Antony House

About the museum

Antony House stands on land that the Carew family has owned since the 15th century, above the estuary of the River Lynher near Plymouth. The present house was built from 1718 for Sir William Carew, the 5th Baronet, and a carved shell above the north front door dated 1721 probably marks its completion. Its formal, four-square design uses local Pentewan stone, which looks silver-grey in bright light. His marriage to Anne Coventry brought much of the money for the work, and the family moved in around 1724 and 1725.

The estate later passed to another branch of the family, and Reginald Pole-Carew, who took the double surname, was a long-serving Member of Parliament for Fowey. He developed the house and its collection, and with the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe he started the Torpoint Ferry, which linked Antony more easily to Plymouth. In 1792 he commissioned the landscape designer Humphry Repton, who prepared one of his “Red Books” of before-and-after views for the garden.

The house is still lived in by the Carew Pole family, which gives a visit a personal feel. Rooms hold family portraits, including one of Charles I at his trial in 1648, a portrait of the scholar Richard Carew, who wrote the Survey of Cornwall, and a mixture of old furniture, clocks and 20th-century glass. Outside, the Repton landscape, the formal garden with sculptures and the views over the Lynher can be explored. The National Trust looks after the house and garden, while the neighbouring Woodland Garden is separately owned and charges its own admission.

Highlights

• Georgian house of 1718–21 in silver-grey Pentewan stone, still a family home
• Family portraits, including Charles I at his trial and Richard Carew
• Garden and landscape influenced by Humphry Repton, with views over the River Lynher
• Formal garden with sculptures
• Storytelling room, family trails and clock and portrait spotter sheets

Permanent exhibitions

• The house – A lived-in Georgian family home with portraits of the Carew family, clocks, furniture and glass.
• Garden and landscape – A landscape influenced by Humphry Repton with views over the River Lynher and a formal garden with sculptures.

Founded

1718

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

The ticket covers the house and garden. Entry is free for National Trust members. The neighbouring Antony Woodland Garden is not owned by the National Trust and charges separate admission to everyone, including members.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There are wheelchair routes in the house and garden, with ramped access through the accessible entrance at the side of the house, and a photograph album shows the upstairs rooms. A tramper can be hired through the Countryside Mobility Scheme (booking essential). The accessible car park, with the accessible toilet and baby room, is closer to the garden and has a drop-off point. There is no Changing Places toilet; the nearest is at Derriford Hospital. A braille guide is available in the house, and an induction loop is fitted at the café till. Seating is provided in the house and garden, and a map showing the outdoor seating is available from the welcome team. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

A storytelling room in the house has games, costumes and books for dressing up, and clock and portrait spotter sheets and a family clicker trail are offered. The garden has a den-building area and a buggy-friendly route, and seasonal trails run in school holidays. Small buggies are allowed in the house where there is space, and hip carriers can be borrowed. Baby changing is in the accessible car park toilets, and the café has children’s lunchboxes.

Getting there & parking

Antony is 2 miles from Torpoint and 9 miles from Plymouth via the Torpoint Ferry, which charges a toll for vehicles travelling from Torpoint to Plymouth. Use the what3words address ///essay.reviews.multiple for the main car park entrance. It is about 5¾ miles from Plymouth by bicycle, using the Torpoint Ferry, which is free for cyclists.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Colonnade Café serving light bites, cakes and hot and cold drinks, with a second-hand bookshop in the museum room beside it. There are no electric vehicle charging points. Well-behaved dogs on a short lead are allowed on the gravel and stone paths of the garden; only assistance dogs may enter the house, the grass areas and the Summer Garden.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit