolete. The correct route is the Virgin Trains East Coast train toward Edinburgh.

Castle Howard

From Kings Cross Station take the Virgin Trains East Coast train toward Newcastle or Aberdeen Rail Station and get off at York Rail Station. Walk 10 minutes to the Station Avenue stop and catch the Stephensons-Easingwold Bus (180 or 181) toward Malton and get off at Castle Howard. Round-trip for this service costs £10, but visitors with a valid ticket receive an admission discount.

ALTERNATE ROUTE: From York take the First TransPennine Express train towards Scarborough Rail Station and get off at Malton. From there take a taxi to Castle Howard (about six miles). It is also possible to take a taxi from York, but it is a longer drive (15 miles) and more expensive. Of couse, if you are traveling on a BritRail pass, the train from York to Malton would not cost extra.

Chartwell

There are several options available for getting to Chartwell. One option is to use rail and taxi. From London Victoria Station or London Bridge Station take the Southern train toward East Grinstead Rail Station, exiting at Oxted Rail Station (37 minutes); then take a six-mile taxi ride to Chartwell. Taxi service to Chartwell is also available from Sevenoaks station which is reached by regular train service from London Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge stations.

It is also possible (although a little difficult) to travel by bus and walking from Oxted to Chartwell: walk nine minutes from the Oxted Rail Station to the bus stop on Station Road East, catch Bus 236 toward Crawley, tell driver you want to exit at Hosey Common Road (16 minutes), and walk 12 minutes to Chartwell.

Another option is to take the Southern train from London Bridge Station toward Uckfield Rail Station, exiting at Edenbridge Town Railway Station (43 minutes). Then walk 11 minutes to the bus stop on Main Road and catch Bus 236 to Hosey Common Road (11 minutes) and walk to Chartwell.

Greenway

It would be possible to travel from London to Greenway and back in the same day, but it would be a long day. You could take the 7:30 am Great Western train from London Paddington toward Paignton (which is on the South Devon coast near Torquay) arriving at 11 a.m. The Paignton Rail Station is adjacent to the Dartmouth Steam Railway Station which has a 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon (20 minutes) to Greenway Halt. From there it is a very pleasant 30-minute walk to the Greenway house. (There is also a shuttle if you arrive by steam train.) The return trip would get you back to Paignton in time for the 4:50 or 5:45 p.m. train and a 3 1/2 hour trip back to London (via Newton Abbot). The steam train round trip fare is £8.5.

An alternative would be to stay overnight at one of  the B&Bs or hotels which are a convenient walk from the Paignton Rail Station. An overnight stay would allow you to take a later train from Paddington to Newton Abbot and then transferring to Paignton. An overnight stay would also allow a day trip on the steam train to the picturesque city of Dartmouth.

Hever Castle

There are two options. For those who don't mind a walk of less than a mile, take the Southern train from London Bridge Station toward Uckfield Rail Station and exit 45 minutes later at Hever Station (unmanned and no taxis). Follow signs through the rural countryside for a 9/10 mile walk to Hever Castle. You can also take a Southern train from London Victoria, exit at East Croyden Rail Station and transfer to a Southern train toward Uckfield departing at Hever Station.

Those who don't wish to walk a mile can take the same route described above, only exit at Edenbridge Town Station (the last stop before Hever Station). From Edenbridge, it's a three-mile taxi ride to Hever. The Hever staff recommends booking a taxi in advance, and booking directions are listed on the castle website.

Knole

From Charing Cross Rail Station, take Southeastern train toward Tunbridge Wells Rail Station, exiting at Sevenoaks Station. (Or from London Bridge Rail Station, take the train toward Canterbury West Rail Station and exit at Sevenoaks). To walk the 1 ½ miles to Knole, exit the Sevenoaks Station, turn right and continue through the town's main street, following the signs to Knole. There is a taxi rank at the station, and the one-way fare is approximately £5.

During the spring and summer a vintage shuttle bus service stops at Knole and the rail station as well as other stops in Sevenoaks. A full day ticket is £2.50, and since the route is a loop around Sevenoaks, the ride takes about 25 minutes from the rail station to Knole. The ride back from Knole to the station takes only about eight minutes. The shuttle runs on holidays March-May and on weekends in June and September. In July and August the shuttle runs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as well as the weekends. Check the Sevenoaks website (www.sevenoakstown.gov.uk/) for schedules.

Leeds Castle

The most direct way to reach Leeds Castle is to take the Southeastern train from Victoria Station toward Ashford International Rail Station or Canterbury West Rail Station, exiting at Bearsted Station one hour later. A shuttle van (April through September) offering an eight-minute drive direct service to the castle is parked to the right of the rail station's entry. Round-trip fare is about £5. From October through March there is usually "private service" available, but visitors should check the Spot Travel website (http://www.spottravel.co.uk/) to book this service.

Lyme Park

Visiting Lyme Park from London requires a lengthy walk. From London Euston take Virgin Trains toward Manchester Piccadilly, exiting at Stockport (2 hours). Then take Northern Rail toward Buxton Rail Station, departing at Disley Rail Station (15 minutes). From the Disley Station, turn left (there's a sign pointing to Lyme Park) and continue along the busy street to the gates of Lyme Park (12 minutes). From there, it's a 30-minute walk through the parkland to the house.

St. Michael's Mount

St. Michael's Mount is the only property in this book which cannot be seen in a day trip from London, but its antiquity and magnificence warrant inclusion.

The trip to Cornwall lends itself to the adventure of taking a sleeper train. We suggest departing on the Night Riviera Sleeper from London's Paddington at 11:45 p.m., arriving in Penzance at 8 the following morning. The sleeper, which offers complimentary refreshments and toiletry package, is a reasonably priced supplement to the BritRail pass (£60 for a single-berth room, £35 per person for a 2-berth room). Sleeper reservations are now available online at www.trainline.com or www.gwr.com. Reservations may also be made by telephone (08457 000 125) or at most main rail station.

St. Michael's Mount is located off the coast of Marazion, which is a three-mile (11 minute) bus ride from Penzance. Buses run three times an hour from the Penzance Bus Station, located just south of the rail station. Take Bus 2 or 17B, departing at the Marazion Square. There is also a popular walking path from Penzance (starting at the rail station parking lot) to Marazion.

The island of St. Michael's Mount is clearly visible throughout the bus ride and during the short walk from Marazion to the island, which is located in Mount's Bay. During high tide, the island is accessible only by boat. A pedestrian causeway that links the island to the shore reveals itself in the morning after the tide sweeps out to sea, usually around 10 a.m.

If you take the return train to London departing Penzance at 3:45 p.m., you can arrive back in London at around 9 p.m. Obviously you would not need the sleeper supplement. However, a sleeper train from Penzance to London is available later at night.

Waddesdon Manor

From Marylebone Rail Station take Chiltern Railways to Aylesbury Vale Parkway Rail Station (57 minutes). There is a taxi rank at the Aylesbury Station, and the one-way fare for the 20-minute ride is approximately £15 - but it takes you right up to the front door.

From April to October there is a limited free bus service from the rail station to Waddesdon Manor. The bus picks up visitors at 11 am (for passengers on the 10 am train). The return bus trips are at 4:15 pm (Wednesday-Thursday-Friday) and 4:45 pm (Saturday-Sunday-Bank Holidays). This schedule links to the 4:43 pm and 5:15 pm return trains to London.

For those who don't mind a somewhat strenuous walk, there is a bus-walking option: from the Aylesbury Station walk to the Aylesbury Bus Station on Great Western Street (11 minutes), take the Shires & Essex Bus 16 toward Steeple Claydon, exit at Waddesdon Wood Street (15 minutes), and walk two miles to the entrance (uphill).